Did you know that in addition to producing paper pulp and firewood, eucalyptus is used by scientists to study how trees function in tropical climates, just as poplar is used for temperate climates? Eucalyptus originated in Australia (it is the sole food source for koalas), and is also a prime source of low-cost woody biomass. This explains its popularity for both industrial firms and smallholders (for instance in Madagascar, where it is widely used as firewood). However, like many plants, it is suffering the effects of climate change. Scientists and plantation managers will be discussing possible ways of adapting plantations this week in Montpellier, during the international conference of the “Improvement and Culture of Eucalyptus” group, organized this year by CIRAD, under the aegis of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).