-

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~ ~ Florida Exotic Pest ~lant CounCll 1

15 th Annual ConfenCtnce - . May 16-19, 2000 \,

Westin Beach Resort -A. Key Largo, Florida

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1:00·3 '00 3:00·600

7:30·12:30

800·5:00

FLEPPC Committee Meetings

Florida EluCie Ilcst Pia at Council Firttenlh Annual COI(eruC'C'

May 16·19,2000

Westin Bench Resort Key Largo, Florida

Tutsday. "'ay 16111

Founh quancr FLEPPC Board of Directors Meeting Early Registration Field Trip- Night fishing trip uhoard the Sailors Choice II

Wednesday,May 17'"

Rcgi~rt1tion

Opening Session, Moderator: Doria Gordon

800·8: JO 8:111·9:00

9.30·10011

Call to Order. Tony Pemus. FlEPPC Chair Keynolc Address Controlling Invasive Plants: Win (3 few), Lose (many), Draw (a few more) RiclHlrd N. Mack. School of Oiological Sciences. Washington State University. Pullman. WashinG-ton. Exotic Ncwconu.'f'S to South Florida. Roger Hammer. Resource ManngcrYk.'tu Supervisor. Minmi·Dndc Counly Parks and Recreatiun Ocpan­ment. Miami, Florida. Break

Moderalor; Randall Stocker

11100·10:10 10'10·10'40 10.40·11 :00 I 100·1 110

11 '20·1 lAO 11.40·12.00

1100·1 :00

The Federal Invasive Species Council . Gordon Brown. Acting CO-(;1(cculive Director InvUSlVe Spcci..:s Council. Washingtun. DC. Invasivl! 1'13nl Summil :WOO - Overview and Update. Bill Torres. Bureau Chief. DEP Bureau of Invasive Plants. Tallahass,-'1:. Florida. Invasive Speci,-'S Around the Country. Tim Playford. NUlionullnva.~ive Species Coordinator. Dow Agrosciences USD,\ :'/.PH!S iPPQ rn!ici::.; ;m'J P;'{).: .. :Jurc~ to Pre\"-!lt Introducti: . .'n5 tlrE~ctic P,-'$~:': . NcI:.::1lc~Qn. Pu~lic f\ITuirs ~pccia!isL USOA. API liS, Gain...'Svilie. Florida. USDA IAI'I·IIS IPPO Miami Intemntional Airpoc1 Ins""'"'Ction CenH ..... L'-'ovtddo Castaneda. USDA. API·IIS, Miami. HOfida. FLEPPCIFNGA tiason Commiul'C: Wot'L:ing Togethl.'f. Ben BoIusky. EXl'Cutive Director. Florida Nurserymen and GnlWcrs Association. Or­lando. Florida. Lunch

Landscapes and Gardens, Moderator: Mike Bodle

1.00·1.20

1:10·1 :40

1:40·2 '00

2:00-2.20 1'20·2:40

1:40·3 .00

Natuf"Jlization Patterns of Horticultural Plants in Florida . Rohert W. Pl.:mbcrton Invasive weed Resl.:arch. Agriculturol Rl.:sl!arch Service, United Statc..'S Ocpartmcnt of Agriculturl.:. FI Lauderdale. Florida. 'nle Efforts of the Floridu Yards & Neighborhoods Program 10 Educate Stakeholdl.:fS About the Danb't:fS of Invasive Plants. Christine Kl.:Ily· Bet;azu. Statewide COOfl.1inntOf fOf the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (Fr&,v) Prosrom. UFItFAS. Gainl'SviUe. florida, Alternative Landscaping for the Progressively Minded. Andreas Dachnick and Amy Fl'fJitl'f. Director ofHoniculture McKl'C BOlunical Gar­den. Vero Beuch. Florida and Environmental Scientist. South Florida Water Management Dislrict. Wesl Palm Beach. respectively. Responsible Landscaping. Sl.:uing an Example, Dr. Julia Kornegay. Director. Fairchild Tropical Garden. Coral Gublcs, Florida. That IFAS Assessment Tlung ---. Alison Fox. Assistant Professor. UF}WAS Agronomy Department Cenler for AquUlic nnd Invasive Plants. Gainesville. Floridu. Break

Lygodium Panel Discussion, Moderator: Amy Fcrritl.:r

7;00· ,!'!'!

8.00·11:00

Climbing Ferns. L)'gocilllm mlcroph)'lIl1m and L.japon;cmw Whc:re did Ihey come from, whcre arc they going. and what do we do about them?" Pnnl.:lists. Tom Fucigna. Rnndull Stocker, Kathy Craddock Burks, Tony Pernus. Dick Roberts. Bob Pemberton. Bill Thomas, George Gunn. Elroy Timmer. Mark Zc1kr. Social. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Field Trips (All day) EV1.'Jling field trip

Registration

Thursday. May 18111

7:50-8:00 Announcements

Local and Regional Programs. Modcmlor: Hillary Cherry

8:00- 8.20

8:20-8;40

8:40-9:00

9:00-9:20

9:20-10·00 10:00-10:20

The Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force: Progress through Pnrtnership. Chris Bergh. Regional Land Steward and Chairman of the Flor­ida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force, The Nature Conservancy orthe Florida Keys, Big Pine Key, Florida. The Florida Keys Green Sweep Iniliativc: Pulling Weeds and Planling Natives. Alison Higgins, Florida Keys Stewardship Assislunt and Co­ordinator orlhe Florida Keys GreenSweep Initialive. The Nature Conservancy orlhe Florida Keys, Big Pine Key, Florida. Generating Community Awareness and suppon for Invasive Exotic Removal Programs in Urban Nature Parks. Sleven Vann and Denise Sauer­brey. City of Gainesville. Gainesville. Florida. Establishing the Southeast Exotic Pest Planl Council. Brian Bowen, Tennessee Natural Areas Administrator, Tennessee Department of Envi­ronment and Conservation\Division of Natural Heritage, and SE-EPPC Coordinator. Nashville, Tennessee. FLEPPC Annual Business Meeting Brenk

Biocontrol. Moderator: Jim Cuda

10:20- \0:40

10:40-11 :00 11 :00-11 :20

11 :20-11 :40

11 :40-12:00

1200-1 :00

Australian Biological Control Laboratory: Contributions to Biological Control of Florida Weeds. John Goolsby, Director and Research Ento­mologist. USDA-ARS Australian Biological Conlrol Laboratory, lndooroopilly, Australia, lR. Makinson. M.F. Purcell, A.D. Wright. and R. Zonneveld, CSIRO, Australia. Update on ARS/USDA Projects in the Gainesville Quarantine. Gary R. Buckingham ARS/USDA, Gainesville, Florida. Fergusonina spp. and Fergusobia spp: A Unique Gall-forming Mutualism for lhe Biological Control of Alelaleuca qUinquenen>ia. Ted D. Center, Robin Giblin-Davis, Barbara J. Center. Matthew Purcell, Sonya Scheffer, and John Goolsby. Ted Center, Research Entomolog.ist. USDA-ARS, Aquatic Plant Control Research Unit, Ft . Lauderdale, Florida. Is Biological Control of Tropical Soda apple Feasible? J. Medal. D. Gandolfo, and R. Pitelli. University of Florida. Entomology and Nematol­ogy Department, USDA-ARS-Biological Control Laboratory, Argentina and Unn'ersldad ESladuai Pauilsla, Jabollsta. Sao Paulo, Brazil. re­spectively. Host Specificity Studies of the Thrips. PselidoplJiltltrips eI,ini (Thysanoptera~ Phlaeothripae), a I}otential Biocontrol Agent for Brazilian Pep­pertree. J.P. Cuda. J C. Medal , D.H. Habeck, and JJ Gillmore. Jim Cuda is Assistant Professor. Entomology and Nematology Department, UFIIFAS. Gainesville, Florida. Lunch

General Session, Moderator: Dan Clark

1 :00-1 "20

1 :20-1.40

1:40-200

2:00-2;20

2:20-2:40

2:40-3:00

3:00-3:20

The Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval Service (APIRS): How to Find What You' re Looking for. Karen Brown,lnformation Specialist, UFI IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, Gainesville, Florida Shoehuuon Ardisia. Ardisia eliptica. in Everglades National Park. Jean and Rick Seavey, Program volunteers. National Park Service, Ever­glades National Park, Homestead. Florida. Noxious Exotic Weed Task Team ofthe South Florida Everglades Restoration Task Force. Bob Doren, National Park Service, Boca Raton, Florida. A Research Agenda Leading to Cost-Effective Managemenl of Chinese Tallow (SapiJlnl sebiferwn) in Coastal Southern Georgia. Cheryl M. McCormick, Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology. UGA, Athens, Georgia. Nandina domeslica in Florida's Natural Areas: Life History and Ecophysiology. l'lillary Cherry. Botany Department nnd Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, UF/IFAS, Gainesville. Florida. The Importance of Life History Studies and the Case of Ardisia crenala. Gretchen Lindstrom and Alison Fox, Graduate Research Assistant and Assistant Professor, respectively. UFJIFAS, Agronomy. Department Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plnnts, Gainesville. Florida. Break

