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COMBINED LEGACY IMPACTS OF MELALEUCA QUINQUENERVIA AND BROADCAST AERIAL HERBICIDE TREATMENTS IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES
| Title: | COMBINED LEGACY IMPACTS OF MELALEUCA QUINQUENERVIA AND BROADCAST AERIAL HERBICIDE TREATMENTS IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES. |
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| Name(s): |
Lange, James J. , author Markwith, Scott , Thesis advisor Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor Department of Geosciences Charles E. Schmidt College of Science |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Genre: | Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation | |
| Date Created: | 2024 | |
| Date Issued: | 2024 | |
| Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
| Place of Publication: | Boca Raton, Fla. | |
| Physical Form: | application/pdf | |
| Extent: | 86 p. | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Abstract/Description: | Melaleuca quinquenervia is an Australian tree, an aggressive invader of South Florida ecosystems, and has impacted over 100,000 acres of wetlands with many documented deleterious effects on native ecosystems. Millions of dollars are spent each year on management. The most rapid and cost-effective approach to date is the delivery of broadcast aerial herbicide application via helicopter, though long-term effects of this indiscriminate approach on native vegetation communities is poorly understood. We experimentally examined the effects of broadcast herbicides on uninvaded sawgrass plots in comparison to clip treatments and controls which showed that while clipped plots quickly recovered toward pre-treatment dominance, herbicide plots remained highly dissimilar and showed little to no recruitment even after 36 weeks. We also examined untreated Melaleuca stands to assess relationships between invasion severity and canopy cover using a generalized linear model with a beta distribution. Basal area, number of stems, and the interaction between basal area and number of stems was significantly related to canopy cover. Finally, we surveyed transects through aerially-treated Melaleuca stands (7 years post-treatment) separated into zones of dense infestation, sparse infestation, and untreated marsh. We compared differences in microtopography, invasion severity, and water quality to quantify changes in the physical environment brought about by both invasion and aerial treatment relative to the surrounding marsh. Additionally, we used percent cover abundance of vascular plant species in plots to compare vegetation communities between zones. | |
| Identifier: | FA00014474 (IID) | |
| Degree granted: | Thesis (MS)--Florida Atlantic University, 2024. | |
| Collection: | FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection | |
| Note(s): | Includes bibliography. | |
| Subject(s): |
Melaleuca quinquenervia Everglades (Fla.)--Environmental conditions--Management Invasive plants |
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| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014474 | |
| Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
| Use and Reproduction: | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
| Host Institution: | FAU |
