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Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) and Florida EPPC.
Bargeron1*, Charles and Christopher Evans1
1 University of Georgia-Bugwood Network, Tifton, GA
ABSTRACT: Early detection of new invasive species allows for management activities to be implemented while infestations are small and eradication or suppression is more feasible. Land managers, biologists, amateur botanists, and private landowners all have the ability to identify these species, but may not know if they are new to that area and who to contact to report infestations. To provide a location to store and display this data, the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council (SE-EPPC) and the Bugwood Network developed the SE-EPPC Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System. This project compiles the current distribution data from a variety of sources and uses volunteers from state EPPCs to collect distribution data on common and new invasive species throughout the southeast. The project has been underway for nearly a year. During this time, many refinements and additions to the online data and map retrieval system have been made, training sessions have been conducted, and data has been added. The georeferenced Florida EPPC database has been imported into the EDDMapS system and a specialized interface has been designed for the Florida EPPC to input, view and extract data.
Predicting the distributions of two invasive exotics, Ardisia crenata and A. elliptica (Myrsinaceae).
Braun, Sarah
FloridaStateUniversity, Tallahassee, FL
ABSTRACT: Ardisia crenata and Ardisia elliptica(Myrsinaceae) are two shrubs listed as invasive exotics in the state of Florida by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC). Occurrence records for A. crenata and A. elliptica were gathered from the FLEPPC database, the Florida Invasive Plants Geodatabase, and field surveys. The records were georeferenced using ArcMap 9.1 software. Genetic algorithms in Desktop GARP were used to determine non-random relationships between species occurrences and environmental variables. The rule-sets generated by Desktop GARP were used to project the future distributions of the two species onto North America. Preliminary results suggest that A. crenata has potential to spread from Florida, along the Gulf coast, and into Texas. Preliminary results for A. elliptica suggest that this species will remain restricted to the southern half of peninsular Florida. Hawaii is also indicated as a potential area of distribution for both species and in fact both species already occur there. Current work is being done to project the future distributions of the two species over just the state of Florida. This talk will focus on the preliminary results of the Florida work.
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The georeferenced Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council database.
Braun, Sarah
FloridaStateUniversity, Tallahassee, FL
ABSTRACT: FLEPPC maintains a Microsoft Access® database for recording element occurrence records for invasive plants throughout Florida. This database is managed by Florida State University’s Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium and currently holds >5000 records. Records are from parks, reserves, highway right-of-ways, and even people’s yards. Land managers and veteran observers submit the vast majority of the records and all records are screened before being entered into the database. A few records are also vouchered in herbaria around the state. I have developed a georeferencing protocol for the FLEPPC element occurrence records. This talk will address (1) the results of georeferencing efforts utilizing this protocol, with special attention given to the utility of the element occurrence records, (2) spatial patterns exhibited by the data, (3) data gaps both for particular species and particular regions of Florida, and (4) anticipated plans for facilitating use of the georeferenced data by land managers, researchers, and other interested parties.
The impact of invasive plants on the recreational value of Florida's freshwater and upland natural areas.
Bucaram1*, Santiago, Donna Lee1,Damian Adams1
1University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
ABSTRACT: In the past century, over 1,300 exotic plant species have been introduced and established in Florida and 124 species are destructive to natural areas. Upland weeds infested approximately 15% of Florida’s 8.3 million acres of public conservation lands in 2000. Meanwhile, ecotourism activities in public parks, forests, wildlife management areas and privately-owned natural areas have an estimated economic impact of $7.8 billion per year (Egbert, Heller, and Harding, 2000). Over 34 million participants spend more than $35 billion per year on freshwater fishing in Florida (Zhang and Lee, 2006). However, excessive growth of invasive weeds hinders these recreational activities and negatively impacts the state’s economy.This study examines the relationship between invasive weeds and recreational activities in Florida’s natural areas using a Multi-attribute Utility Model (MAU) survey. We ask respondents to choose from a set of pair-wise alternatives comprising a bundle of attributes at varying levels, including levels of invasive species coverage and other variables important to the recreation decision. The MAU survey is developed and electronically distributed to Florida residents following a prescribed methodology (Milon and Hodges, 2002; Alvarez and VanBeselaere, 2003; Tsuge and Washida, 2003; Lee, Adams, and Rossi, 2006).
MAU development required the use of three preliminary surveys: 1) of managers and natural area recreation experts to ensure relevant characteristics were included in the surveys of Florida residents; 2) of Florida residents to determine their level of knowledge of invasive species for designing the background information of the MAU survey; and 3) another of Florida residents to determine attributes that may impact recreational decisions with respect
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to freshwater and upland natural areas. These surveys revealed that the most important attributes were: plant species, animal species, and facilities and only 27% of Florida residents have knowledge of invasive plants. The full survey based on preliminary results has been developed and will be aired to Florida residents. With the use of the estimated conditional logit model we will predict the alternatives a respondent would choose from any set of bundles (McFadden, 1974). With the payment attributes included, the model will also estimate the marginal willingness to pay for recreational activities in natural areas with fewer invasive plants and more native species. This will provide useful information for further analyses of impact of public programs to control invasive weeds in Florida.