General Session, Moderator: Tony Pernas

3:20-3:40 3:40-4:00

4·20-4:40 4;40-5:00

Mapping Invasive Plants with Hyperspectral Data. Marcus Borengnsser, Midwest Research Institute, Palm Bay, Florida. Panther'S Plethora of Plant Pests . Dennis J. Giardina. Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Panther and Ten Thousand Islands Na­tional Wildlife Refuges Comparison of Herbicide Mixtures and Application Methods for Ihe Chemical Control of Bowstring Hemp (Snake Plant. Mother-in-Iaw's tong). Sansevieria hyacinthoides. Jim Burney. Aquatic Vegetation Control. Inc. Allison Holzhausen, Palm Beach County Dept. of Environ­mental Management. and Phil Waller. American Cyanamid Perfonnance Based Vegetation Management Systems Christopher S. Dray. Centrogen. "lolly Springs, North Carolina. Toxicity to Humans of Florida's Non-Native Flora. Bobby Hattaway. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, Osprey, Florida. Adjourn Fifteenth Annual Conference, Ken Langeland

FIEI.DTRIPS

Fjeld Trim ' half day and full day trins!: Florida Keys destination locations are given by mile marker (abbreviated as MM). Park entrance fees waived for conference field trip. All trips via carpooling in private vehicles. arrangements to be made . Prepared: walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, bug repellent,

canteen. birding car, masks/snorkel.

Tuesday. May 16'11

Evening Field Trip Sailors Choice II, 65" aluminum vessel , air-conditioned cabin. BYO refreshments. Night Fishing (Hours: 7:30pm- 12:30am) Trip fee includes and applicable fish­ing license (for that trip only), gear & bait. $33'each (49 passengers max). Boat docks in canal on north side oflhe Holiday Inn at (MM 100).

Thursday. May 18111

• Deering Estate ICape FloridA State Recreation Area (full day), GuidclHosts): George Gann or Keith Bmdley IAlice Warren-Bmdley ,Liz Golden}Capacity: 2S Level Of Difficulty; Ensy walking on well maintained tmils. Cost: SIS will cover entrance fees, box lunch, and drinks. Ilours: 9- S

111is is an easy walking field trip to one county park and one state park, each with ambitious exotic species control programs. Both sites typically provide interesting birding opportunities, and especially at Deering, some unusual exotic birds. Cape Florida 90 minutes north of Key Largo. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew flattened 410 acres of Casuarilra forest on the enst lip of Key Biscayne, and created the needed catalyst and funding 10 begin one of the largest restomtion projects in the state. Seri­ous problems remain with the control of SchinllS, Cesrnun. Co/ubrina. Scaevo/a, Neyralldia and Lanlana hybrids. Lunch will be on your own at the park concession, or at restaumnts eoroute to the Deering Estate Aficr lunch we will visit the Deering Estate, a 420-acre Miami-Dade County Historic Site, hallway back to Key Largo. A divcrse mosaic of pinclands. hammocks, mangroves and salt marsh. with exotic control issues throughout. Scllinlls. Neyra"dia, Lellcaena, rllespesia, Jasmin"l1I, and Sal1sew!iria are particularly problematic. Time pennitting a brief stop will be made to SL'C Fairchild Tropical Garden Research Center's Hcrbarium, wuh a tour guided by Gcrald "Stinger" Guala.

• Key Lllrgo lIammocks State Botanical Site (half-day trip), Guide (and host): Biologist Janice Duquesncl (with Ranger Josef Nemec) Cnpncity; 25. Level Of Difficulty: Modemte. Cost SIO covers box lunch, soft drinks, water. nours: 9-S

2S00-acre KLH contains the largest remaining examplcs of rockland hammock in the United States. Rare and listed species include the Schaus swallowtail bunerfly (only observable May-July). Key Largo woodrat and cotton mouse, and a long list of West Indian trees (lignumvitae, mahogany) rarely seen nonh of the Kcys Afier visiting exotic control sites and pristine hammock, the morning will end at a hammock infested by sapodilla (!dani/kara =apota). a species recognized by the county, but not yet by FLEPPC, as an invadcr of undisturbed hammock. Those wishing to remain afier lunch for a sapodilla seedling pull .

• Long Key Slate rnrk (MM 68) (full-day trip). Field Trip Coordinator; Jim Duquesnel Capacity; IS . level or Difficully: Moderate (up to 4 hours of canoe paddling). Cost $20 will cover canoe, box lunch, and drinks. "ours· 9- 4:30

-* This is a canoe trip that is expected to last S 10 6 hours. The trip depans from long Key's canoe dock at 9.00am and proceeds through mangrove lincd Zane Grey Cn.'Ck. Afier crossing. the expansive tunic grass flats of Long Key Bight (small sharks, rays and bonefish) the group will stop at Long Key Point for lunch (and to fish or snorkel), and to sec a rare plant reintroduction site and habitat restoration eITons which include a contracted CaslIarina and CO/llbrina control projects. The canoes should return to the dock by 3 00 pm.

• Crane Point Nat.llist.1\tuseum (MM 50) I Babin Hondll State Park. (MM 38) (full-day trip). Field Trip Coordinator: TBA. CapacUy: 20. Level Of Dlfficully: Easy walking on hard packed sand trail nnd on bench. Cost: Bring lbod or moncy for meals on your own. lIours: 9-S

Up to 2 hours will be spent in the Keys Museum of Naturul I·hstory and on hammock trails there, observing a low canopy rockland hammock and invasions by several problem species. Afier lunch at a local restaurant, the trip will re-group at 2.00pm at Bahia Honda State Park, where the sandy nature trail features rare plants inclw.ling dune lily-thorn, satinw(lod, and silver thatch palms, and one of Amenca's best beaches.

• Everglndes NlltioDlIII)nrklFlorida Bay (MM 74, Lower Matccumbe Key) (Full~day) Guide; Everglades National Park's (and EPPC's) Tony Pernas Capacity: minimum 30. maximum 86 (Corinthian vessel ellpacity: 43 passengers) Cost: S20 per person will cover boal, box lunch, soft drinks, water. Level Of Difficulty. easy Hours : 8-S

Boat(s) dcpart Sea Base at 9;OOAM (sharp) for a back-country trip to Cape Sable and or Flamingo. Depcnding mostly on rainlull in the weeks prior, this trip can pro­duce extreme mosquito and fly densitics or almost not at aiL Inquire at the conference the day before and be prepared.11le National Park 's remote islands arc espe­cially vulnerable to invusinn by drifi secds. including Scacvo/a and Co/"bril1a, and perhaps to a lesser extent, wind- and hird~dispersed seeds such as Casllarina and ~hilJlIs . Birding may also be interesting (eagles, spoonbills. llamingos, and other waders). The boat(s) should relurn to the dock by S;OOPM.

• West Summerland Keyl Key Deer Wildlife Refuge (MM 30) (full-day trip). Guidc/Host); Alison Higgins/Phil Fmnk Capacity. 25. level Of Difficulty. Modcrute (up to 4 hours of canoe paddling). Cost lunch at the (in) lumous No Name Pub and whatever you spend in Key West . lIours; 9-S'?'n

West Summerland Key is the largest invasive species control project by the Florida Keys Invasive Exotic Task Force. Coordinating local donations of labor, cquip­mcnt. materials and publicity, the working group has removed invasive plants and started replanting natives on an island comprised of two adjoining scout camps. Afier lunch, Task Force representative Alison 1·liggins, with Refuge Biologist Phil Fmnk, will present a brief slide show on the task force activities, including a county­wide mapping project, at thc rcfuge office. Site visits will include the Blue Hole and Watson's Hammock, with likely sightings of Key deer and rare endemic plants.

• Windlcy Key Slate Fossil RecrSlllte Geological Sile (MM 84) (half-day trip). Field Trip Coordinator (and 1·lost): FPS Park Ranger TBA Capncit)': 24. lC\'cl Of Difficulty: Vcry easy walking on well maintained, unpaved tmils. Bc Prcpared: comfortable shoes, hat and sunscreen, mosquito repellent. Cost No costs, lunch on your own, Deparlure Time: 9.00am Estimated Return Time: 12:00pm

Windley Key high topography invitcd rock quarrying. large blocks of Key Largo limestone were removcd, sliced and shaped and used in construction all over the east­ern US. Visit this site's new visitor center and hammock trails. learning about the West Indian (ree species found in the island 's fine rockland hammock.

