Upland Invasive Exotic Plant Management Program Fiscal Year
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Upland Invasive Exotic Plant Management Program Fiscal Year 2007-2008 Final Program Report 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary•3 Introduction•4 Invasive Plant Control Projects•13 East Central Working Group Projects•16 Florida Keys Working Group Projects•28 Mosquito Coast Working Group Projects•37 Northeast Working Group Projects•46 Panhandle Working Group Projects•54 Southeast Working Group Projects•69 Southwest Working Group Projects•81 Sun Coast Working Group Projects•96 Treasure Coast Working Group Projects•110 West Central Working Group Projects•121 Withlacoochee Working Group Projects•136 Melaleuca Program•149 Lygodium Strike Team Projects•152 Herbicide Bank Projects•153 Uplands Program Operations Summary•154 2 Executive Summary ver one-and-one-half million acres of Florida’s melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Brazilian Opublic conservation lands have been invaded pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Old by alien (exotic, nonnative, nonindigenous) plants World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) such as melaleuca, Brazilian pepper, Australian on public conservation lands. These and over pine, and climbing ferns. However, invasive alien one hundred other alien plants have invaded plants respect no boundaries and millions of acres at least 1.5 million acres of Florida’s nearly 11 of private land are also affected. This ongoing million acres of public conservation lands, alien invasion has degraded and diminished affecting an ecotourism economy valued at $13 what remains of Florida’s natural areas, affected billion annually. Once invasive plants become agricultural production, and reduced outdoor established in native habitats, eradication is recreation and ecotourism opportunities. difficult, if not impossible to achieve; therefore, The Bureau of Invasive Plant Management (BIPM) continuous maintenance of invasive nonnative is the designated lead agency in Florida responsible plants is needed to sustain wildlife habitat and for coordinating and funding the statewide control recreational opportunities while preserving of invasive aquatic and upland plants in public native plant communities on public conservation waterways and on public conservation lands. lands. Florida’s aquatic plant management program is one Upland invasive weeds infested approximately of the oldest invasive species control programs in fifteen percent of public conservation lands the world, with its beginnings dating back to the statewide in 2008. Thirty-seven percent (553,000 early 1900s. With the later addition of the upland acres) of the affected area is currently under invasive plant control program, BIPM oversees maintenance control. BIPM expended $12.5 the largest and most successful invasive plant million controlling upland weeds on 135 publicly management effort of its kind in the United States. managed areas with a total of approximately The Upland Invasive Exotic Plant Management 240,000 acres of project area during fiscal year Program was established in 1997 to address 2008. Cooperating agencies contributed another the need for a statewide coordinated approach $4.25 million in cash, time and materials, or in- to the terrestrial (vs. aquatic) invasive exotic kind services as a match to BIPM funding. BIPM plant problem. The “Upland Weed” Program provided chemicals through its Herbicide Bank incorporates place-based management concepts, to assist public land managers with treatments bringing together regionally diverse interests ranging from one-half to nearly 40,000 acres of to develop flexible, innovative strategies to initial and maintenance treatment for a total of address weed management issues at the local 86,916 acres and a cost of $595,260 (included in level. The Upland Weed section of the bureau above annual totals). funds individual exotic plant removal projects on public conservation lands statewide. Projects are considered for funding based upon st recommendations from eleven Regional Invasive NOTE: On July 1 of 2008, BIPM and its associated Plant Working Groups. programs were transferred into the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This The mission of the Upland Weed Program is to annual report of the Uplands Program is the achieve maintenance control of invasive exotic final report prepared for the Department of plants like Australian pine (Casuarina spp.), Environmental Protection. 3 Introduction 4 Introduction Florida’s Upland Invasive Exotic Plant Management Program When our state was first named La Florida, its profusely blooming foliage was composed of a panoply of colorful native plants. Today, exotic species comprise roughly one-third of Florida’s plant life. Many of these newer botanical residents support the economically important agricultural and horticultural industries; however, there are always a few bad apples in any barrel (tropical soda apple, for one). An estimated ten percent of the thousands of non- native plants in Florida are invasive, that is, plants that pose a threat to natural systems. Invasive exotic plant species, lacking control by their native diseases and predators, spread Florida lies in three climatic zones, tropical, sub- explosively and outcompete and replace vital tropical, and temperate, and thus possesses a wide native species on public and private land. The array of natural communities. Unfortunately, invasive resulting infestations diminish wildlife habitat, exotic plants have found their way into every natural decrease recreational resources, and negatively habitat from coastal beach dunes (above left) to interior pine flatwoods (below left). Fortunately, the affect the natural health and economy of the state. Uplands Program can control invaders wherever they With its subtropical climate, an island-like are found (above and below right). topography, and the pressures of a rapidly expanding human population, Florida is especially vulnerable to invasion by non-native (introduced, exotic, alien) species. Florida is listed along with Hawaii, California, and Louisiana as one of the states with the highest number of non-native species, both plants and animals. The South Florida region alone is home to more introduced plants than any other region within other states. Thirty years ago, a Smithsonian publication described tropical Florida as a “biological cesspool of introduced life.” 5 Introduction While South Florida has been hardest hit by of creating a program to bring invasive exotic this invasion of alien species, the problem is upland plant species under maintenance control. statewide in scope. Compounding the problems A maintenance control program, as defined in caused by this ongoing invasion is a general Section 369.22, Florida Statutes, is “a method lack of awareness about the invasiveness of for the control of exotic plants in which control non-native species introduced into the Florida techniques are utilized in a coordinated manner environment. Florida covers 36 million surface on a continuous basis in order to maintain the acres, with nearly 11 million acres in plant population at the lowest public ownership for natural resource feasible level.” The Upland Invasive protection. Invasive exotic plants Exotic Plant Management (Uplands) have invaded approximately fifteen Program was established that same percent of these public conservation year. To implement its statewide lands, affecting an ecotourism cooperative strategy, the Uplands economy valued at over $13 billion Program divided the state into The lygodium moth, the first annually (counting only hunting, biological control agent for Regional Invasive Plant Working fishing, and wildlife viewing). [Total climbing ferns, was released Groups. The Uplands Program revenue for all types of tourism in in 2006 and 2007. funds individual invasive exotic 2007 was $65 billion.] plant control projects on public conservation lands based upon recommendations Some invaders change the composition, structure, from these working groups. The Uplands and/or processes of native plant and animal Program melds these regional priorities into communities. One easily observed example is an integrated process that provides the needed when the invader forms a dense one-species support infrastructure to conduct an efficient and stand (monoculture) where once there was a cost-effective statewide control program. rich assembly of native species, resulting in a loss of biodiversity. A number of populations Funding for the Uplands Program is provided of Florida’s rarest plants have through the Invasive Plant been lost in this fashion. Management Trust Fund as set Other invaders modify habitat forth in Section 369.252(4), processes, for example, by F.S., which reads: “use funds changing water flow or by in the Invasive Plant Control increasing fire frequency in Trust Fund as authorized by habitats not adapted to fire. the Legislature for carrying out Once invasive plants become The melaleuca psyllid was the second activities under this section on established in native habitats, biocontrol agent for melaleuca to be public lands. Twenty percent eradication is difficult, if not released in the Everglades. of the amount credited to the impossible, to achieve; therefore, continuous Invasive Plant Control Trust Fund pursuant maintenance is needed to sustain wildlife habitat to Section 201.15(6), F.S., shall be used for and recreational opportunities while preserving the purpose of controlling nonnative, upland, native plant communities. invasive plant species on public lands.” The trust fund provided nearly $13 million to fund upland The 1997