Journal Entry 2
I found some particularly intriguing information on The Everglades today. What I once thought was a perfect, immovable landscape is truly a place filled with hills and valleys in its history. I’ve found one of the significantly problematic points today, and it comes in the form of plants. Vines and trees have invaded this landscape and pillaged habitats of native plants in this river of grass.
I shall go over these briefly in this journal, so that I may have a reference, should I face any of these antagonistic greens on my expedition. So far, I have researched five invasive plants (those greens that are not native to the area and outcompete native living species for space, water, and sunlight) found in the Everglades. My notes on each are listed below, albeit a bit disorganized.
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The Australian Pine
- Looks like a pine
- Green needles, small brown flowers
- Reddish brown bark
- Originally from Australia and Southeast Asia
- Provided shade and stabilized canals for humans in the past, but are now causes much greater problem such as:
- Casting shadows too large for native plants to reach the sun
- Roots cause beach erosion & interfere with nesting sea turtles
(Image taken from: ECISMA’s Dirty Dozen page)
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Old World Climbing Fern
- Escaped cultivation → first found in the wild in 1965
- Tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Oceania
- Can grow vertically or horizontally
- Grows up and over native tree and plant species → can cover ENTIRE tree islands!
- Can lower biodiversity when covering native species
- Acts as a fire ladder by carry fire up high into the canopy, causing much greater damage in the event of a wildfire
(Image taken from: ECISMA’s Dirty Dozen page)
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Melaleuca
- First introduced to Florida around 1886 as an ornamental, shade tree, and “windbreak” (a group of trees planted to block the wind and prevent erosion)
- Native to: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, New Caledonia
- Brownish white bark
- Spike looking flowers of white or pink
- Grows very quickly
- Can cover marshes, swamplands, and sawgrass plains
- Even possession of the seeds alone requires a special permit in the state of Florida
(Image taken from: University of Florida’s Plant Directory)
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Brazilian Pepper
- Imported as a “pretty plant” also known as a landscape ornamental
- Native to South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay)
- Evergreen shrub
- Shiny green leaves, white flowers, clusters of red fruit (look like small berries)
- Fruits release harmful chemicals into the soil and prevent other native species from growing
- Invade crucial gopher tortoise habitats
- Can cause rash in those with sensitive skin
- Can drain bald cypress areas
(Image taken from: ECISMA’s Dirty Dozen page)
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Seaside Mahoe
- Also known as the Portia tree
- Often confused with another exotic, wild hibiscus
- Native to the Old World Tropics
- Introduced as an ornamental in or before 1928
- It is now quite common in mangrove communities
- Can form forests of seedlings at high tide
- Bright yellow flowers, red center
(Image taken from: University of South Florida’s Plant Atlas)
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I have read that these green invaders thrive in this area due to the Everglades’ climate being similar to that of a tropical island. It is an ecosystem surrounded by water on three sides, high humidity, and increased rainfall in the summer months. These have become a recipe for success for these leafy conquerors. This seems to be nothing but common sense to me, I doubt even the most cold-hearted of humans could resist the temptation of relocating to a tropical island, instead of an area where they must struggle for survival. I must be vigilant on my hikes and ventures should I encounter such shrubs.
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References
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/invasiveplants.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/invasiveplantprogram.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/invasiveplants.htm
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/exoticvegprogram.htm
https://plantatlas.usf.edu/flip/plant.aspx?id=26
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/lygodium-microphyllum/
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/melaleuca-quinquenervia/
