Plan of Work for the Areawide Management Evaluation of 'Melaleuca quinquenervia' (TAME Melaleuca)

摘要

Melaleuca quinquenervia (common name melaleuca) is a myrtaceous tree of Australian origin that has become a noxious weed in Florida. First introduced into this country by horticulturists in the late 1800's, melaleuca remained innocuous for nearly half a century. More recently, however, melaleuca has proliferated and now occupies approximately 200,000 ha of agricultural, riparian and wetland systems. This invasive tree is competitively superior to many native plants and rangeland grasses with infestation resulting in degradation of native wildlife habitat and of the limited grazing lands in south Florida. In addition, melaleuca degrades vital waterways that significantly contribute to fisheries productivity, act as nursery sites for fish and crustaceans, regulate run-off quantity and quality, mitigate flooding, and control erosion. Nearly $25 million has been spent over the past decade in managing melaleuca infestations, yet the weed continues to proliferate , particularly on private lands. The control of invasive plants such as melaleuca is essential to the conservation and expansion of native species. Melaleuca control is therefore integral to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) objective of achieving restoration and sustainability of south Floridas natural ecosystem. The Melaleuca Management Plan, developed by the interagency Melaleuca Task Force in accordance with CERP, recommends the integration of multiple control approaches, with an emphasis on biological control, as the most effective method for long-term, sustainable management of melaleuca. The TAME Melaleuca project will demonstrate for state, federal, and private land managers the practical, integrated weed management strategies outlined in the Melaleuca Management Plan. Demonstration sites will be established in varied habitats within the geographic distribution of the weed where public and private landowners are highly motivated to manage melaleuca. Specific objectives outlined in this plan of work include: (1) an operations phase to demonstrate the integrated strategies; (2) assessments of melaleucas geographic distribution, impacts of control tactics and socio-economic factors associated with current and proposed control tactics; (3) supporting research that focuses on impacts of control tactics on the weed, interactions among biological control agents, and non-target effects of tactics; and (4) technology transfer. The goal of this project is to develop a sustainable and integrated melaleuca control program through partnerships with federal, state, local, and private land managers for the long-term control of this invasive weed.