~ Lignum\itae Key Siale Bolanlcill Sitc (MM 78) (half-day tnp). Field Trip Coordinator/Host · TBA Capacity. 2S. Level Of Difficulty Very easy walking on

well mamtamed, unpaved, tmlls. Cost ' $10 co\'crs boat trip to and from Lignumvitac Key (or pay $S and stay). lIours I-S

Step back to the 1920s whde visitmg Lignumvuae Key's Matheson house. See minor mfestations and control of rltespesla. SchimlS, and Mam/leara . Then tour the island 's pristine hammock \\lIh Park Ranger. If rainy season arrives early (b) May 8), Lignumvilae Key could be extremely mosquito infested.

-Evening Ficld Trip

• Sunsct at Porjoc Key (sofi drinks sold on board. beer and wine - b.y.o.h.) Capacity: minimum of2S. maximum of 49 Cost $20 Vcssel depans Pennekamp (or Westin?) lor a latc afiernoon/evening cruise to Florida Bay's remote mangrove island Porjoe Key. With cooperation from weather and hirds, the setting sun can create a stunning image as double-crested cormorants, roseate spoonbills, brown pelicans and magnificent frigate birds return to the little green island for the night.

I

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Fifteenth Annual Conference

May 16-19,2000

Westin Beach Resort Ke!l Largo, Florida

TUESDAY, MAY 16 1:00-3:00

3:00-6:00

FLEPPC Committee Meetings

Fourth quarter FLEPPC Board of Directors Meetinl\.

EvenIng FIshing Cruise Sailors Choice II. 65-foot aluminum vessel. air-conditioned cabin. BYO refreshments. Night Fishing (Hours: 3:30 p.m. - 12;30 a.m.). Trip fee includes an applicable fishing license (for that trip only). gear & bait. S33{each (49 passengers max). Boat docks in canal on north side of the Holiday Inn at (MM 100).

WEDNESDAY. MAY 17

8:00-5:00 Registration

Opening Session: Doria Gordon, Moderator 8:00-8:10

8:10-9:00

Call to Order. Tony Pernas. FLEPPC Chair

Keynote Address: Controlling Invasive plants: Win (a few). Lose (many). Draw (a few more).

Richard N. Mack. School of Biological Sciences. Washington State University. Pullman. Washington.

9:00-9:30 Exotic Newcomers to South Florida. Roger Hammer. Resource Management Supervisor. Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department.

9:30-10:00 Break

10:00-10:20 Noxious Exotic Weed Task Team of the South Florida Everglades Restoration Task Force. Bob Doren. National Park Service. Boca Raton. Florida.

10:20-10:40 Invasive Plant Summit 2000 - Overview and Update. Bill Torres. Bureau Chief. DEP Bureau of Invasive Plants. Tallahassee.

10:40-11 :00 Invasive Species Around the Country. Tim Playford. National Invasive Species Coordinator. Dow Agrosciences

II :00-11 :20 USDA {APHIS {PPO Policies and Procedures to Prevent Introductions of Exotic Pests. Nolan Lemon. Public Affairs Specialist. USDA. APHIS. Gainesville. FL.

II :20-11 :40 USDA {APHIS {PPO Miami International Airport Inspection Center. Leovaldo Castaneda. USDA. APHIS. Miami.

II :40-12:00 FLEPPClFNGA Liaison Committee: Working Together. Ben Bolusky. Executive Director. Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association. Orlando.

12:00-1 :00 Lunch

Landscapes and Gardens, Moderator: Mike Bodle 1:00-1:20

1:20-1:40

1:40-2:00

2:00-2:20

2:20-2:40

2:40-3:00

3:00-5:00

6:00 -??

Naturalization Patterns of Horticultural Plants in Florida. Robert W. Pemberton Invasive Weed Research. Agricultural Research Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Ft. Lauderdale. Florida.

The Efforts of the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program to Educate Stakeholders About the Dangers of Invasive Plants. Christine Kelly-Begazo. Statewide Coordinator for the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FY&N) Program. UFIIFAS. Gainesville.

Alternative Landscaping for the Progressively Minded. Andreas Daehnick. Director of Horticulture and Amy Ferriter. Senior Environmental Scientist. McKee Botanical Gardens. Vero Beach. Florida and South Florida Water Management District. West Palm Beach. respectively.

Responsible Landscaping: Setting an Example. Dr. lulia Komegay. Director. Fairchild Tropical Garden. Coral Gables. Florida.

That IFAS Assessment Thing ---------. Alison Fox. Assistant Professor. UFIIFAS Agronomy Department Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Gainesville.

Break

Lygodlum Panel Discussion, Moderator: Tom Fuclgna Climbing Ferns. Lygodium microphyllum and L. japonicum: Where did they come from. where are they going. and what do we do about them? Panelists: Randall Stocker. Kathy Craddock Burks. Tony Pernas. Dick Roberts. Bob Pemberton. Bill Thomas. George Gann. Elroy Timmer. Mark Zeller.

Dinner Social. lohn Pennekamp State Park. $20.00. Sunset dining including live music. grilled seafood. beer. wine and soft drinks .

THURSDAY. MAY 18

FIeld Trips: Field Trips (half day and full day trips): Florida Keys destination locations are given by mile marker (abbreviated as MM). Park entrance fees waived for conference field trip. All trips via carpooling In private vehicles. arrangements to be made at depar­ture point. Be Prepared: Walking shoes. hat. sunscreen. bug repellent. canteen. birding gear. masks/snorkel.

Deerln, Estate/Cape Florida State Recreation Area (full day). Guide/Hosts: George Gann or Keith Bradley/Alice Warren-Bradley. Liz Golden). Capacity: 25. Level of DIfficulty: Easy walking on well maintained trails. Cost: $15 will cover entrance fees. box lunch. and drinks. Hours: 9 - 5.

T~is is an taSl/ walking fitId lrip 10 one counlg pari and one slale pari. tach 1IIi1li amoilious exotic species conlrol programs. BoI~ silts Igpicallg provide inleresling Dirding opportunilies. and especiallg al Deering. some unusual exolic Dirds. Cape Florida 90 minults nort~ 0{ Keg Largo. In 1992. Hurricane Andrew /fallened 410 acres 0{ Casuarina foresl on Ihe tasllip of Keg Biscagne and crtaled Ihe needed caialysl and funding 10 oegin one of I~e largesl resloralion projecls in I~e slale. Serious problems remain wil~ Ihe conlrol of Sc~inus. Ceslrum. Coluorina. Scaevola . Negraudia and Lanlana hybrids. Lunc~ willoe on your own allhe pari concession or al reslauranls enroule 10 Ihe Deering Eslale. A/ler lunch we will visillhe Deering Eslale. a 420·acre Miami-Dade Counlg Hisloric Sile. halfwag back 10 Key Largo. A diverse mosaic of pinelands. hammocks. mangroves. and sail marsh wilh exolic conlrol issues Ihroug~oul. Schinus. Neymudia. Leucaena. Thespesia. lasminum. and Sanseveiria are particularly proolemalic. Time permilling. a oritf slop will De made 10 see Fain:hild Tropical Garden Reseanh etnler's Herbarium. willi a lour guided by Gerald ' SI ringer" Guala.

Key Lar,o Hammocks State Botanical Site (half-day trip), Guide (and host): Blolo,lst Janice Duquesnel (with Ran,er Josef Nemec). Capacity: 25. Level of DIfficulty: Moderate. Cost: $10 covers box lunch. soft drinks. water. Hours: 9 - 5. 2.500-acre KLH conlains Ihe largesl remaining examples of rockland hammock in Ihe Uniled Sialts. Rare and tisled species include Ihe Schaus swal-10Wiailoulierfly (onlg observaole May - lulg). Keg largo woodral and collon mouse. and a long lisl ofWesllndian lrees (/ignumvilae. mahogany) rarely seen north of I~e Keys . A/ler visiling exolic conlrol siles and pristine ~ammock. Ihe morning will end al a hammock infesled by sapodilla (Maniliara ZIIpola). a species recogniwi oy Ihe counly. oul nol gelog FLEPPC. as an invader of undisluroed hammock. Those wishing 10 remain afler lunc~ for a sapodilla seedling pull.

Deerln, Estate/Cape Florida State Recreation Area (full day). Guide!Hosts: George Gann or Keith Bradley/Alice Warren-Bradley. Liz Golden). Capacity: 25. Level of DIfficulty: Easy walking on well maintained trails. Cost: $15 will cover entrance fees. box lunch. and drinks. Hours: 9 - 5.

