Environmental issues regarding the stablishment of large-scale eucalipt plantations in tropical areas: The Mexican case

In 1996, the Mexican government established an incentive program to support forest enterprises involved in large-scale commercial plantations. These h ave initiated projects using eucalyptus species that, in trim, have generat ed an intense polemics. In this article we review the ecological aspects re garding eucalyptus plantations and suggest some scientific elements that po sitively contribute to this debate. Finally, we discuss some ideas regardin g research lines and actions that may help on mitigating potential impacts.