Melaceuca Sleuthing

Level: Super Sleuth

Detective EcoFriend has asked Detectives Barrier and Dollars and Sense to help him work with the state of Florida on its problem with the paperbark tree (Melaleuca). The rap sheet for this invasive just doesn't cut the mustard. They need more information about this nasty thug before they can wrap their heads around big solutions damage to this problem. Do some sleuthing to help them get more information. First read the article Ecological Consequences of Invasion by Melaleuca quinquenervia in South Florida Wetlands: Paradise Damaged, Not Lost. Then provide our detectives with the answers to these questions to help them make wise recommendations to the state.

1. The Paperbark tree has cause cast ecological problems in south Florida. Which is an ecological problem associated with this invasive?

displaces native species
reduces wildife habitat
alters hydrology (water flow)
modifies soils
changes fire regimes
none of the above
all of the above

2. The paperbark tree now covers how much area of Florida's once natural area?

31,000 acres
100,000 acres
450,000 acres
750,000 acres
1,000,000 acres

3. Which of the following does Paperbark tree infest?

pine flatwoods
cypress forests
freshwater marshes
sawgrass prairies
all of the above
none of the above

4. Invasive species are a serious threat and sometimes catastrophic to Florida ecosystems. Which is a greater problem?

overfishing
tourism
urban development
landfills

5. In the last 25 years paperbark tree infestations have increased in Florida by:

10%
25%
50%
65%

6. Heavy infestations of the paperbark tree can have as many as _____ trees per acre.

5,000
10,000
20,000
31,000

7. Which of the following statements about the paperbark tree in Florida is false?

Eradication is possible.
Infested areas can be restored.
It's continued spread can be curtailed, slowed down.
Eradication is impossible.

8. Management and control of paperbark tree is expensive, time consuming and risky.

True
False

9. The recommended strategy for paperbark tree management in Florida is:

Use infested areas for urban development.
Concentrate on removing the densest portion of the infested area.
Treat single trees first and develop a Melaleuca free buffer zone.
Burn the infested area.

10. Which of the following statements about the paperbark tree in Florida is false?

maintaining ecosystem structure
maintaining ecosystem function
both a & b
none of the above

11. Which statement is false? Fires in paperbark tree forests:

burn at higher temperature
can dry out and ignite surface of organic soil
can stimulate their seeds to sprout
all of the above
none of the above

12. The major economic threat of the paperbark tree in Florida is to

businesses
recreation and parks
schools
natural areas

13. Which positive statement about the paperbark tree in Florida is correct?

It can serve to maintain water supplies.
It can provide some flood management capacity.
It can be a factor in restoring the Everglades.
a & c
b & c
a & b
all of the above

Detective ID | Detective Thumb-a-Ride | Detective EcoFriend | Detective Dollars and Sense | Detective Barrier