Yes Gurney, tissue culturing can be used to produce massive amounts of clones from those trees which are deemed by the forest industry as having traits best suited to their ends. The forest industry here also chose to monoculture vast clear cut areas in central BC with lodgepole pine because it was hardy, quick growing and tended to crowd out other species, therefore more profitable from their standpoint. Working in concert with Mother Nature rather than entirely imposing one's own will would have been a better choice. It would seem that mixed stands might have prevented the beetle infestation from reaching such epidemic proportions. I just got back a couple of weeks ago from a trip to the Interior where, mile after mile, there was nothing but dead red trees for as far as the eye could could see. Rather heartbreaking. Sorry to digress farther afield from honey bees, but it left an indelible impression. I can remember years ago when I worked for Forestry discussing this as a real possibility and being dismissed as a nut case. Technology can be a tremendous tool, but I never felt it was wise to fall utterly in love with it.
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