Hydrophyte Volume 22 Issue 2 - April 2018

The South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society

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Volume 22 Issue 2

Highlights Dealing with Iguanas in the South Florida Landscape Constructing Weighted Trailing Hoses for Submersed Aquatic Herbicide Applications Florida’s Cabbage Palm What do Florida Largemouth Bass Need to Reach Trophy Size?

Photo by Brett Cardinal

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President’s Message

Board Members - 2018 Officers 2018

Hello fellow South Florida Aquatic Plant Management members!

The warm humid days of the South Florida summer are soon to be upon us and with this, inherently the nuisance weeds and algae are soon to follow with many challenges and new issues to face. Rest assured, that at SFAPMS we are lining up another great lineup of speakers and experts to provide some helpful cutting edge insights at our next meeting on June 28, 2018 at Green Cay Nature Center. Moreover, with networking and so many knowledgeable and experienced attendees, you are sure to find some answers!

We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you in June and September!

June 28, 2018 Green Cay Nature Center-Palm Beach September 27, 2018 Sunset Community Center-Broward All the best, Scott Jackson

Scott Jackson, President (561) 402-0682 scott.jackson@syngenta.com Linda Wolonick, Secretary/Treasurer (954) 370-0041 linda@expertbizsolution.com Norma Swann, Immediate Past President (334) 741-9393 norma.swann@alligare.com Board Members 2018 Rose Bechard-Butman (954) 519-0317 rberchardbutman@broward.org James Boggs (352) 521-3538 Hughie Cucurullo (305) 224-3562

boggsj@helenachemical.com hcucurullo@avcaquatic.com

Andy Fuhrman (954) 382-9766 afuhrman@allstatemanagement.com Lyn Gettys, PhD (954) 577-6331 Dail Laughinghouse (954) 577-6382 Rory Roten (321) 890-4367 Dharmen Setaram (407) 670-4094

lgettys@ufl.edu hlaughinghouse@ufl.edu roryr@sepro.com dsetaram@landolakes.com

Steven Weinsier (954) 382-9766 sweinsier@allstatemanagement.com

The Francis E. “Chil” Rossbach Scholarship Fund Funds from the scholarship are used to help defray costs for students taking classes related to the study of aquatic environmental sciences or related areas. The scholarship is open to anyone, and all are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted throughout the year and the scholarship awarded when a suitable candidate is found. Money raised by the Society during the year partially goes to fund this scholarship, the intent of which is to promote the study of aquatics.

For an application, please go to www.sfapms.org.

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2018 Calendar of Events 2018 SFAPMS Board of Directors Meeting Dates Thursday, September 6, 2018 Thursday, November 29, 2018 2018 SFAPMS General Meeting Dates Thursday, June 28, 2018 Thursday, September 27, 2018 Florida Lake Management Society (FLMS) 2018 Conference Tuesday, August 28, 2018 Friday, August 31, 2018 Florida Aquatic Plant Management Society (FAPMS) 2018 Conference Monday, October 15, 2018 Thursday, October 18, 2018

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South Florida Aquatic Plant Management Family Photos

Sara and Tom Warmuth on Kure Beach, NC

Joey, Tim, Justin, Joe and John Fish Stocking Day at Allstate Resource Management

Davie’s Finest on Water Matters Days

Morgan Giving Eco-Friendly Lessons at Water Matters Day

Submit your photos to Colleen Sullivan at CSullivan@allstatemanagement.com to be featured in the next Hydrophyte Magazine!

www.sfapms.org

The cabbage palm (sabal palmetto) was designated the Florida state tree in 1953 thanks to the Federation of Garden Clubs, who convinced the legislature that this palm was representative of all of Florida. The sabal palm, commonly called a “cabbage palm” is the most commonly found palm throughout the state.

One reason for its selection was its history. Early Floridians found a variety of uses for the sabal palm. The leaf bud of the tree provided food, the fibrous trunk was used for shelter materials and the fronds were used for thatched roofs. In fact, Seminole Indians are well known for constructing “Chickee huts” with thatched roofs made from the palm fronds. Chickee is the Seminole word for house, traditionally constructed using cypress logs and thatch leaves woven together with vines or thin ropes.

The leaf bud portion at the tree top is considered a delicacy by many. It is often sold in local restaurants under the name “heart of palm” or “swamp cabbage.”

Additionally, the tree provides food for wildlife.

Florida’s black bears enjoy eating the heart of the

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palm, while the cabbage palm’s fruit, black colored berries, are eaten by gray foxes, squirrels and raccoons. Birds watch for the fruit to reach that “just right” ripened stage for eating. And, butterflies drink their fill of nectar when the small white flowers appear in early summer.

