Eucalyptus spp. are among the most promising exotic tropical hardwoods
under field testing for biomass crop production in Hawaii. A first st
ep in establishing a genetically based tree improvement program aimed
at increasing biomass yield, coppice regrowth, and other desirable tra
its for short rotation intensive culture of Eucalyptus spp. on potenti
al biomass plantations is to determine the extent of genetic variabili
ty in the locally available stock of germplasm. This study presents an
evaluation of allozyme variability revealed through gel electrophores
is in fourteen provenances involving five species of Eucalyptus introd
uced previously in Hawaii. The high levels of polymorphism and heteroz
ygosity observed in our sample indicate that this initial stock of ger
mplasm represents a suitable base for further genetic improvement. Thi
s information is critically important for developing and maintaining e
nvironmentally and economically sustainable biomass plantations for lo
ng-term success featuring stands which are not genetically vulnerable.