T~is is an easy walking field lrip 10 one counlg pari and one slale pari. each wilh ambilious exolic species conlrol programs. Bolh siles Iypically pro­vide inleresling birding opportunilies. and especially al Deering. some unusual exolic oirds. Cape Florida 90 minules north of Keg Largo. in 1992.

Florida botle Pest Plant Co_cD

Hurricane Andrew /IIItuned 410 acres of Cosuarina fomt on the east tip of Kty Biscayne and created the needed catalllSt and funding to begin one of the largest mtoration projects in the state. Serious problems remain with the control of Schinus, Cestrum, Colubrina, Scaevola, Neyraudia and Lantana hybrids. Lunch will be on your own at the par* concession or at restaurants enroute to the Dtering Estate. After lunch we will visit the DUring Estate, a 420·acre Mlami·Dade County Historic Site, halfway back to Kty Largo. A diverse mosaic of line lands, hammocks, mangroves, and salt marsh with exotic control issues throughout. Schinus, Neyraudia, Leucaena, Thespesia, lasminum, an Sanseveiria are particularly prob­lematic. Time permitting, a brief stop will be made to see Fainhild Tropical Garden Reseanh Center's Herfiarium, with a tour guided by Gerald "Stringer" Guala. Key Larco Hammocks State Botanical Site (half-day trip). Guide (and host): Biologist lanice Duquesnel (with Ranger losef Nemec). Capacity: 25. Level of DIfficulty: Moderate. Cost: $10 covers box lunch, soft drinks, water. Hours: 9 - 5.

2,500-acre KLH contains the largest remaining exomp/es of rockland hammock in the United States. Rare and listed species include the Schaus swallowtail butterfly (only observable May -Iuly), Key largo woodrat and cotton mouse, and a long list of West Indian trees (Iignumvitae, mahogany) rarely seen north of tile Ktys. After visiting exotic control sites and pristine hammock, the morning will end at a hammock infested by sapodilla (Manilkara zapata) , a species recognized by the county, but not yet by FLEPPC, as an invader of undisturfied hammock. Those wishing 10 remain after lunch for a sapodilla seedling pull.

Long Key State park (MM 68) (full-day trip). Field Trip Coordinator: lim DuquesneJ. Capacity: 15. Level of DIfficulty: Moderate (up to 4 hours of canoe paddling). Cost: $20 will cover canoe, box lunch, and drinks. Hours: 9 - 4:30.

This is a canoe trip that is expedtd to last 5 to 6 hours. The trip departs from Long Key's canoe dock at 9:00 a.m. and proceeds through mangrove lined Zane Grey Creek. After crossing tile expansive turtle grass fiats of Long Kty Bight (small shaoo, rags and bone/ish), the group will stop at Long Key Point for lunch (and to fish or snorkel), and to see a rare plant reintroduction site and habitat restoration efforts which include a contract­ed Casuarina and Colubrina control projects. The canoes should return to the dock by 3:00 p.m.

Crane PoInt Nat. Hlst. Museum (MM 50)/Bahla Honda State Park (MM 38) (full-day trip). Field Trip Coordinator: TBA. Capacity: 20. Level of DIfficulty: Easy walking on hard packed sand trail and on beach. Cost: Bring food or money lor meals on your own. Hours: 9 - 5.

Up to 2 hours will be spent in the Ktys Museum of Natural History and on Hammock trails there observing a low canopy rockland hammock and invasions by several problem spectes. After lunch at a local restaurant, the trip will re·group at 2:00 p.m. at Bahia Honda State Par*, where the sandy nature trail features rare plants, including dune liIy·thorn, satinwood, and silver thatch palms, and one of America's best beaches.

Everglades National ParkIFlorlda Bay (MM 74, Lower Matecumbe Key) (full-day). Guide: Everglades National Park's (and EPPC's) Tony Pemas. Capacity: minimum 30, maximum 86 (Corinthian vessel capacity: 43 passengers). Cost: $20 per person will cover boat, box lunch, soft drinks, water. Level of DIfficulty: easy. Hours: 8 - 5.

Boat(s) depart Sea Base at 9:00 a.m. (sharp) for a hack-country trip to Cape Sabel and or Flamingo. Depending mostly on rainfall in the weeks prior, this trip can produce extreme mosquito and fiy densities or almost none at all. Inquire at the conference the day before, and be prepared. The National Par*'s remove islands are especially vulnerable to invasion by drift seeds, including Scaevola and eolubrina, and perhaps to a lesser extent, wind-and bird· dispersed seeds such as Casuarina and Schinus. Birding may also be interesting 9eagles, spoonbills, /IIImingos, and other waders). The boat(s) should return to the dock by 5:00 p.m.

West Summerland Key/Key Deer WIldlife Refuge (MM30) (full-day trip). Guide/Host): Alison HigginS/Phil Frank. Capacity: 25. Level of Difficulty: Moderate (up to 4 hours of canoe paddling). Cost: lunch at the (in) famous No Name Pub and wliatever you spend in Key West. Hours: 9 - 5???

West Summerland Kty is the largest invasive species control project by Ihe Florida Keys Invasive Exotic Task Fone. Coordinating local donations of labor, equipment, materials, and publicity, the working group has removed invasive plants and started replanting natives on an island comprised of fwo adjoining scout camps. After lunch, Task Fone representative Alison Higgins, with Refuge Biologist Phil Frank, will present a brief slide show on the task fone activities, including a county-wide mapping project at the refuge office. Site visits will include the Blue Hole and Watson's Hammock, with likely sightings of Key deer and rare endemic plants.

WIndley Key State Fossil Reef State EcologIcal SIte (MM 84) (Half-day trip) . Field Trip Coordinator (and Host): FPS Park Ranger TBA. Capacity: 24. Level of DIfficulty: Very easy walking on well maintained, unpaved trails. Be Prepared: Comlortable shoes, hat and sunscreen, mosquito repellent. Cost: No costs. Lunch on your own. Departure TIme: 9:00 a.m. Estimated Return TIme: 12:00 p.m.

Windley Key high topography invited rock quarrying. Large blocks of Key Largo limestone were removed, sliced and shaped, and used in construc­lion all over the eastern U.S. Visit this site's new visitor center and hammock trails, learning about the West Indian tree species found in the island's ne rockland hammock.

Ugnumvltae Key State Botanical SIte (MM 78) (half·day trip). Field Trip Coordinator/Host: TBA. Capacity: 25. Level of DIfficulty: Very easy walking on well maintained, unpaved trails. Cost $10 covers boat trip to and from Lignumvitae Key (or pay $5 and stay). Hours: I - 5.

ltep back to the I 920s while visiting Lignumvitae Key's Matheson House. See minor infestations and control of Thespesia, Schinus, and ~anjlkara . Then tour the island's pristine hammock with Par* Ranger. If rainy season arrives early (hy May 8), Lignumvitae Key could be tremely mosquito infested.

3

Florida Exotic Peat Plant Council

Thursday Evenlnc Sunset Cruise Sunset cruise to Porjoe Key (soft drinks sold on board, beer and wine - b.y.o.b.). Capacity: minimum of 25, maximum of 49. Cost: $20. Vessel departs Pennekamp (or Westin?) for a late afternoon/evening cruise to Florida Bay's remote mangrove island Porjoe Key. With cooperation from weather and birds, the setting sun can create a stunning image as double-crested cormoran roseate spoonbills, brown pelicans and magnificent frigate birds return to the little green islands for the night.

FRIDAY, MAY 19 8:00-12:00 Registration

7:50-8:00 Announcements

Local and Regional Programs, Moderator: Hillary Cherry 8:00- 8:20 The Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force: Progress through Partnership. Chris Bergh, Regional land Stewar

and Chairman of the Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force, The Nature Conservancy of the Florida Keys, Big Pine Key.

8:20-8:40 The Florida Keys Green Sweep Initiative: Pulling Weeds and Planting Natives. Alison Higgins, Florida Keys Stewardship Assistant and coordinator of the Florida Keys GreenSweep Initiative, The Nature Conservancy of the Florida Keys, Big Pine Key.

8:40-9:00 Generating Community Awareness and Support for Invasive Exotic Removal Programs in Urban Nature Parks. Steven Vann and Denise Sauerbrey, City of Gainesville, Gfville, Florida.

9:00-9:20 Establishing the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council. Brian Bowen, Tennessee Natural Areas Administrator, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation\Division of Natural Heritage, and SE-EPPC Coordinator Nashville.

