This
summer Olde Florida Golf Club initiated a property wide Brazilian pepper
eradication project. To insure quick and complete eradication of the species a
contractor was hired. All of the Brazilian pepper will be cut at the base of
the tree and the plant material chipped and dispersed on the forest floor. The
stump will be treated with a non-selective herbicide to prevent regrowth.
Brazilian
pepper is one of the most aggressive and widespread of the invasive
non-indigenous exotic pest plants in Florida. It is estimated that over 700,000
acres in the state are infested with Brazilian pepper.
Brazilian
pepper produces a dense canopy that shades out all other plants and provides a
very poor habitat for native species. Brazilian pepper invades aquatic as well
as terrestrial habitats, greatly reducing the quality of native biotic
communities. In part, the invasiveness of the Brazilian pepper can be
attributed to the high germination rate of the seed. Birds and mammals are the
primary mechanisms for dispersal of the fruit/seed.
One
of the benefits of the removal of the Brazilian pepper is that it will allow
native species to return. The cover from the native plant community will help
suppress the return of the Brazilian pepper. However because of the rapid
growth and high germination rates the club will begin a contracted annual
inspection and removal program.
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