MELALEUCA MANAGEMENT PLAN TEN YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL MELALEUCA MANAGEMENT IN FLORIDA 1988 - 1998 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MELALEUCA TASK FORCE FLORIDA EXOTIC PEST PLANT COUNCIL APRIL 1990 Original Draft APRIL1994 Second Edition MAY 1999 Third Edition François B. Laroche, Editor MELALEUCA: A THREAT TO THE RESTORATION OF THE GREATER EVERGLADES ECOSYSTEM, AN EXPLOSION IN SLOW MOTION. ii This Manuscript is dedicated to JAVIER CARDENAS, FRANCISCO VILLA FUERTE, JUAN ESPINOZA AND JOHN RAY HILL who died, in a helicopter crash, while eradicating melaleuca in the Everglades Water Conservation areas on January 22,1997. iii iv Mention of a trade name or a proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the Melaleuca Task Force or the Exotic Pest Plant Council. There is no express or implied warranty as to the fitness of any product discussed. Any product trade names that are listed are for the benefit of the reader and the list may not contain all products available due to changes in the market. v The Melaleuca Management Plan was developed to provide criteria to make recommendations for the integrated management of melaleuca in Florida. The original plan was published in April of 1990. A second edition was published in 1994. This is the Third edition and it should be periodically updated to reflect changes in management philosophy and operational advancements. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................xi LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................xiii LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS .................................................................................................xv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................xix F. Allen Dray, Jr. and Ted D. Center 0I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Robert F. Doren II. PROBLEM STATEMENT ...........................................................................................2 Robert F. Doren III. GOAL ...................................................................................................4 Melaleuca Task Force IV. OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................4 Melaleuca Task Force V. RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................5 François B. Laroche and Robert F. Doren VI. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND ....................................................................................7 A. BIOLOGY OF MELALEUCA...........................................................................7 Michael J. Bodle and Tai K. Van B. EXTENT OF MELALEUCA INFESTATION IN FLORIDA .............................12 Amy P. Ferriter C. ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND HUMAN IMPACT ...........................17 Don C. Schmitz and Ronald H. Hofstetter D. MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES......................................................................21 1. BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ............................................................................22 vii Ted D. Center, and F. Allen Dray, Jr. 2. MECHANICAL CONTROL...........................................................................28 Daniel D. Thayer 3. PHYSICAL CONTROL................................................................................29 Holly A. Belles, Ronald L. Myers and Daniel D. Thayer 4. HERBICIDAL CONTROL ............................................................................32 François B. Laroche E. SURVEILLANCE AND INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE CONTROL............40 Tony J. Pernas, and Jacqueline C. Smith F. PROPOSED AND ENACTED LAWS .............................................................42 Jacqueline C. Smith VII. RESOURCES MANAGEMENT APPROACH ............................................................43 Daniel D. Thayer and Roger S. Clark VIII. MELALEUCA MANAGEMENT EFFORTS................................................................45 A. BIOLOGICAL CONTROL RESEARCH..........................................................45 Ted D. Center, F. Allen Dray, Jr., Gary Buckingham, Sue Wineriter, Min B. Rayachhetry, Matthew F. Purcell 1. BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROJECT STATUS................................................45 2. ECOLOGICAL GENETICS RESEARCH ........................................................57 3. BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROJECT NEEDS .................................................58 B. OPERATIONAL EFFORTS.............................................................................60 1. ARTHUR R. MARSHALL LOXAHATCHEE NATL. WILDLIFE REFUGE.............60 Bill Thomas 2. BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE........................................................65 Tony J. Pernas and William A. Snyder 3. EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK ................................................................71 David T. Jones viii 4. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION .......................76 Jacqueline C. Smith 5. LEE COUNTY...........................................................................................77 Roger S. Clark 6. MIAMI-DADE COUNTY..............................................................................78 Laurie McHargue 7. PALM BEACH COUNTY ............................................................................79 Brenda Hovde 8. SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ....................................80 François B. Laroche 9. U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER...........................................................90 Charles E. Ashton and William C. Zattau IX. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................94 Robert F. Doren X. REFERENCES ...................................................................................................96 ix x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Melaleuca quinquenervia: (a) Habit (x1/2); (b) flower (x4);.............................10 (c) flower in longitudinal section (x4); (d) stamen group (x6); (e) ovary in transverse section (x8); (f) unripe fruits (x2); (g) dehisced fruit (x4); (h) floral diagram. (Reprinted with permission from P.B. Tomlinson. 1980. The Biology of Trees Native to Tropical Florida, Harvard University Printing Office, Allston, Mass., p. 285. Illustration by Priscilla Fawcett.) Figure 2. Occurrence of melaleuca throughout south Florida in 1993 ..........................16 1995, 1997 and 1999. Figure 3. Melaleuca density and treatment status at the Big Cypress...........................68 National Preserve. Figure 4. Map of Melaleuca stem treated in the Big Cypress National..........................69 Preserve (FY 1984-1998). Figure 5. Map of Melaleuca treatment sites in the East Everglades..............................74 Acquisition Area, (1996-1998). Figure 6. Melaleuca infestation and control efforts from 1991- 1998 in the ..................84 Water Conservation Areas and Pennsuco. Figure 7. Melaleuca infestation and control efforts from 1993 - 1998 in........................87 sections of Lake Okeechobee. xi xii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Herbicide trials on melaleuca in the Water Conservation ..............................32 Areas, conducted by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 1974-1977. For each treatment listed, two applications of the same herbicide were made on the same trees, at the rates listed, when resprouting occurred. Table 2. Herbicide trials on melaleuca in the Water Conservation .............................33 Areas, conducted by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 1974-1977. Table 3. Herbicide trials on melaleuca in the Water Conservation ..............................34 Areas, conducted by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 1974-1977. Table 4. Mean percent melaleuca seedling mortality following herbicide ....................35 application, Lake Okeechobee (Stocker 1981). Table 5. Mean percent melaleuca tree mortality following............................................36 herbicide application, Lake Okeechobee (Stocker 1981). Table 6. Percent defoliation of melaleuca treated with a combination of .....................39 Imazapyr at 1.68 kg/ha a. i. and glyphosate at 4.5 kg/ha a. i., Once in 1995 and twice in 1995 and 1996. Table 7. Summary of melaleuca management efforts in the Big Cypress....................70 National Preserve. Table 8. Annual project funding by cooperating agencies for melaleuca.....................72 control in east Everglades (1987-1998). Table 9. Results of melaleuca management actions in East Everglades.....................73 (1986-1993). Table 10. Melaleuca management costs and labor costs in the east Everglades .........75 by year (1986-1998). Table 11. South Florida Water Management Districts melaleuca .................................81 management funding sources. Table 12. South Florida Water Management Districts melaleuca .................................82 xiii management expenditures. Table 13. Melaleuca control summary for ground based application .............................85 in the Water Conservation Areas. Table 14. Melaleuca control summary for aerial application in the Water .....................86 Conservation Areas and Lake Okeechobee from 1994 to 1998. Table 15. Melaleuca control summary for ground based application .............................88 in Lake Okeechobee. Table 16. Melaleuca control summary for ground based application .............................88