FLEPPC—It’s your organization,too:An introduction to committees and task forces.
Burney, Jim
Aquatic Vegetation Control, Inc., Riviera Beach, FL
ABSTRACT:As most of you are already aware, The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) is a non-profit organization founded in the early 1980's with the mission of supporting the management of invasive exotic plants in Florida's natural areas by providing a forum for the exchange of scientific, educational, and technical information.Now, how we (us) carry out this noble mission is by organizing ourselves in committees for handling business issues, administering education and research grant programs, organizing annual symposia and Board of Director (BOD) Meetings, maintaining our website, and other necessary duties.In addition to the day-to-day operations conducted through committee recommendations, management plans and educational materials for specific exotic invasive plants, such as climbing fern and melaleuca, are developed through Task Force groups.So, this is where you, as a member, come into play. Each committee and task force is comprised of one Chairman and several committee members who actively participate in developing recommendations to the BOD or preparing technical materials.The purpose of this presentation is to familiarize all FLEPPC members with the committees and task forces and present opportunities for each of you to become actively involved with our mission.It's important, interesting, and rewarding work—so let’s get involved.
Revising Quarantine 37 regulations to better address the risks associated with the importation of plants for planting.
Caton, Barney
US Department of Agriculture, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Laboratory, Raleigh, NC
ABSTRACT:The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working to update and improve the regulations on the importation of plants for planting and propagation (nursery stock), familiarly known as Q-37. This activity is particularly important because quarantine pests introduced on Q-37 materials are more likely to be able to become established than those introduced via other commodities or pathways. We have begun by planning several measures—to be introduced incrementally—that will reduce risk while minimizing adverse economic impacts. One notable change is the creation of a new category of regulated plants: ‘not authorized for importation pending pest risk analysis’ (NAPPRA). The new category could be applied to both pest plants
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and plant hosts of quarantine pests. The pest plant component of NAPPRA would dramatically increase the number of plants regulated as potentially invasive species. Other planned changes include 1) consolidating the regulations that affect plants for planting, 2) reorganizing for effective implementation, 3) implementing a regulatory systems approach protocol to reduce pest risk offshore, and 4) updating the current permit system accordingly. The public has and will have multiple opportunities to participate in the process, such as the ongoing e-discussion about evaluating invasiveness. Lastly, I will present an updated timeline for when different measures may be implemented.
Surveys in Paraguay for new biocontrol agents of Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae): preliminary results.
Cuda1*, James P., J. C. Medal1, and B. Garcete-Barrett2
1University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 2Museo Nacional de Historia Natural delParaguay, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
ABSTRACT:Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, was introduced into the United States from South America as an ornamental in the 1800s.Native to Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, it eventually escaped cultivation and invaded disturbed and natural areas in California, Texas, Florida, and Hawaii. Brazilian peppertree is considered one of the most significant threats to rare and native flora in Hawaii, and is altering Florida’s biodiversity, especially over large areas of the Everglades.In the 1980s, this invasive weed was targeted for classical biological control because of the extent of the infestation and the absence of native congeners in the US.To date, three natural enemies have been studied in Brazil and in US quarantine.One of these is a defoliating sawfly,Heteroperreyiahubrichi Malaise (Hymenoptera: Pergidae), thatwas recommended for field release by the Technical Advisory Group for Biological Control Agents of Weeds(TAG) and is currently undergoing an Environmental Assessment by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ).A revised release petition for another biocontrol agent, a shooting attacking thrips,Pseudophilothrips ichini (Hood) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), was submitted to TAG for review in August 2006.In April 2005 and March 2006, surveys for new natural enemies of Brazilian peppertree were conducted in southeastern Paraguay.Plant samples for genetic analyses and insects associated with the plant were collected from several localities in the ItapúaProvince.The insects collected were either new host or locality records, including two species of the weevil genus Apocnemidophorus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and several species of caterpillars belonging to the genera Citheronia and Dirphia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), Dasylophia (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), Spodoptera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and Protambulyx (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). The defoliating sawfly H. hubrichi and a leafrolling moth Episimus utilis Zimmerman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) that were known only from southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina were discovered for the first time in Paraguay.Live adults of the Apocnemidophorus weevils were transported under permit to the Florida Biological Control Laboratory in Gainesville for biological and host range studies. Larvae of the sawfly H. hubrichi were shipped under permit to the University of Florida’s Biological Control Research & Containment Laboratory in Ft.Pierce for mass rearing in anticipation of field release.