9:20-10:00 FlEPPC Annual Business Meeting

10:00-10:20 Break

Blocontrol, Moderator: Jim Cuda 10:20-10:40 Australian Biological Control laboratory: Contributions to Biological Control of Florida Weeds. lohn Goolsby,

Director and Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS Australian Biological Control laboratory, Indooroopilly, Australia, I.R. Makinson, M.F. Purcell, A.D.Wright, and R. Zonneveld, CSIRO.

10:40-11:00 Update on ARSIUSDA Projects in the Gainesville Quarantine. Gary R. Buckingham ARSIUSDA, Gainesville, Florida.

11 :00-11 :20 FergulOnina spp. and Fergusobia spp: A Unique Gall-forming Mutualism for the Biological Control of Melaleuca quin­quenervia. Ted D. Center, Robin Giblin-Davis, Barbara I. Center, Matthew Purcell, Sonya Scheffer, and lohn Goolsby. USDA-ARS, Aquatic Plant Control Research Unit, Fort lauderdale, Florida.

11:20-11:40 Is Biological Control of Tropical Soda Apple Feasible? I. Medal. D. Gandolfo, and R. Pitelli, University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department, USDA-ARS-Biological Control laboratory, Argentina and Universidad Estadual Paulista, labotista, Sao Paulo, Brazil. respectively

II :40-12:00 Host Specificity Studies of the Thrips, Pseudophiltftrips iehini (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripae), a Potential Biocontrol Agent for Brazilian Peppertree. I.P. Cuda, I.C. Medal. D.H. Habeck, and 1.1. Gillmore. Entomology and Nematology Department, UFIIFAS, Gainesville.

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1 :20

1:20-1:40

2:00-2:20

2:20-2:40

3:00-3:20

General Session, Moderator: Dan Clark The Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval Service (APIRS): How to Find What You're looking for. Karen Brown, Information Specialist, UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

Shoebutton Ardisla, Ardisia eliptita, in Everglades National Park. lean and Rick Seavey, Program volunteers, National Park Service, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida.

A Research Agenda leading to Cost-Effective Management of Chinese Tallow (5apium sebiferum) in Coastal Southern Georgia. Cheryl M. McCormick, Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology, UGa, Athens, Georgia 30602-2022.

The effect of simulated herbivory on the growth of Ardisia ef/iptica an invasive non-indigenous species in South Florida. Tony Koop, University of Miami, Dept. of Biology, Coral Gables, FL.

Break

4

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council

General Session, Moderator: Tony Pernas 3:20-3:40 Mapping Invasive Plants with Hyperspectral Data. Marcus Borengasser. Midwest Research Institute.

Palm Bay. Florida.

3:40-4:00 Panther's Plethora of Plant Pests. Dennis I. Giardina. Biologist. US Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Panther and Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuges.

4:00-4:20 Comparison of Herbicide Mixtures and Application Methods for the Chemical Control of Bowstring Hemp (Snake Plant. Mother-in-Iaw's tong). Sansevieria hyacinthoides. Jim Burney. Aquatic Vegetation Control. Inc. Allison Holzhausen. Palm Beach County Dept.. of Environmental Management. and Phil Waller. American Cyanamid.

4:20-4:40 Performance Based Vegetation Management Systems. Christopher S. Dray. Centrogen. Holly Springs. North Carolina.

4:40-5:00 Toxicity of Florida's Non-Native Flora. Bobby Hattaway. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Division of Recreation and Parks. Osprey.

5:00 Adjourn Fifteenth Annual Conference. Ken Langeland

Alternate Presentations: Results of 18 Herbicide Treatments on Lygodium microphyllum in Three Ecologically Different Sites. C. Elroy Timmer and Vernon V. Vandiver Ir.

Poster Presentations: ~actors That Affect the Distribution of Paederia foe/ida in Four Natural Areas. D.M. Brazis and R.K. Stocker. Graduate Research \ssistant and Professor. respectively. UFIIFAS. Agronomy. Department Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

:valuation of the Native Leaf Beetles Leplinota~ defttta and L. /exana (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) as Potential Biological Control .gents for Three Exotic Solanum spp. (Solanaceae) in Florida. I. P Cuda'. B. R. Coon'. I. L. Gillmore'. I. M. Harrison'. PE. Parker'

JFIIFAS Department of Entomology & Nematology. 'Florida UFIIFAS Department of Statistics Gainesville. 'USDA. APHIS. lission plant Protection Center. Mission. Texas. respectively.

:ology of an Invasive Florida Shrub: Downy Rose Myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa) . I. E. Possley and R. K. Stocker. Graduate ~search Assistant and Professor. respectively. UFIIFAS. Agronomy Department. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

3ter uptake patterns of the invasive exotic S,hinus terebinthifolius in Southwest Florida. aron M. L. Ewe. L. de la Sternberg. University of Miami. Department of Biology. Coral Gables. FL.

ology of an invasive Florida shrub: Downy rose myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa).Jennifer E. Possley and R.K. Stocker. iversity of Florida. Agronomy Dept.. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Gainesville. FL.

~gerhead sea turtle (Carella ,arella) nesting before and after Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia) removal. Ryder. D. Addison and M. Shirley. Rookery Bay NERR. Naples. FL.

Island restoration. hany Storm and K. Tremper. Rookery Bay NERR. Naples. FL.

lIovlsual: Mike Bodle and Steve Smith, South Florida Water Management District

5

www.fleppc.org www.sfwmd.gov

Presentation Abstracts Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Fifteenth Annual Conference May 16-19,2000

J The Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force:Progress through Partnership

· . I.

Chris Bergh, South Florida Land Steward with The Nature Conservancy and Chairman of the Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force, Big Pine Key, Florida.

The Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Thsk Force was organized in early 1996 to address the proliferation of invasive exotic plants in the Florida Keys. The mission of the Thsk Force is to coordinate and increase efforts to eliminate invasive, non-native plants by combining pro­grams and resources to develop and implement a long term exotics removal and control plan for the Florida Keys.! Through a cooperative inter-agency approach the group has made a great deal of progress toward this goal. This presentation focuses on the Thsk Force' s meth­ods, its results and lessons learned.

J Mapping Invasive Plants with Hyperspectral Data Marcus Borengasser, Midwest Research Institute, Palm Bay, Florida.

Hyperspectral systems acquire multispectral images in many narrow, contiguous spectral bands throughout the visible, near-IR, and mid-IR portions of the spectrum. These systems typically collect 200 or more channels of data, allowing the construction of a nearly continuous reflectance spectrum for every pixel in the scene. By using a field spec­trometer, the spectral reflectance signature of different types of vegeta-tion can be established and used for spectral mapping of hyperspectral data. Diagnostic spectral features of natural and invasive vegetation within the scene can be used to produce classification maps. With this technology, areas with exotic plants can be identified and monitored.

J Establishing the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Brian Bowen, Tennessee Natural Areas Administrator, Tennessee Department of Environment and ConservatlonIDlvislon of Natural Heritage, Nashville, Tennessee.

The Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council was established in March 1999 at the 1st Annual SE-EPPC Exotic Pest Plant Symposium in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Its inception was an out­come of efforts of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council to expand the scope of the Exotic Pest Plant Council as a regional organization in the Southeastern United States. TN-EPPC provided funding for a part time coordinator position then changed its newsletter and web page to create the SE-EPPC newsletter and SE-EPPC web page. In 1999, TN-EPPC hosted the 1st Annual SE-EPPC Symposium held in Oak Ridge where a provisional BOD representing seven states held its fIrst meeting.

A goal is for SE-EPPC to serve as an umbrella organization for the creation of autonomous state chapters in the Southeast. During SE-EPPC's fIrst year, state chapters have been estab­lished in North carolina, Georgia and Kentucky with interest growing in Mississippi. Tennessee and Florida EPPCs are also state chapters and provide SE-EPPC valuable institu­tional experience. The regional EPPC strives to maximize resources and minimize redundan­cy by featuring a single newsletter, web page, and sharing the responsibilities of hosting the annual symposium. The 2nd annual symposium was held in Chapel Hill, North carolina in March 2000 with the 3rd annual symposium scheduled for 2001 in Athens, Georgia. The growth and development of SE-EPPC will continue with the support of its state chapters and with the development of new state chapters. The organization will play an important role in raising awareness and sharing information on all aspects of invasive exotic pest plant threats to natural areas in the Southeast.

J Update on APIRS Karen Brown, University of Florida, IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, Gainesville, Florida.

The Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System (APIRS) database was begun in 1979 to col­lect the literature on aquatic plant species, primarily problematic aquatic weed species. Some years ago, we added the collection of literature on wetland plant species. Most recently, we have added the collection of literature on FLEPPC's category I invasive species list and now call ourselves the Aquatic, Wetland and Invasive Plant Information Retrieval System. We now collect the literature on over 2,000 plant species.

