By Cheryl Jahn

Glyphosate research released

Mar 5, 2019 | 2:50 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – UNBC forest ecologist Dr. Lisa Wood has had the results of a study of glyphosate released in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Specifically, she has tested 10 plant species that have received small applications of the herbicide than those that are targetted with a larger application. 

“My study showed one-year persistence. So very statistically-robust results suggesting one year after application, it’s still there in low concentrations,” she explains. “There’s definitely degradation that has happened, but there are low concentrations, to begin with on these off targets. One year after, we’ve got solid evidence it’s still there.”

glyphosate has been used for years by forestry companies, with the blessing of the Ministry of Forests, to “weed out” the less desirable trees and leaving behind single species, either pine, spruce or Douglas fir. 

“What upsets me is the fact that it kills the deciduous growth that the insects and the birds and small mammals rely on to live,” explains Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie. In 2015, as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, he authored a report entitled: “Getting the Balance Right: Improving Wildlife Habitat Management in British Columbia.” While it didn’t specifically cite glyphosate, it lays out a path forward for the continuous improvement in balancing biodiversity and economic objectives.”

He says glyphosates have their purpose, such as tackling invasive species or cleaning up the right-of-ways for the railways, he would like to see it banned in silvicultural uses. 

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“Yes. There are other ways to do that. It’s probably more expensive but it’s far more effective in preserving the biodiversity that we have. You know, we need aspen. it’s not considered to be a commercial species in BC but it is in other regions of the country.”

In the meantime, Dr.Wood is not ending her research into glyphosates.

“It’s been around for a long time and there’s been lots of research done. But there are still lots of questions and there’s still lots of things we don’t know.”

She says her work will continue to look at the lifespan of the herbicide in plants beyond the year.