Non-Native Plants Invade 1.5 Million Acres In Florida

-- DEP’s invasive plant bureau continues the fight against exotic species --

TALLAHASSEE – Approximately 1.5 million acres of Florida's remaining natural areas have been invaded by exotic plant species, resulting in degradation of the remaining natural areas of Florida. The Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Invasive Plant Management is responsible for coordinating the treatments/removal of invasive aquatic and upland plants on public conservation lands and waterways throughout the state.

Florida's aquatic plant management program is one of the oldest invasive species removal programs dating back to the early 1900s. With the addition of the upland program, the bureau oversees the largest invasive plant management program of its kind in the United States. Florida also founded the first Exotic Pest Plant Council in 1984 (prompting the creation of EPPC’s in California, Pacific Northwest, Tennessee, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic); was the first state to get a natural weed, Melaleuca quinquenervia, declared a Noxious Weed by the USDA; and, created the first species specific management plan for a natural area weed.

In July 2000, DEP’s Upland Invasive Plant Management Program partnered with the National Park Service’s Exotic Plant Management Team Program, matching funding for exotic removal/treatment on NPS lands. The objective is a 25 percent reduction in exotic infestations on public lands by the year 2010. Accomplishments to date include:

• Big Cypress National Preserve – Treatment of 16 acres of Brazilian pepper and Australian pine; eradication of 20 acres of Australian pine.
• Biscayne National Park – Initial treatment of 100 acres of Australian pine on all 47 barrier islands, control of 10 acres of dense latherleaf on Elliot Key, control of all exotic pest plant species (100 acres) on Convoy Point and Black Point, and completed treatment of various exotics on 417-acre Sands Key.
• Canaveral National Seashore – Of the four thousand acres infested with exotics, mostly Brazilian pepper and Australian pine, 125 acres have been treated.
• DeSoto National Memorial – Initial treatment has begun on all exotic pest plants within park boundaries.
• Dry Tortugas National Park – Completely eradicated Australian pine in 2000, initial treatment of all exotic plants completed in 2001.
• Everglades National Park – Australian pines are successfully controlled along coastlines, 200 acres of Old World climbing fern have been treated, 25 acres of exotics removed from Royal Palm Hammock, controlling Australian pine on 5,148 acres in the southeast saline glades.
• Gulf Island National Seashore – Treatment begun to control 50 acres of cogon grass and 115 acres of Chinese tallow.
• Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve/Fort Caroline National Monument – Impacts from exotics are minimal due to past shared exotic plant control efforts with St. Johns Water Management District and DEP’s Bureau of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas.

Exotic, or non-native plants, have underlying negative affects, not only on Florida’s aesthetic value, but also on its economy. Exotic plant species impact Florida’s fishing industry by invading the nursery habitat of Florida’s sea life and crowding out native species crucial to their survical; recreational opportunities are limited in some areas where exotics have taken over waterways; certain exotics, such as the Australian pine with its shallow root system, pose a threat during hurricanes and severe weather, as demonstrated by the devastation along Florida’s southeast coast following Hurricane Andrew.

Some of the most common exotic plant species found in Florida, posing serious threats to Florida’s natural areas are: (common names) air potato, aquatic soda apple, asian sword fern, asparagus fern, Australian pine, beach naupaka, bischofia, Brazilian jasmine, Brazilian pepper, burma reed, camphor tree, carrotwood, cat’s claw mimosa, cat’s claw vine, chinaberry, Chinese privet, Chinese tallow, Christmas senna, climbing cassia, cogon grass, coral ardisia, day jessamine, downy rose-myrtle, earleaf acacia, gold coast jasmine, green hygro, guava, heavenly bamboo, hydrilla, incised halberd fern, Japanese climbing fern, Japanese honeysuckle, java plum, kudzu vine, lantana, latherleaf, laurel fig, melaleuca, mimosa-silk tree, napier grass, Old World climbing fern, orchid tree, oyster plant, para grass, rosary pea, santa maria (Alexandrian laurel), schefflera, seaside mahoe, sewer vine, shoebutton ardisia, skunk vine, strawberry guava, surinam-cherry, susumber, sword fern, taro-wild, torpedo grass, tropical soda apple, W. Indian marsh grass, water hyacinth, water lettuce, water spinach, wetland nightshade, white-flowered wandering Jew, winged yam and woman’s tongue.