APIRS holdings currently total over 50,000 keyworded literature citations held in a fully searchable database. We also maintain a hard-copy collection of this literature with approxi­mately 90% of these references on fIle. Literature searches of the APIRS database are avail­able to anyone, either online at the APIRS website or by contacting staff at the APIRS office. In other words, everyone has access to this entire collection of almost 50,000 references on aquatic, wetland and now, invasive plant species.

APIRS is continually moving into other informational areas as well with the expansion of our website, production of botanical illustrations, an extensive plant photograph collection, identification guides, educational posters and coloring books, videotapes, and more.

j Update on ARSIUSDA Projects In the Gainesville Quarantine Gary R. Buckingham, ARSIUSDA, Gainesville, Florida.

Host range studies with the melaleuca psyllid, Boreioglycaspis melaleucae, have been completed and a proposal for release in Florida has been submitted to APHIS/USDA. The psyllid feeds on phloem sap. Leaves and branches with nymphal feeding die. -Saplings up to 6 feet tall have been killed in quarantine. Release of the melaleuca sawfly has been cancelled due to discovery of an octapeptide in the larvae that has been implicated

'I..-

in livestock deaths caused by other sawfly species. Host range studies with an Australian moth that defoliates old world climbing fern in will be initiated when the quarantine colony is established.

J Comparison of Herbicide Mixtures and Application Methods for the Chemical Control of Bowstring Hemp (Snake Plant, Mothel"ln-law's tongue), Sansevlerla lillacintlioldes.

Jim Burney, Aquatic Vegetation Control, Inc, Allison Holzhausen, palm Beach County Department of Environmental Management, and Phil Waller, American Cyanamid.

As part of a Scope of Services for Palm Beach County ERM, AVC and Am Cyanamid estab­lished test plots within Sansevieda hyadnthoides infestations on the County's Munyon Island restoration site, northern Palm Beach County. Differing herbicide mixtures and treat­ment methods were used for control comparisons. Results indicated that cuUtreatment meth­ods were more effective than foliar applications and GarlonlStalker mixtures provided the highest mortality percentages. The test results were used for applied management decisions and the results from the actual control effort will also be presented.

J Ferguson'na spp. and Ferguso61a spp: A Unique Gall-forming Mutualism for the Biological Control of Me/a/euca qrdnquenervla.

Ted D. Center, Robin Giblin-Davis, Barbara J. Center, Matthew Purcell, Sonya Scheffer, and John Goolsby. Ted Center is a Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS, Aquatic Plant Control Research Unit, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Biological control can best assist overall melaleuca management by reducing or preventing seed production, thus rendering other controls more effective. Gall­forming agents offer considerable potential in this regard. Recently, weive investigated a unique insecUnematode system that galls meristematic tissue thus pre-empting flower for­mation and shoot growth Host selection involves only the OVipositional behavior of the female fly, because the larvae trapped within the gall. The fly is extremely host-specific, even to the point of rejecting closely related melaleucas as hosts. Our knowledge of the sys­tem is now sufficient to consider the introduction of the fly into Florida.

\ Host Specificity Studies of the Thrips, Pseudoplillotlirlps Iclilnl (Thysanoptera:Phlaeothrlpae), a Potential Blocontrol Agent for Brazilian Peppertree

J.P. Cuda, J.C. Medal, D.H. Habeck, and J.L. Gilmore. Jim Cuda is Assistant Professor, UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department, Gainesville, Florida.

A Brazilian thrips, P. ichini, was identified as a candidate for biocontrol of Brazilian pep­peI1ree. Feeding by the nymphs and adults kills the meristem and causes flower abortion. This type of feeding damage can suppress the growth rate of young plants and curtail seed

production in mature trees. Host specificity studies (non-choice and multiple-choice feed­ing/oviposition tests) were conducted in a quarantine laboratory. preliminary results suggest P. ichini may be sufficiently host specific to release in Florida.

J Alternative landscaping for the Progressively Minded Andreas Daehnlck and Amy Ferriter, Director of Horticulture McKee Botanical Gardens, Vero Beach, Florida and Environmental Scientist, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida, respectively.

An informative look at a draft landscape enhancement guide for the environmentally minded. This is a guide to assist with landscape plant selection in order to replace exotic invasive plants for the Southeast coast of Florida. commercially available native and ornamental non­invasive plants were selected on their similarity in appearance, shape, culture and growth form as to best mimic their exotic invasive counterparts. This guide will also assist individu­als in exotic invasive plant removal and replacement techniques.

J Invasive species: Florida's current efforts to establish a statewide strategic plan for their man­agement? Bob Doren, National Park Service, Boca Raton, Florida.

Exotic species (those species not native to an area and found beyond their natural range) are being encountered more frequently through­out the world as people and their cultures are transported around the world. Many exotic species are useful and considered beneficial. Most of these species remain in cultivation. However, some species are invading natural areas. Some have spread to the extent that native plant and animal communities are in danger of being replaced in their entirety by invasive exotic species. There are also significant economic costs to agri­cultural production from invasive exotic species. Invasive exotic species invade natural areas irrespective,of geographic and political boundaries, agency jurisdictions and authorities and legislative mandates. Only through an integrated, comprehensive and crosscutting strategy can the ecological consequences of invasive exotics be effectively dealt with.

The need for partnerships and integrated multi-organizational approaches for controlling exotic pest species has been raised in several venues and recently has been highlighted by President Clinton's Executive Order on Invasive Exotic Species. Formal partnerships among key agencies and organizations and effective liaisons with other organizations will be required if we are to be successful. Business-as-usual has not been working.

We are currently finalizing a Strategic Plan for Florida to manage invasive exotic plants. This plan contains an assessment of the most invasive species and a statewide strategy for managing these species.

Performance Based Vegetation Management Systems j Christopher S. Dray, Centrogen, Holly Springs, North Carolina.

The management of vegetation on assets including Rights-of Way, Forests, Waterways, or private lands more than often than not lacks a performance element. The need to interject simple systems, using today's technology, will allow asset managers to more effectively con­trol undesirable species and subsequently produce positive economic returns.

By creating a management plan that includes botanical monitoring coupled with geographic information systems (GIS) asset managers can more reliable track species changes, better evaluate methodologies, evaluate vendors and better justify activities and costs to stakehold­ers. Without follow-up measurement, management plans are but an endless open loop of activity.

J That IFAS Assessment Thing -Alison Fox, Assistant Professor, UFIIFAS Agronomy Department and Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, Gainesville, Florida.

The IFAS assessment of non-native plants in Florida's natural areas has been developed and reviewed (within and outside IFAS) and the collection of data for an initial group of 20-30 plants has begun. The basic format of the assessment is similar to that described at last years meeting with indices for: Ecological Impacts, Potential for Expansion, Difficulty of Management, and Commercial Value Since then, many details have been refined including the purpose - to provide, within IFAS, consistent descriptions of, and recommendations for, non-native plants - and the conclusions. To guide development, 20 plant species of varying invasiveness were informally assessed.

J Panther's Plethora of Plant Pests Dennis J. Giardina, Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Panther and Ten thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuges.

Located in the Big Cypress Basin, the 26,000 acre Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (FPNWR) is characterized by a mosaic of habitats including cypress strands, wet prairies, pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks. It functions as a preserve for Florida panthers, white-tailed deer and other species. of the 714 species of plants documented on the refuge, 122 of them are exotic. FPNWR habitat management activities include prescribed burning and exotic plant treatment and removal. Current exotic plant treatment efforts are largely devoted to the control of Brazilian pepper which is widespread on the refuge. Human induced changes in hydrology and hydro period have rendered FPNWR habitats more susceptible to exotic plant invasion and apparently a native species, sable palm has also benefitted from these changes and has exponentially increased its coverage on the refuge, presenting its own management difficulties.

j Australian Biological Control Laboratory: Contributions to Biological Control of Florida Weeds 'ohn Goolsby, Director and Research Entomologist, USDNARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory, Indooroopllly, Australia, '.R. Makinson, M.F. Purcell, A.D. Wright, and R. Zoonneveld, CSIRO.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Australian Biological Control Laboratory (ABCL) was founded in 1985 to work on biological control of lfYdrilla verticillata, hydrilla, and later Melaleuca quinquenervia, the paperbark tree, both important weeds in Florida. Currently, we are expanding our research efforts to include exploration and testing of natural enemies of lJIgodium microphyllum, Old World climbing fern, which is a spreading, rapidly across Florida. Strategically, the ABCL is well located to conduct biological control research on other Florida weeds of Australian and Southeast Asian origin, including: Casuarina spp., Australian pine; CUpaniopsis anacardioides, carrotwood; PaedenaJoetida, skunk vine; and Lygodiumjaponicum, Japanese climbing fern. Prospects for biological control of these weeds are discussed.

