Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T10:39:05.216Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Repeated Herbicide Application for Control of Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum) and the Effects on Nontarget Vegetation on Everglade Tree Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jeffrey T. Hutchinson  and
Kenneth A. Langeland
Jeffrey T. Hutchinson*
Affiliation:
Agronomy Department, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, University of Florida, 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653
Kenneth A. Langeland
Affiliation:
Agronomy Department, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, University of Florida, 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The effects of annual, aerial and ground, herbicide treatments with glyphosate and metsulfuron were evaluated for control of Old World climbing fern (OWCF) and effects on native plants on tree islands in Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge during 2006 to 2009. Initial aerial herbicide treatments reduced OWCF cover by greater than 98% on metsulfuron-treated islands and greater than 88% on glyphosate-treated islands, but there was a concomitant decrease in native ground cover with both herbicides. Follow-up ground treatments, during years two and three of the study, were effective at maintaining low levels of OWCF. OWCF cover at the end of the study was 1 to 2% of pretreatment cover on metsulfuron-treated islands and 8 to 10% on glyphosate-treated islands. At the end of the study (3 yr after treatment), species richness was dominated by ruderal native species not typically found on tree islands. The survival rate of tree and shrubs was 65 to 93% on islands treated with metsulfuron and 6 to 20% on islands treated with glyphosate. Minimum effects were recorded for canopy cover on tree islands treated with metsulfuron compared with glyphosate. These data indicate that the aerial application of metsulfuron can be used for control of OWCF on tree islands. Follow-up ground treatments will be required for OWCF regrowth and new sporelings and should be conducted within 1 yr of the aerial application.

Keywords

Glyphosate, metsulfuron, Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br.Everglade tree islandsFloridaherbicide applicationsinvasive speciesnontarget damage
Type
Research
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 5 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 477 - 486
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Brandt, L. A. and Black, D. W. 2001. Impacts of the introduced fern, Lygodium microphyllum, on the native vegetation of tree islands in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Fla. Sci. 64:191–196.Google Scholar
Brandt, L. A., Ecker, D., Rivera, I. G., Traut, A., and Mazzotti, F. J. 2003. Wildlife and vegetation of bayhead islands in the A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Southeast. Nat. 2:179–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandt, L. A., Portier, K. M., and Kitchens, W. M. 2000. Patterns of change in tree islands in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge from 1950 to 1991. Wetlands 20:1–14.Google Scholar
Canfield, R. H. 1941. Application of the line interception method in sampling range vegetation. J. Forestry 39:388–394.Google Scholar
Hobbs, R. J. and Huenneke, L. F. 1992. Disturbance, diversity, and invasion: implications for conservation. Conserv. Biol. 6:324–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hobbs, R. J. and Humphries, S. E. 1995. An integrated approach to the ecology and management of plant invasions. Conserv. Biol. 9:761–770.Google Scholar
Horvitz, C. C., Pascarella, J. B., McMann, S., Freedman, A., and Hofstetter, R. H. 1998. Functional role of invasive non-indigenous plants in hurricane-affected subtropical hardwood forests. Ecol. Appl. 8:947–974.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, J. T. and Langeland, K. A. 2008. Response of selected nontarget native Florida wetland plant species to metsulfuron methyl. J. Aquat. Plant Manag. 46:72–76.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, J. T. and Langeland, K. A. 2010. Review of two non-native, invasive climbing ferns (Lygodium japonicum and L. microphyllum), sympatric records and additional distribution records from Florida. Am. Fern J. 100:57–66.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, J., Ferriter, A., Serbesoff-King, K., Langeland, K., and Rodgers, L., eds. 2006, Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum) Management Plan for Florida. http://www.fleppc.org/Manage_Plans/Lygo_micro_plan.pdf. Accessed: February 11, 2011.Google Scholar
