Status of Invasive Plants in Big Cypress NP

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1 Big Cypress National Preserve National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Status of Invasive Plants in Big Cypress NP Tony Pernas Big Cypress National Ralph Arwood

2 Protecting 729,000 acres of the Big Cypress Swamp

3 How many non-native or invasive plants are there in Big Cypress? 1048 Plant species Of these 261 non-native 46 FLEPPC Category I Invasive

4 Landscape Plantings Melaleuca (early 1900 s) Brazilian pepper (Late 1800 s) Old World Climbing Fern (1950 s) Java plum (1911) Casuarina (early 1900 s) Burns Lake Rd.

5 What problems are they causing? Altering ecosystem structures/processes Displacing native flora Reducing wildlife habitat Increasing the endangerment of threatened species

6 What Are We doing about invasive plants A formal partnership of federal, state, and local government agencies, tribes, individuals and various interested groups that manage invasive species in the Everglades area, based on the CWMA model Mission: To improve the effectiveness of invasive species control by sharing information, innovation and technology across borders

7 4 million acres

8 Partners Federal: U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service,, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers State: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, South Florida Water Management District Local Governments: Broward county, Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County Tribes: Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, Seminole Tribe of Florida, NGO s: The Nature Conservancy, Everglades Foundation Universities: University of Florida, Florida International University, Auburn University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Miami Private: Florida Power and Light, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

9 Early Detection/Rapid Response Website Early detection and rapid response

10 Reporting Hotline: Ive got1 Website: Early detection and rapid response Smartphone Applications

11 The primary laws governing Invasive Plants in Big Cypress National Preserve Federal National Park System Organic Act Noxious Weed Control and Eradication Act Plant Protection Act National Invasive Species Act Non-Indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species Prevention and Control Act Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Enabling Legislation Executive Order 13112

12 Big Cypress National Preserve Enabling legislation in order to assure the preservation, conservation, and protection of the natural, scenic, hydrologic, floral and faunal, and recreational values of the Big Cypress Watershed in the State of Florida and to provide for the enhancement and public enjoyment thereof.

13 Invasive Species E.O February 1999 Federal Agencies shall not authorize, fund, or carry out actions that it believes are likely to cause or promote the introduction or spread of invasive species in the United States or elsewhere prevent the introduction of invasive species; detect and respond rapidly to and control populations monitor invasive species populations provide for restoration of native species and habitat conditions conduct research on invasive species and develop technologies promote public education on invasive species National Invasive Species Council

14 Monitoring The management of exotic, invasive plants is among the most challenging undertakings of natural resource managers. The availability of information on the distribution and abundance of invasive plants is vital for effective strategic planning.

15 Digital Aerial Sketch Mapping Best current estimates of abundance and distribution for widespread species

16 The DASM System Power Supply Software & Imagery Touch Screen Laptops (networked) GPS & Antenna

17 Why DASM? New invasive plant infestations are extremely important to detect, especially in remote areas (Quarantine Strategy). Traditional remote sensing technologies cannot respond to rapid changes in plant occurrence and may be cost prohibitive. Up-to-date and quantitative maps with are very useful for planning management programs.

18 Everglades CISMA DASM Methods East-west transects on 1 km intervals Altitude: 500 Speed : variable 150 m 500 m

19 Everglades CISMA DASM Methods Observer 1 East-west transects on 1 km intervals Altitude: 500 Speed : variable 1 km Observer 2

20 7000 miles of transects Species mapped: Old World climbing fern Melaleuca Brazilian pepper Australian pine Also map Rookeries Laurel Wilt Disease Percent cover estimated: 5% 6-25% 26-75% >75%

21 Costs Everglades CISMA = 2.9 million acres Observers $21,060 GIS/Data Analysis $2,400 Aviation: (Helicopter) $153,900 Total Cost $177,360 Cost / Acre $0.06

22 DASM Summary Provides rapid, operationally-useful data Accuracy levels acceptable for planning and operations applications Good balance between accuracy, promptness, and cost.

23 DASM ECISMA

24 Detailed Mapping of Work Areas Objective: Assist land manager with annual planning and increase efficiency Provides more precise maps for annual work plans

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26 Big Cypress NP Management Priorities 1. Eradicate/contain new invasive species (EDRR)- Corridors of Invasiveness, SFCN 2. Manage established Invasive plants at the lowest feasible level.