Our research focus is on exploration for natural enemies, characterization of agents using classical taxonomic and molecular methods, insect and plant ecology, field host range sur­veys, and laboratory host range testing. The goal of the research is to gain a better under­standing of each weed and the full array of its potential biological control agents. Ultimately, a greater diversity of agents are discovered and investigated, thus increasing the potential for success in the biological control programs we support.

J Toxicity to Humans of Florida's Non-Native Flora Bobby Hattaway, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, Osprey, Florida.

The adverse impacts of non-native plants on human health and safety add support to ecolog­ical reasons for exotic plant control. Negative impacts on human health are immediate and obvious compared to long-term ecological degradation, and goes beyond allergies. A defini­tion of toxicity to humans is presented, and familiar and less familiar examples are dis­cussed.

j The Florida Keys GreenSweep Initiative: Pulling Weeds and Planting Natives Alison Higgins, Florida Keys Stewardship Assistant and Coordinator of the Florida Keys GreenSweep Initiative, The Nature Conservancy of the Florida Keys

The Nature Conservancy s new Florida Keys GreenSweep Initiative is a volunteer-based habi­tat restoration program for the Florida Keys. Its major goals are to raise awareness of the problems caused by invasive exotic species and the benefits of planting natives and to recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers for exotic control and restoration projects on high pri9rity sites identified by the Florida Keys Invasive Exotics Task Force. GreenSweep projects will take several forms including classic volunteer workdays, Exotic Plant Eradication Strike Teams (ExPEST), neighborhood-based outreach projects and an annual Native Plant Fair.

The Efforts of the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program to Educate Stakeholders About j the Dangers of Invasive Plants Christine Kelly-Begazo, Statewide Coordinator for the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FY&N) Program, UFnFAS, Gainesville, Florida.

The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program is an educational outreach program that informs and educates targeted stakehold­ers about the environmental benefits of landscaping and lawn care maintenance in a Florida-friendly manner. One of the main FY&N principles, Right Plant - Right Place, illustrates to the stakeholder how appropriate plant selection per individual site can avoid costly and unsustainable landscapes. The FY&N pro­gram expounds the believe that if careful review of site condi­tions were taken into consideration before specific plants were selected, then the issue of invasiveness would possibly be a mute point in landscaped areas. Many county extension FY&N programs throughout Florida are implementing innovative and imaginative projects for removal of invasive plants that currently threaten local natural ecosystems. The statewide expansion effort of the FY&N program, lead by the University of Florida, is also developing new educational materials that will help the county extension staff inform and educate clien­tele about invasive plants throughout Florida and how to help eradicate them.

J Responsible Landscaping: Setting an Example ,ulla Kornegay, Director, Fairchild tropical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida.

What makes a plant an invasive exotic pest? This question is asked by Fairchild horticulture staff each time they introduce a new plant to the Garden. We are acutely aware that many invasive exotic plants were originally introduced for ornamental purposes. How does the Garden ensure that its plant introductions do not become ecological monsters? The answer is by systematically evaluating each new plant against a checklist of characteristics associated with invasiye tendencies and ruthlessly eliminating all plants with check marks against them. Beginning this year, all plants listed as category ( invasive exotic pests will be removed from the Garden, even those that are accessioned for scientific or educational pur­poses. Through the display and promotions of plants that enhance, not endanger our envi­ronment, Fairchild Tropical Garden is setting an example of responsible landscaping for our community.

J The Importance of Life History Studies and the Case of Ardisia crenata Gretchen Lindstrom and Alison Fox, Graduate Assistant and Assistant Professor, respectively, UFnFAS Agronomy Department and Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

Ard/s/a crenata is a popular horticultural shrub that is widely planted throug!lout Central Florida. Often recommended for border plantings, this shrub is listed on the Florida Exotic Plant Pest Councils category (list. Because little published research as been found concern­ing the basic biology of this plant, it is difficult to ascertain how much of a threat A. crenata is to natural areas in -Florida. The pU!ll0se of this proposed research is to determine seed 10~gevit,}J plant growth rates, ana tlie demographic aistribution of naturally occurring popu­latIOns or A. crenata.

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J Controlling Invasive Plants: Win (a few), Lose (many), Draw (a few more). Richard N. Mack, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

Controlling plant invasions has been a repeated exercise in frustration for resource managers and conservationists world-wide. So far, the record of controlling the growing list of intro­duced species that wreak environmental and economic damage consists of a few clear victo­ries, a lot of defeats and a heterogeneous array of stalemates - a tally that, of course, depends on who is making the assessments. Instructive, if expensive, lessons have never­theless been learned. And it will be extremely important that we build on these lessons, determining both the effective and ineffective components of each control effort. The impor­tance of destroying the potential invader early in its establishment in a new range is clear; implementing this sound advice has however proven difficult. Failing the total destruction of an invader upon its entry, then maximum effort should be lodged against the invader's small, isolated foci, even at the expense of devoting full resources to attacking the most conspicu­ous centers of the invasion. Effective control requires continual effort: evidence from wide­spread locales shows that only by repeatedly canvassing the same area for survivors can an invader be brought under control. Although probably never implemented except in very small conservation reserves, the "scorch earth" approach in which all introduced species are removed simultaneously would be most effective. In contrast, removing a single invasive species can simply facilitate the proliferation of another introduced species. Examples of ineffective approaches are abundant: they are characterized by a prolonged delay in mount­ing any control effort and devoting control only to large, conspicuous foci of a single species. The current practice in the Intermountain West of deliberately sowing non-indigenous species on a mass scale to reduce the abundance of the aggressive invader, Bromus tecto rum, repre­sents another category of ineffective control. Deliberately trading one invasive species for others is a poor bargain when restoration is the ultimate goal. Effectively curbing invasive plants in our natural habitats, arable lands, rangelands, and waterways will require a national/interna­tional commitment to identifying and marshalling the very best tactics and strategies. Public support for this goal can be enlisted by documenting clearly the costs of invasive species compared with the benefits of their control.

J A Research Agenda Leading to Cost-Effective Management of Chinese Tallow (Sapium se6iferum) In Coastal Southern Georgia Cheryl M. McCormick, Doctoral Student, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Chinese tallow, Sapium sebj/erum (L.) Roxb. (Euphorbiaceae) is a subtropical deciduous tree native to the People's Republic of China, where it has been cultivated for over 14 centuries for a multitude of beneficial derivatives. Introduced to the United States in 1772, Chinese tallow has proven to be a particularly pernicious invasive species, forming impenetrable stapds that exclude virtually all other vegetation. In coastal south Georgia, Chinese tallow is especially abundant on barrier islands, in river bottom forests, wetlands, and other low-lying areas. Critical research avenues assessing the need for effective methods for control and

eradication of Chinese tallow will be investigated. These research questions include, but are not limited to: 1) the relationship between tallow stand size and visitation rates by frugivo­rous birds; 2) thresholds of tallow abundance and subsequent displacement of native vegeta­tion; 3) the impacts of tallow leaf litter on aquatic systems, and; 4) ecological impacts of tal­low at regional scales, requiring the development of a geographic information system (GIS) database of tallow stands within the coastal Georgia National Wildlife Refuge system.

J Is Biological Control of Tropical Soda Apple Feasible? J. Medal, D. Gandolfo, and R. Pitelll, University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department, USDA-ARS-Blologlcal Control Laboratory, Argentina and Unlverldad Estadual Paullsta, ,abotista, S,o Paulo, Brazil, respectively.

Tropical soda apple is a perennial weed, native to South America, that has been spreading throughout Florida at an alarming rate during the 1990s. Currently, the infested area is esti­mated at more than a half million acres. A biological control project started in December 1996 conducting host-specificity studies in Gainesville-quarantine and in South America. Based on preliminary feeding tests five insect species were eliminated from the list of poten­tial biocontrol agents. Further explorations revealed several potential candidates including 3 leaf-feeding beetles, and a flower bud-feeder weevil. Approval for field release of 2 of the beetles is pending.

