This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Thursday, 7 July 2022
Does Cloning Actually Make the Tree's Replacement Any More Special?
In 2013, North Wales' 1200 year old Pontfadog oak was destroyed in a storm. The National Botanical Gardens of Wales have subsequently cloned the tree and 5 saplings will be returned to the Cieriog valley. A perfect solution? (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/06/pontfadog-oak-returns-five-cloned-saplings-north-wales-ceiriog-valley). This actually appears a bit contrieved. 1200 years is really old for an oak tree, so the plant was at or near its maximal age. It's unlikely that a clone will look very different from an oak grown from a random acorn. Simply putting in a replacement tree, might have yielded an effectively identical solution. Technology, in this case, really doesn't seem to add anything tangible.
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