Cabbage palms provide shelter for fox squirrels, raccoons, frogs, lizards and insects. The palm thatch is used in nest building. Cavity nesters, such as flickers and red-bellied woodpeckers carve out homes in its trunk while others hide their nests among the fronds.

These prolific native palms with their fan-shaped fronds are widely used in landscaping. They are an erect tree that grows to a height of about 65 feet.

Found throughout Florida, they are very adaptable to wet or dry conditions and transplant easily during any season of the year, although the warm, rainy summer months are best. It is a tree that weathers Florida’s seasons well.

Column & Photos by Sandi Staton sandi.staton@gmail.com

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What do Florida Largemouth Bass Need to Reach Trophy Size?

FWRI biologists discuss the factors that contribute to the growth of trophy-sized Florida largemouth bass.

Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Growth to trophy size also differs between genders.

Female Florida bass grow faster than male bass and typically only the females grow larger than 8 pounds.

Florida’s warm climate and long growing season also enhance the growth rates of largemouth bass.

Time

Anglers from around the world travel to Florida for the opportunity to catch a Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus). The state is known as the Fishing Capital of the World in part because of the trophy-size largemouth bass that can be found in many different habitats, from one-acre ponds to large natural lakes, rivers and marshes. In general, trophy-size Florida bass grow faster than the general population. However, not all bass reach trophy status. Actually, chances are slim that any bass will grow to 8 pounds or larger. Trophy-size fish are typically the old and rare members of the bass population and many things must fall into place for them to reach this size. Decades of research on the Florida bass have revealed several about these sought-after sportfish.

Potential The most important factor influencing the occurrence of trophy-size bass is natural growth potential.

Florida bass are genetically different and grow much larger than the northern largemouth bass. Scientists at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) have surveyed lakes and rivers across Florida to determine where genetically pure Florida bass populations occur. The FWC has established conservation programs to protect these populations.

Even with faster growth rates, it takes a while for Florida largemouth bass to reach its full potential, so survival is always a factor in becoming a trophy bass.

The recorded ages of trophy-size bass have ranged from 4-16 years old, with an average of 10 years of age in Florida. But only a small percentage of largemouth bass live longer than 5 or 6 years, so reaching 10 years of age and trophy size is not the norm. Many factors can affect a bass’s odds of surviving long enough to reach trophy-size.

Year One: During its first year of life, bass must not only find enough to eat, but also avoid being eaten by predators. Most fish do not make it through the first year.

Anglers: Bass that survive the juvenile stages then have to avoid being caught and harvested by anglers.

High rates of harvest, particularly for larger bass, lower the probability that fish will grow to trophy sizes. Slot size limits tend to allow more Florida bass to reach trophy sizes.

Stress: For bass fortunate enough to find enough to eat, avoid predators and not be harvested, there are still threats to their survival. Stressors, such as low dissolved oxygen, can weaken their resistances to disease and infection leading to natural deaths. All things considered, it is pretty difficult for a bass to survive long enough to reach trophy size.

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Food

Environment

When it comes to how food is related to bass growth, there is more to it than just the amount of prey available. The size and location of the prey affect a bass’s ability to capture them. Also, the energy required to catch prey, caloric content of the prey, digestion rates, and the rate the fish burns the energy all influence bass growth rates. Diet studies demonstrate that big bass eat large prey items, so availability of prey such as large-sized chubsuckers, shads, sunfish, and tilapia may have an effect on the size a bass can attain.

Habitat conditions also play a significant role in the production of trophy-size bass. Like plants, bass thrive in nutrient-rich environments. Water bodies that are naturally high in nutrients or have been enriched by human activities (e.g. agricultural runoff or phosphate strip mining) are more likely to produce trophy bass.

Clear lakes with good water quality and abundant aquatic plants also produce good numbers of trophy-size bass. For small bass, an abundance of aquatic vegetation provides cover from predators and supports a wide variety of prey like insects, crayfish and small fishes. In fact, the majority of bass reported to the FWC’s Big Catch Program the last 20 years were caught in lakes with heavy growth of aquatic plants.

Extreme water fluctuations also create habitats that produces trophy bass fisheries. Sometimes this happens naturally during cycles of droughts and other times it results from lake water levels (lake drawdowns). The flooding or reflooding of a reservoir produces the same results.

The journey to trophy size is an arduous one. As research continues, biologists will learn more about trophy-size bass and the factors that contribute to their growth. Science-based conservation will aid the preservation of Florida’s bass populations, helping ensure anglers continue to have opportunities to catch this prized sport fish.

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Florida’s Freshwater Exotic Fish

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Some of Florida’s Freshwater Exotic Fish

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WEBSITES PRINT MARKETING Jodi Miller jodi@interactivedesignandmedia.com www.interactivedesignandmedia.com 561.843.1376