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Strategies for integrating invasive exotic plants into large-scale ecosystem restoration programs.
Doren1, Robert,JohnC. Volin2*, and Jenny Richards1
1Florida InternationalUniversity, Miami, FL, 2Florida AtlanticUniversity, Davie, FL
ABSTRACT:Scientists continually seek systems to measure the general health, ecological integrity, and restoration trends of ecosystems.The South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, which is leading a cooperative effort to restore the Florida Everglades, is using a small set of indicators to help evaluate the success of the $10 billion Florida Everglades restoration effort.We have developed an indicator for invasive exotic plants, a human-influenced component of the Everglades that threatens the restoration initiative. We have developed a conceptual ecological model for invasive plants that can be generalized for any invasive species and incorporates the unique attributes and position that such species have in the ecosystems they invade.Following model development, we created an invasive exotic plant indicator for south Florida ecosystem restoration using several existing monitoring programs, developed a performance measure to summarize data from these programs, and established a communication tool to present data to managers, policy makers, and the public.Together, the model, monitoring approach and communication tool provide an important invasive plant indicator for use by the Task Force in understanding how invasive plants are impacting the restorationprogram and the effectiveness of managing that impact.Our approach allows us to follow the progress of management actions to control invasive species’ spread and impacts and can be easily applied and adapted to other large-scale ecosystem projects.
Establishing a cooperative weed management area in Florida.
Duever, Linda
Conway Conservation LLC, Micanopy, FL
ABSTRACT:In the western United States, invasives control programs are typically managed through stakeholder coalitions called Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs). A CWMA is defined as “A partnership of federal, state, and local government agencies; tribes; individuals; and various interested groups that manage noxious weeds or invasive plants in a defined area.” CWMAs 1) occupy a defined geographic area with a common geography, weed problem, community, climate, political boundary, or land use; 2) involve the majority of landowners and natural resource managers in the area; 3) are headed by a steering committee; 4) are committed to cooperation; and 5) operate under a comprehensive plan that addresses the management or prevention of one or more invasive plants. The better programs stress strategic integrated pest management (IPM) based approaches.
Although there are invasives control programs on most public lands in Florida, there has been little strategic coordination of efforts across property lines before now. The Marion County Invasive Species Management Council (MCISMC) formed in 2006 has been welcomed as Florida’s “guinea-pig” CWMA. Our program has gotten off to a promising start because it addresses the right problem at the right time in the right place with the right team. We are concentrating our initial efforts on one extremely unpopular species: cogongrass
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(Imperata cylindrica), which is recognized as one of the world's ten worst weeds. This highly aggressive Asian grass alters fire regimes to promote catastrophic wildfires and createsmonoculture grasslands. As multiple clones spread and increased outcrossing enhances seed production, cogongrass expansion is accelerating, threatening an estimated 640,000 acres of MarionCounty including much of OcalaNational Forest, Cross Florida Greenway, and horse country. To combat this menace, MCISMC has recruited nearly 50 partner organizations, coordinated by an independent consultant supported by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation “Pulling Together Initiative” grant to MarionCounty.
Effects of hydrology and applied gibberellic acid and paclobutrazol on the growth of the invasive exotic Lygodium microphyllum (Old World climbing fern).
Gandiaga1*, Sonia and John C. Volin1
FloridaAtlanticUniversity, Boca Raton, FL
Abstract: Among the numerous invasive plant species found in the Everglades ecosystem of southern Florida, the vine-like “Old World climbing fern,” Lygodium microphyllum, is among the most detrimental due to its rapid spread and ability to dominate both understory and overstory native wetland habitats. We conducted a greenhouse control study in order to examine the effects that hydrology and its interaction with gibberellic acid had on the fern’s growth mechanisms. Three hydrological (flood, drought and field capacity) and three hormonal (gibberellic acid, paclobutrazol and water) treatments were studied using a 3x3 factorial experimental design. We monitored the plant’s water status by measuring pre-dawn water potential measurements with a pressure chamber to ensure that the plants under drought conditions didn’t reach irreversible water stress. After 62 days we harvested the plants and measured growth and its allocational, morphological and physiological determinants. We found that plants under flooded conditions had a significantly lower relative growth rate and stem elongation rate compared to plants under drought or field capacity. On the other hand, there were no differences in growth between plants under drought as compared to those under field capacity. We also found that 81% of the plants that became fertile throughout the experiment were under flooded conditions. Treatments with gibberellic acid or paclobutrazol (GA inhibitor) resulted in no differences in growth as compared to untreated plants. Overall, the variation in growth response to treatments was most explained by mass-based photosynthesis.