WELCOME

Welcome to all those who visit my page and my fellow classmates' pages...This page was designed to  provide information and details about the exotic and invasive plant species in the Everglades. All content provided is strictly for educational purposes only.

~Joanna J.~

Many, Many Names...

...for only one little plant that causes so much trouble in the wetlands of Florida. Actually, I've found that the Brazilian pepper is a very invasive plants and causes prolem to many wetands nation and internationally.

USA: Brazilian pepper tree, Christmas berry tree, Florida holly 

Cuba:  Copal  

Puerto Rico: Pimienta de Brasil  

Hawaii: NANI-O-HILO  

Brazil: Aroeira 

Argentina: Chichita 

French Riviera: Faux poivrier, False pepper

source: http://www.fleppc.org/Manage_Plans/schinus.pdf

 

Everglades Exotic Species List is as follows... 

February 25, 2009

An Inward Look on Exotic Invasive Plants

   The USA is a huge melting pot for people but we often forget that hundreds maybe even thousands of plants were brought from overseas many years ago from all over the world and still are this day. Just like how we've survived generations and generations to live on this land, these plants have adapted through time to survive in testing condtions. Much like how Non-native Americans have killed and even have bred with Native Americans, the exotic plants are doing the same exact thing. Maybe not exactly mixing of the genes, but they are definately killing them off.

    Usually, exotic/Invasive plants have no natural controls so they tend to spread uncontrollably. They tend to cover large areas and exhaust the resources to maximum potiential.

    To clear up a few mix-ups...just because a plant species is exotic doesn't mean that it's invasive. This is called naturalization where an exotic plant is controlled, doesn't harm the resources or ecosystem and is non-invasive. Usually this deals with wheat, corn, etc. in the industrial world or for landscaping.

    Now just because a plant species is invasive does not automatically make it exotic (Non-native). Some plants may go under "invasive tendecies" where due to humans distruption or damage, certain plants may have a great invasive growth rate. An example of such is a wild grass that may be contained because of the lack of sun and water that reaches the grass because of towering trees. Now say that these towering trees were cleared out for some reason by humans and left alone. The wild grass will go under an exponetial growth rate taking over all open areas. The growth rate is controlled, eventually, by trees growing back, therfore cutting back on sun and water, and the wild grass becomes tame once more.

Reference: Everglades National Park Report- http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/upload/OnceAnExotic.pdf

March 25,2009 

 

Melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia)

 

 

     There's Something about those Melaleucas I Just Don't Like...

     Melaleuca trees are know by a wide variety of names such as paperbark tea trees and punk trees. I truely have no idea why they call it punk trees but I do know that paperbark tea is more often used in Austrailian dialect. These trees are refered to as tea trees because they are related to trees that produce tea tree oil which are also Melaleucas. 

     The Melaleuca quinquenervia is native to Austrailia and was brought to the Everglades over 50 years ago to do what it's actually doing now- to dry up the swamp water so that they can build on the land. They can survive in almost any condition and pratically elininates any other near by plant species. Though they are popular with bees with their sweet fragrance, they're infamous in the Everglades for the abundant amount of seeds they release.

     They are one of the biggest problems here in Florida and there are hardly any ways to control these trees completely. There are three insects though that have been in aide to control these bullying trees: the melaleuca weevil, the melaleuca psyllid, and the melaleuca bud-gall fly. These are probably the only ways that have actually been successful at doing damage to the Melaleuca quinquenervia. 

sources: http://waltzingaustralia.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/paperbarks/ and  http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/264