| To effectively control invasive plant species on key conservation lands, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFFW) is building partnerships with neighboring landowners. These efforts are benefiting a number of listed species, including wood stork and Key deer.
In Florida, invasive plant species can seriously degrade habitats needed by endangered and threatened species. Managers of public conservation lands generally do not have the funds, staff or authority to help their neighbors combat the shared problem of invasive species control. But without control on neighboring lands, control efforts on conservation lands are less effective and must be repeated more often, increasing costs.
In Florida, PFFW has focused its invasive species control effort on private lands, working outward from key conservation areas. Three specific examples of this landscape-scale approach follow:
Project Greensweep This effort is focusing on private lands in the Florida Keys, an effort that benefits the National Key Deer Refuge and the fish and wildlife that call it home. The 9,200-acre refuge includes many habitats including pine rockland forests, freshwater and saltmarsh wetlands and mangrove forests. It provides habitat for 17 federally-listed species including Key deer, Key tree cactus and the leatherback sea turtle. The Nature Conservancy is a major partner in this on-going conservation effort. An Endangered Species Program Private Stewardship grant was awarded in 2005 to help with this landscape approach to invasive species management.
The Corkscrew Wetland Restoration PFFW is partnering with Audubon, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Americorps, and Florida Gulf Coast University to control invasive plants. In FY05, PFFW provided funding to improve 103 acres of wetlands in Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This will provide direct benefits to a number of listed species, including the wood stork and Florida panther. This effort benefits not only the Audubon sanctuary, but also the nearby National Park Service land, Big Cyprus National Preserve.
Controlling a Serious Threat on Lake Wales Ridge Two species of non-native climbing ferns are invading and spreading in central Florida habitat that is host to seven federal and 54 state-listed species. At risk is the 2.3 million-year-old ancient scrub ecosystem of Lake Wales Ridge. Old world climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum ) is moving in from south Florida and Japanese climbing fern (Lygodium japonicum ) is spreading from the north. Both species grow over and choke other plants while increasing wildfire intensity by carrying fire into tree canopies. Private lands infested with Lygodium provide little habitat for wildlife and serve as a seed source to re-infest public conservation lands
PFFW is working with 14 partners in a major effort to control Lygodium. This partnership is "working across the fenceline with numerous private landowners throughout the region to implement an early detection and rapid response program. This program is designed to keep these invaders from taking over central Florida's natural areas and threatening its listed species. This strategy should serve as a successful model of public/private partnership for long-term control of invasives.
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