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PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP)
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research
Reserve) is partnering with St. Johns County Environmental Division, the Friends
of GTM Reserve, members of the South Anastasia Community Association (SACA) and
the northeast Florida Student Conservation Association (SCA) to eradicate
Brazilian pepper and other invasive plants that are beginning to displace native
vegetation on barrier islands in St. Johns County.
“The GTM Research Reserve and St. Johns County Environmental Division are
working aggressively to prevent the spread of the Brazilian pepper plant within
the ecosystems of St. Johns County,” said GTM Research Reserve Stewardship
Coordinator Forrest Penny. “By partnering with the Friends of GTM Reserve, the
SACA and the northeast Florida SCA we are able to work as a team and take the
appropriate actions to control the invasive plant by cutting it down and
spraying the stump with herbicide.”
During the week of July 6-10, the GTM Research Reserve is hosting an
orientation about invasive plants and treatment protocols for the SCA.
Afterwards, GTM Research Reserve staff is accompanying SCA members and St. Johns
County Environmental Division staff to County-owned sites in Vilano and Crescent
Beach to treat several stands of Brazilian pepper, Chinese tallow and giant
reed.
Sometimes referred to as Christmas berry tree or Florida holly, the Brazilian
pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia) is listed as a Category 1, invasive exotic
species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Brazilian pepper was
previously only found in central and southern Florida where it has caused
ecosystem damage, occupying more than 700,000 acres of previous natural plant
communities such as mangrove stands and hardwood hammocks.
“The plant is able to create monocultures (environments where one plant
dominates) by secreting chemicals unfavorable to many native plants and creating
dense strands impenetrable by other plants,” said Penny.
Facts about Brazilian pepper:
• Ornamental tree imported to Florida from
South America in the 1840’s.
• Member of the sumac/cashew family (Anacardiaceae).
• Closely related to poison ivy and poison oak and can cause skin and eye
irritation.
• Easily identified by the clusters of round red berries in winter
and its peppery, turpentine-like smell from crushed leaves.
• May grow as a
shrub up to 30 feet tall with a short trunk and tangled branches.
• It is
prohibited by law to sell or purposefully plant.
• Effective eradication
includes cutting down the plant and spraying the stump with herbicide.
The GTM Research Reserve was established as a partnership between the state
of Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reserve
is one of 27 research reserves operating across the nation and one of three in
the state. Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) manages the GTM Research
Reserve along with aquatic preserves, the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary and the Coral Reef Conservation Program. CAMA’s programs and
activities are designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the
state’s resources through research, education and preservation.
For more information on the GTM Research Reserve visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/gtm/guana.htm or
www.gtmnerr.org.
To learn more about Brazilian pepper visit
http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/schinus.html and
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCTE. |
2012 State of Florida