Invasive exotic plant species have collectively disrupted thousands of acres of natural ecosystems throughout Florida (Langeland and Burks, 1998). Out of the 21 United States ecosystems ranked as the nation's most endangered, the South Florida landscape is ranked #1 (Peters and Noss, 1995), partly due to invasive species. Invasive species damage natural areas, alter ecosystem processes, displace native species, hybridize with natives, and support other potentially damaging plants, animals, and pathogens (Randall and Marinelli, 1996).
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Characterizing the potential invasiveness of ornamental plants in Florida
Principle Investigator:
Sandra B. Wilson, Ph.D.; UF
Our Mission for this Project
This research focuses on determining optimal conditions for seed germination. This information will be useful in determining areas where seed germination might lead to invasions by a particular species or species cultivar. Results will also be useful for analyzing and monitoring the invasiveness of prospective ornamental plants before their introduction into the landscape. This framework will be developed and evaluated using selected herbaceous and woody plant species presently introduced for ornament in Florida. Once the framework is developed and a database compiled, future work will develop a model for predicting the invasiveness of a new ornamental species based on results from the standardized screening framework. This decision-making model will be an adaptation of that presented by Reichard and Hamilton (1997) for woody plant introductions into North America.
Literature Cited
Reichard S.H. and C.W. Hamilton. 1997. Predicting the invasions of woody plants introduced into North America. Conserv. Biol. 11:193-203.
Last modified: March 13, 2007
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