Integrating Nonindigenous Aquatic Plant Control with Protection of Snail Kite Nests in Florida |
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Authors: | JAMES A RODGERS JR HENRY T SMITH DANIEL D THAYER |
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Institution: | (1) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 4005 South Main Street, Gainesville, Florida 32601, USA, US;(2) Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 13798 S.E. Federal Highway, Hobe Sound, Florida 33455, USA, US;(3) South Florida Water Management District, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33406, USA, US |
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Abstract: | The endangered snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) feeds primarily on the freshwater apple snail (Pomacea paludosa) in Florida. The nonindigenous, floating water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) impede kites from finding snails. Effective control of these aquatic plants in the littoral zone of central and south Florida
lakes benefits kites by maintaining open foraging habitat. However, incidental herbicide spraying of nesting substrates result
in nest collapse when kites breed in nonwoody, emergent plants cattail (Typha spp.) and giant bulrush (Scirpus validus)] in the outer littoral zone during lower lake levels. Many endangered species recovery plans and their implementation have
experienced problems due to inaction and/or noncooperation by various governmental agencies and their personnel. Herein, we
describe the development and implementation of a buffer zone strategy to prevent secondary impacts from an aquatic plant control
program to snail kites nesting on lakes in central and south Florida. A strategy was jointly developed by personnel of five
state and federal agencies to control herbicide application near kite nesting areas during the normal breeding season. Although
requiring various modifications during its implementation, this cooperative effort successfully integrated aquatic plant control
objectives with snail kite conservation on Lake Okeechobee during 1988. The program was expanded the following year to lakes
Kissimmee and Tohopekaliga. Since the implementation of the snail kite impact preclusion program, no nest loss was attributed
to incidental herbicide applications on lakes Okeechobee, Kissimmee, and Tohopekaliga. |
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Keywords: | : Florida snail kite Rostrhamus sociabilis Nest loss Nonnative plants Herbicide program Buffer zone |
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