27 Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) Blankets and eventually collapses tree island/forest canopies Increases pyrogenicity Decreases wildlife habitat value

28 Old World Climbing Fern

29 Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) Forms dense thickets that shade out and displace native vegetation Over 1 million acres in Florida

30 Brazilian Pepper

31 Melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia) Forms dense forests that displace native vegetation Highly fire adapted Provides little value for wildlife

32 Melaleuca

33 Operations

34 Funding for the Exotic Plant Control Program BICY funds 2 positions GS-12, GS-11 plus vehicle s, training, travel etc. BICY Provides $40k budget All other funding for invasive plant control/contracts comes from outside sources ( +/- $1 million in 2016). FWC Upland Plant Management Program EPMT, Exotic Plant Management Team SE Region BAR, Burned area restoration, through NPS coordinator. Any other funding source we can find!! ECISMA

35 FY 16 Contract Projects & Price FWC Funded FWC Day rate (40,000 acres) $775,000 EPMT Funded North of I-75 Lygodium (80, 000 acres) $100,000 South of I-75 Lygodium (500,000+) $75,000 BAR Funded Huckabee Bar (3500 acres) $150,000 Orange Blossom BAR (2000 acres) $40,000 BICY Funded Spot Spray Loop $20,000 TOTAL $1,160,000 Volunteers: January April, 2016 Front country, road sides and campgrounds

36 FWC ITB Addition Lands $775K total cost 1050 gross infested acres treated Treated: canopy acres Schinus 35 canopy acres mel, lyg etc. No gridding, no surveying, only treated DASM sites

37 EPMT North of I-75 Lygodium canopy acres Lygodium treated.

38 10.8 canopy acres Lygodium treated. EPMT South of I-75 Lygodium

39 Orange Blossom BAR Treated: Schinus 35.4 canopy acres.38 canopy acres Lygodium

40 Huckabee BAR Treated: Schinus canopy acres 7.5 canopy acres Lygodium and Psidium ORV Proposed Use

41 Spot Spray Loop Aerial Spot Spraying Treated: 50 Melaleuca sites

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44 FY 17 Contract Projects & Price FWC Funded FWC Day rate (Corn Dance) $500,000 EPMT Funded North of I-75 Lygodium (80, 000 acres) $100,000 Loop Unit Melaleuca re-treat $100,000 Nymphoides $18,334 BAR Funded Mud Lake Bar $80,000 TOTAL $798,334 Volunteers: January April, 2017 Front country, road sides and campgrounds

45 Corn Dance Treatment $500, acres

46 EPMT North of I-75 Lygodium $100,000

47 Tamaiami Canal Nymphoides Cristata $18,334

48 ECISMA $80,000

49 I-75 Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) Collier Environmental Services($102k) through FDOT 44 acres 19 acres

50 Tamiami Trail/SR 29 FDOT District 6 Tamiami Trail (Miami-Dade County) District 1 Tamiami Trail/SR 29 SR 29 Wildlife Underpasses Tamiami Trail ROW

51 Volunteers Over 75 miles of Roads in 2017

52 Treatment Locations BICY Invasive Plants Treated 1984 thru 2016 SPECIES TOTAL STEM AREA ACRES MELALEUCA QUINQUENERVIA 16,285, , SCHINUS TEREBINTHIFOLIUS 409, , PSIDIUM GUAJAVA 151, CASUARINA SP. 86, SYZYGIUM CUMINI 47, SYNGONIUM PODOPHYLLUM 46, HYDRILLA VERTICILLATA 0, WEDELIA TRILOBATA 5, TERMINALIA MUELLERI 3,620.0 ARDISIA ELLIPTICA 3, DIOSCOREA BULBIFERA 2, BAMBUSA SP. 2, LYGODIUM MICROPHYLLUM 2, MELIA AZEDERACH 2, LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA 1, PONGAMIA 1, BISCHOFIA JAVANICA RHOEO SPATHACEA ZIZANIOPSIS MILIACEA CALISTEMON SPP HIBISCUS SP ARISTIDA SSP YUCCA ALOIFOLIA SOLANUM VIARUM HIBISCUS TILEACEOUS OTHER EXOTICS

53 Treatment Locations $10.4 million dollars 64 separate contracts, various funding sources $475K/ yr. since contract work started (1995) Number does not include NPS expenses such as contract administration costs, staff salary, staff vehicles etc.

54 Big Cypress NP Invasive Plant Control Expenditures

55 Billy Snyder (NPS) Linda King (FWC) Dennis Giardina (FWC) Jackie Smith (FWC) Jon Lane (USACE) Leroy Rodgers (SFWMD) Shea Bruscia (NPS) Brian Lockwood (NPS) Brooke Shamblin (NPS) Dr. Jim Burch Jordan McKnight (NPS) Thank you