A Response and What it Means

Earlier this week, Ms. Mason finally got back to me with the responses to my interview questions I had previously emailed her.  While her information was helpful, and I hope it will be an instrumental part to my magazine, her responses weren't exactly in line with what I had planned. I had thought that her answers would pertain more to the different types of garden weeds, but a lot of her answers also pertained to invasive plants. To be fair, I should have prepared for this outcome, considering that many of my questions were formatted and worded in such a way that these kinds of answers were inevitable.  Still, I believe this interview to be something I can work with. I will work it  into the draft I have already created for the story for the double page spread.  Below are the typed answers to my interview questions. I look forward to including them in my story!

Interview Questions and Responses

Why did you get into this area of study and work and what is your favorite part about it?  Many years ago I worked in greenhouses and nurseries in Connecticut and California.  When I moved to Florida I saw the plants that I used to sell as house plants growing in the wild.  I thought that was really cool.  But then I learned that these plants didn’t belong here and I became even more interested.  My favorite part about this job is restoring areas that have been invaded by invasive, non-native plants and seeing the native plants return.

In your experience, how often are what people consider weeds invasive species and how often are they actually native plants that are beneficial to the environment?  In our yards, plants that are considered weeds are frequently just annoying to us.  Many yard weeds aren’t aggressive in our natural areas and many (such as Spanish needles) are native plants that are very important to our pollinators.  However, we do see invasive plants in our neighborhoods and yards.  Many of these problematic species are ones that people recognize, even if they don’t know what they’re called.  Plants such as Brazilian pepper, Mexican petunia, earleaf acacia and carrotwood are good examples of commonly seen invasive plants.

What were your responsibilities and experience concerning "weeds" when you worked as a field biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission?  When I worked for FWC I monitored invasive plant removal contracts.  I was responsible for ensuring that the conditions of the plant removal contract were being met.  Contractors had to have the appropriate equipment, they needed to be applying herbicide at the appropriate rate, and all the plants needed to be properly treated.

How do herbicides work to remove plants that would be considered weeds?  What effects do they have on other plants in the ecosystem?  There are different types of herbicides.  Some disrupt hormones which cause the plant to grow itself to death, some disturb photosynthesis, some impact cell membranes, others inhibit amino acid production.  The impact herbicides have on the surrounding plants depends on many factors including method of application, type of herbicide and individual site conditions.  Herbicide applications to a cut stump, if applied correctly, have little to no impact on other plants in the area.  The herbicide is “painted” on the cut surface and is immediately absorbed by the plant.  Foliar applications can sometimes impact non-target plants because the application is not as precise. 

What is an invasive plant removal contract and what is your experience with them?  An invasive plant removal contract is a general term that encompasses any type of agreement with a company that provides non-native plant treatment services.  This work can be completed using heavy machinery on woody species, using herbicide to treat terrestrial or aquatic plants or even using a helicopter to apply herbicide to very dense infestations.  I have and continue to oversee these methods of non-native plant removal.

What are the dangers of non-native plants within the Florida Everglades?  Non-native, invasive plants if left untreated, can dramatically hinder Everglades restoration.  Terrestrial species such as melaleuca create dense thickets that outcompete native plants, provide no wildlife value and alter topography and hydrology.  Old World climbing fern grows up and over tree canopies in our tree islands, causes canopy collapse and alters fire behavior.  Fortunately we have many agencies in Florida that are all working together to address invasive plant issues.  We are continually sharing research and coordinating invasive plant removal efforts.  We are very fortunate to have a stellar community of invasive species biologists in Florida!