J Naturalization Patterns of Horticultural Plants In Florida Robert W. Pemberton, Invasive Weed Research, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

While it is recognized that horticulture is an important source of naturalized plants in many floras, little is known about naturalization frequencies and possible patterns of naturalization in these plants. The detailed sales catalogs (1886-1930) of one of the most important early Florida plaIlt nursery (the Reasoner Brother's Royal Palm Nursery) were analyzed and com­pared to the Wunderlin (et aI.) Atlas of Florida vascular plants (1996) to detect naturaliza­tion patterns of these horticultural plants in the state. of the 1884 non native species sold by the nursery, 14% naturalized. The naturalization rates were directly related to the length of time sold. Plants that naturalized were sold for an average of 15.5 years, compared to 8.1 years for all non native plants sold. Only 1.9% of the plants sold for one year naturalized, compared to 30.9% for those sold for ten years or more, and 68.8% for those sold for 30 or more years. About half of Florida's most invasive plants were sold by this nursery, and these were sold for an average of 20.5 years. Plants that have large native ranges were more likely to naturalize than plants with small native ranges. For instance, 47.6% of plants with pantropical distributions and 48.9% those native to both Africa and Asia naturalized, com­pared t014.3% of those native to tropical Asia, 9.3% of the tropical African species, and 10.8% of the tropical American plants. Naturalization rates also differed according to plant life forms, with the most naturalization occurring in aquatic herbs (36.8%) and vines (30%), well above the rates for trees (16.9%) and non grass herbs (13.7%). Plants belonging to some families naturalized more frequently than those of other families: the Verbenaceae (42.8%) and Euphorbiaceae (32.5%), compared to the Arecaceae (3.5%) and Orchidaceae

1

(1.6%). There were no differences in the naturalization rates of plants belonging to non native genera and families compared to plants belonging to genera and families native to Florida. Naturalization of plants belonging to particular genera and families in this study is a good predictor of the propensity for other members of these taxa to naturalize in Florida.

J Shoebutton Ardlsla, Ardlsia ellptica, In Everglades National Park Jean and Rick Seavey, Program volunteers, National Park Service, Everglades National Park, Homestead, Florida.

J Results of 18 Herbicide Treatments on Lygodlum mlcrophyllum In Three Ecologically Different Sites C. Elroy Timmer and Vernon V. Vandiver, Jr.

On Feb. 17-20, 1999 three sites were treated, a pine flatwoods, a mature cypress head and a fence-line bordering an unimproved pasture. The plots were 40.4, ~6.9, and 13.5 sq. m. respectively. The Lygodium was treated from the ground to 1.8 m. into the canopy. The her­bicides used were Arsenal, Escort, Garlon 4, Krenite, Oust, Plateau, 2,4-D amine, Vanquish, Vel par alone and in combinations. Treatments were made with a water carrier at forty gal­lons total spray mixture per acre.

J Invasive Plant Summit 2000 - Overview and Update Bill Torres, Bureau Chief, Florida DEP Bureau of Invasive Plants, Tallahassee. Florida.

The Bureau of Invasive Plant Management hosted a summit in February 2000 with many of the key players of the state in the invasive plant industry. The objective of the summit was to introduce new ideas and challenge the status quo to assist the bureau with developing the best possible invasive plant species management program on Florida's public lands and waterways. The summit participants represented' the broadest array of invasive species disciplines, and many are key players within their organizations, the discussions were productive in providing new ideas and sug­gestions. The ideas and suggestions generated at the summit will be presented during this session along with what lies in the future of invasive plant management.

j Generating Community Awareness and Support for Invasive Exotic Removal Programs In Urban Nature Parks Steven Vann and Denise Sauerbrey, City of Gainesville, Gainesville, Florida.

The City of Gainesvilles Nature Operations Division developed a program that encourages volunteer participation in the stewardship of Gainesvilles natural areas. Get into G.E.A.R. (Gainesvilles Ecosystems At Risk) offers the public a variety of events designed to introduce

WATER-UPTAKE PA TIERNS OF THE INVASIVE EXOTIC SCHINUS TEREBINTHIFOLIUS CONTRASTED WITH NATIVE PLANT SPECIES IN COASTAL SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. SHARON M.L. EWE and LEONEL da S.L. STERNBERG. Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, 33124 FL.

r~

THE PROBLEM: Schinlls terebinthifolills Raddi -..: • a.k.a. Schinus, Brazilian pepper, Florida holly, Christmas berry. • found in over 280,000 ha of native and disturbed habitats • threatens native upland and mangrove communities.

PURPOSE: To compare water uptake patterns of Schinus and native species in the coastal habitat in which it is invading.

Gulf of Mexico

OUESTION: Is Schinus utilizing water o/intermediate salinity between Rookery Bay native fresh and saltwater species? (could Schinus water uptake perhaps contribute to its success in invading the native communities?)

Study site , Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. southwest Florida. (http://inlet.geol.sc.eduiRKBlhome.htrnl)

Communities examined I. Transition zone community (mixture of upland pineland and mangrove species) 2. Sandy brackish pineland (freshwater species only)

SPECIES STUDIED Strand Pineland Sehinus terebinthi{olius X X R. manKle X L. raeemosa X R.j:Junetata X X R. aeuleata X X

METHODS USED Salinity (ppt) o 5 10 15 20

I. Salinity -stable isotope correlation • saline site (n=5, 5 sp.) • end of wet and dry seasons • measured : plant & soil 02 isotopes; soil salinity • correlated : soil 15 180 with soil salinity • plotted : plant 15 180 on soil salinity-isotope line

Results:

O+---+---+---+-~-.,

-0.5

~ -1

Js -1.5

~ -2

-2.5

- SoilwAter

• S4.:hinus

18 IUlizopOOrn

A Lngunculurin

X Rnpllnc:I

-3 .J----~-----:--l 0 Rnndi:t o During the dry season, Schinus water source is similar to that of the native freshwater species .. L..::........:.=----9 Both Schinus and the freshwater species are utilizing water slightly less saline than R. mangle

and L. racemosC/.

2. Predawn water potentials (PDWP) • saline and brackish sites (n=5) • end of wet and dry seasons • predawn : plant water status is in equilibrum with H20 source (Larcher 1995)

,., Schinus Rhizop Lagun Rapanea Randia i -~ ~:=~ ••• ~. ~~~. +'~:=t~" ~U~~~···.~=i~: ~ -10 J& :~: .... l1l ·... ) W:: i ::; . · J f. ~ T ~ l-25 ~ ¥ ~~~t~! £ -30 ~--------~-----------t~O~D~ryl9~9~

,., Schinus

~ 0.0 <II ca -2.0 .",

ai -0 -4.0 p.. ~

~ -6.0 ~

~ -8.0 ."

" -10.0 ~

~

Rapanea Randia

Results o Schinus PDWP fluctuates less over season compared to that of all native species. o Within the saline strand site, Schinus PDWP is higher than that of both mangrove species over

both seasons sampled. o Schinus PDWP is similar to the freshwater native species during the wet season (when

freshwater availability is greatest) but lower than that of R. punctata during the dry season.

..

3. Na and K analysis 60 ,------- --,

~50

~: • saline site only ( 5 species) • expressed stem xylem water • analyzed Na and K content with flame photometer

'-'20 Results o Schinus Na/K ratio is similar to that of native freshwater ~ 10

species. Previous studies have shown that saline-tolerant Z 0 species have higher Na/K ratios than saline-intolerant species.

CONCLUSION Fresh Schinus

Q. Is Schinus utilizing water of intermediate salinity between native fresh and saltwater species? A. NO. Overall Schinus appears to be using water of similar quality to that of native freshwater

species.

Evidence: I . Schinus water uptake is similar to that of native freshwater species (based on the salinity-isotope

correlation and predawn water potentials). 2. Seasonality affects Schinus less than native species.

For more information, email: sharonewe@miami.edu

Other related work: Ewe, S.M.L., Sternberg, 1. da S. 1. and Busch, D.E. 1999. Water-use patterns of woody species in

- pineland and hammock communities of South Florida. For. Eco!. & Mgmt. 118:139-148.

Saline

participants to invasive nonnative plant ecology. G.E.A.R. sponsors free nature walks, vol­unteer workdays, a Nativescape' workshop, and produced a brochure titled Taking Back Gainesvilles Natural Areas. The main objective of these events is to help the public under­stand their connection to nature parks, and how their actions can help protect the diversity and integrity of natural communities within these areas. G.E.A.R. enjoyed its greatest suc­cess The Great Air Potato RoundUp, an exotic plant awareness event. This single-day event drew 675 participants that collected 11,748 pounds of tubers. The real success is measured beyond the numbers. Following the event, Nature Operations Division received several calls from individuals removing tubers from their yards, and neighborhood associa­tions organizing their own roundups. The overwhelming response from the community to this event can be attributed to a creative model that included aggressive advertising, coopera­tive sponsorships, and a diverse participation from private citizens, professional land man­agers, and scientists. This model can be easily adapted to focus on other exotic species, making it an effective guide for all communities to follow.