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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Enhancement Grants - Special Projects |
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Project Title:
Developing a sustainable management plan for Brazilian peppertree in Florida |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: FL Lead Organization: University of Florida |
| Undesignated Funding: $25,349 |
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Start Date: Oct-01-2005 End Date: Sep-30-2006 |
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Pests Involved: Brazilian peppertree |
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Site/Commodity: natural areas |
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Summary:
Brazilian peppertree (BP), Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae), is an aggressive, rapidly colonizing invasive weed of disturbed habitats, natural communities and conservation areas in peninsular Florida. Once established, BP quickly displaces the native vegetation, often forming dense monocultures that reduce the biological diversity of plants and animals in the invaded area. BP is considered an important invader of the Everglades National Park, and poses a significant threat to ongoing Evergladess restoration efforts. Herbicides and mechanical or physical control practices (e.g., cutting, burning and flooding) are routinely used often in combination for controlling existing BP stands, but these conventional methods are expensive, labor intensive and provide only temporary control due to the plants regenerative capacity. Furthermore, non-selective chemical and mechanical controls are unsuitable for sensitive natural areas (e.g., coastal mangrove forests) because they can have negative effects on non-target species and increase water pollution. Minimizing the use of herbicides and other non-selective control practices is needed to maintain the integrity of Floridas fragile environment and natural resources. The objective of this research/demonstration project will be to provide land managers with a predictable IPM strategy for addressing the BP problem. We propose to develop and test an ecologically based successional weed management system that will integrate biological control (top-down effect) with interspecific plant competition (bottom-up effect) to provide an environmentally acceptable, cost effective, and permanent solution to the BP problem in Florida. The overall goal is to shift the successional dynamics of public and privately owned lands currently dominated by BP towards more desirable plant communities where the plant is either eliminated or becomes a minor component of the flora. Measurable environmental results from this model IPM system will be to minimize herbicide use by identifying and manipulating the natural processes that can change the dynamics of plant communities in Florida currently dominated by BP. We also will demonstrate the benefits of the proposed IPM system for improving wildlife habitat to public, private and tribal landowners.
Objectives: 1. Develop and test a model IPM system for controlling Brazilian peppertree in Florida. 2. Extend and demonstrate integrated management of Brazilian peppertree to public/private landowners and native Americans. |
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