Langeland, K. A. and Link, M. L. 2006. Evaluation of metsulfuron methyl for selective control of Lygodium microphyllum growing in association with Panicum hemitomon and Cladium jamaicense . Fla Sci. 69:149–156.Google Scholar
Laufenberg, S. M., Sheley, R. L., Jacobs, J. S., and Borkowski, J. 2005. Herbicide effects on density and biomass of Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) and associated plant species. Weed Technol. 19:62–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lemmon, P. E. 1957. A new instrument for measuring forest overstory density. J. Forestry 55:667–668.Google Scholar
Lindgren, P. M. F. and Sullivan, T. P. 2001. Influence of alternative vegetation management treatments on conifer plantation attributes: abundance, species diversity, and structural diversity. For. Ecol. Manag. 142:163–182.Google Scholar
Loveless, C. M. 1959. A study of the vegetation in the Florida Everglades. Ecology 40:1–9.Google Scholar
Lynch, R. L., Chen, H., Brandt, L. A., and Mazzotti, F. J. 2009. Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) invasion in hurricane caused treefalls. Nat. Area J. 29:210–215.Google Scholar
MacDougall, A. S. and Turkington, R. 2005. Are invasive species the drivers or passengers of change in degraded ecosystems? Ecology 86:42–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marrs, R. H. 1985. The effects of potential bracken and scrub control herbicides on lowland Calluna and grass heath communities in East Anglia, UK. Biol. Conserv. 32:13–32.Google Scholar
National Park Service. 2011. Everglades: International Designations. http://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/internationaldesignations.htm. Accessed: February 11, 2011.Google Scholar
Pakeman, R. J., Small, J. L., Le Duc, M. G., and Marrs, R. H. 2005. Recovery of moorland vegetation after aerial spraying of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) with Asulam. Restor. Ecol. 13:718–724.Google Scholar
Russell, A. E., Raich, J. W., and Vitousek, P. M. 1998. The ecology of the climbing fern Dicranopteris linearis on the windward Mauna Loa, Hawaii. J. Ecol. 86:765–779.Google Scholar
Stewart, G. B., Pullin, A. S., and Tyler, C. 2007. The effectiveness of Asulam for bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) control in the United Kingdom: a meta-analysis. Environ. Manag. 40:747–760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stocker, R. K., Miller, R. E. Jr., Black, D. W., Ferriter, A. P., and Thayer, D. D. 2008. Using fire and herbicide to control Lygodium microphyllum and effects on a pine flatwoods plant community in south Florida. Nat. Area J. 28:144–145.Google Scholar
Taylor, J. 2006. Management of Old World climbing fern in Everglades National Park. Pages 67–69 in Hutchinson, J., Ferriter, A., Serbesoff-King, K., Langeland, K., and Rodgers, L., eds. Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum) Management Plan for Florida. http://www.fleppc.org/Manage_Plans/Lygo_micro_plan.pdf. Accessed: February 11, 2011.Google Scholar
Thomas, B. 2006. A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Pages 73–78 in Hutchinson, J., Ferriter, A., Serbesoff-King, K., Langeland, K., and Rodgers, L., eds. Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum) Management Plan for Florida. http://www.fleppc.org/Manage_Plans/Lygo_micro_plan.pdf. Accessed: February 11, 2011.Google Scholar
Ugarte, C. A., Brandt, L. A., Melvin, S., Mazzotti, F. J., and Rice, K. G. 2006. Hurricane impacts on tree islands in Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida. Southeast. Nat. 5:737–746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volin, J. C., Lott, M. S., Muss, J. D., and Owens, D. 2004. Predicting rapid invasion of the Florida Everglades by Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum). Divers. Distrib. 10:439–446.Google Scholar
Watkins, J. E. Jr., Mack, M. K., and Mulkey, S. S. 2007. Gametophyte ecology and demography of epiphytic and terrestrial tropical ferns. Am. J. Bot. 94:701–708.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wetzel, P. R., van der Valk, A. G., Newman, S., Gawlik, D. E., Gann, T. T., Coronado-Molina, C. A., Childers, D. L., and Sklar, F. H. 2005. Maintaining tree islands in the Florida Everglades: nutrient redistribution is the key. Front. Ecol. Environ. 3:370–376.Google Scholar
Williams, C. B. 1964. Patterns in the Balance of Nature. London, United Kingdom : Academic. 324 p.Google Scholar
Woodmansee, S. W., Bradley, K., and Hodges, S. 2005. Systematic Reconnaissance Flights and Exotic Plant Species Mapping at Selected National Wildlife Refuges in Florida. Sanibel, FL : U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 34 p.Google Scholar
Zar, J. H. 1999. Biostatistical Analysis. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Prentice Hall International Inc. 663 p.Google Scholar