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#1
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Florida's Native Bromeliads
Florida has 16 species of native Bromeliads, many of which are
restricted to the southern portions of our state. Florida is at risk of losing some of its most unique bromeliads forever, as an invasive exotic pest weevil (Metamasuis callizona), or as us Floridans call it "Evil Weevil", is destroying populations of 5 of these native bromeliad species at an alarming rate. Six species of rarer bromeliads are also vulnerable. The "Evil Weevil" entered Florida in a shipment of bromeliads from Mexico, and buy the time it was discovered in a nursery in 1989, it had become established in Broward County. It is now in 16 counties in south Florida and is fast approaching Florida's most rare and endangered bromeliad species in the Everglades. The Mexican Bromeliad Weevil kills the plants by the tunneling of its larvae which eats-out the entire base of the plant causing it to fall from the tree that was supporting it. The weevil prefers large, mature plants, and the death of many of the breeding individuals quickly wipes out entire populations. Two species of once-abundant bromeliads (Tillandsia utriculata and Tillandsia fasciculata) have been placed of Florida's list of endangered plant species as a direct result of destruction from Metamasuis callizona. The "Save Florida's Native Bromeliads" project is an attempt by the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies, the University of Florida, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Division of Plant Industry) to manage the weevil and conserve the bromeliad species at risk before the weevil is able to completly destroy them. To learn more on the project's goals, and what to do a href="http:// www.freewebs.com/jacksbromeliads/"Visit My Website/a |
#2
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Florida's Native Bromeliads
Something to think about is, are the plants in a predisposition for the
weevil? Maybe the weevil are just the clean up crew. When energy reserves are low in a plant, its defense system is weakened. When the defense system is weaken, the plant is in a predisposition to receive the clean up crew. Most of the time the clean up crew gets the blame. Example, adding large amounts of Nitrogen will place certain trees such as xmas trees in a predisposition to receive sucking insects. If the tree dies, the sucking insects are blamed. In all reality, the person how over fertilized with nitrogen is the primary cause. Cause and effect often get mixed up. There is a long list of examples on how humans place trees in predisposition. When trees are cut and cut, and their associates are destroyed, the new trees that grow after this, become weaker and weaker. The predisposition factors go higher and higher until insects and fungi, and others, come in to clean up the mess started by humans. In the cities, trees are planted, and treated incorrectly. The city trees after a few years begin to wane. Then the power people add many costly treatments that make them more profits, while the trees continue to die. Humans have found so many ways to torture and kill humans and others. They will never learn that we cannot LIVE without our friends. Don't blame the clean up crew! BTW, some of the reasons problems start in national Forest can be found as I define logging. http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/SOUND/ Sincerely, John A. Keslick, Jr. Arborist http://home.ccil.org/~treeman and www.treedictionary.com Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology. Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss. "Jack" wrote in message ps.com... Florida has 16 species of native Bromeliads, many of which are restricted to the southern portions of our state. Florida is at risk of losing some of its most unique bromeliads forever, as an invasive exotic pest weevil (Metamasuis callizona), or as us Floridans call it "Evil Weevil", is destroying populations of 5 of these native bromeliad species at an alarming rate. Six species of rarer bromeliads are also vulnerable. The "Evil Weevil" entered Florida in a shipment of bromeliads from Mexico, and buy the time it was discovered in a nursery in 1989, it had become established in Broward County. It is now in 16 counties in south Florida and is fast approaching Florida's most rare and endangered bromeliad species in the Everglades. The Mexican Bromeliad Weevil kills the plants by the tunneling of its larvae which eats-out the entire base of the plant causing it to fall from the tree that was supporting it. The weevil prefers large, mature plants, and the death of many of the breeding individuals quickly wipes out entire populations. Two species of once-abundant bromeliads (Tillandsia utriculata and Tillandsia fasciculata) have been placed of Florida's list of endangered plant species as a direct result of destruction from Metamasuis callizona. The "Save Florida's Native Bromeliads" project is an attempt by the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies, the University of Florida, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Division of Plant Industry) to manage the weevil and conserve the bromeliad species at risk before the weevil is able to completly destroy them. To learn more on the project's goals, and what to do a href="http:// www.freewebs.com/jacksbromeliads/"Visit My Website/a |
#3
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Florida's Native Bromeliads
Sorry its not specific to your problem. Here's a article on Predisposition.
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/ARM.html Sincerely, John A. Keslick, Jr. Arborist http://home.ccil.org/~treeman and www.treedictionary.com Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology. Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss. "Jack" wrote in message ps.com... Florida has 16 species of native Bromeliads, many of which are restricted to the southern portions of our state. Florida is at risk of losing some of its most unique bromeliads forever, as an invasive exotic pest weevil (Metamasuis callizona), or as us Floridans call it "Evil Weevil", is destroying populations of 5 of these native bromeliad species at an alarming rate. Six species of rarer bromeliads are also vulnerable. The "Evil Weevil" entered Florida in a shipment of bromeliads from Mexico, and buy the time it was discovered in a nursery in 1989, it had become established in Broward County. It is now in 16 counties in south Florida and is fast approaching Florida's most rare and endangered bromeliad species in the Everglades. The Mexican Bromeliad Weevil kills the plants by the tunneling of its larvae which eats-out the entire base of the plant causing it to fall from the tree that was supporting it. The weevil prefers large, mature plants, and the death of many of the breeding individuals quickly wipes out entire populations. Two species of once-abundant bromeliads (Tillandsia utriculata and Tillandsia fasciculata) have been placed of Florida's list of endangered plant species as a direct result of destruction from Metamasuis callizona. The "Save Florida's Native Bromeliads" project is an attempt by the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies, the University of Florida, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Division of Plant Industry) to manage the weevil and conserve the bromeliad species at risk before the weevil is able to completly destroy them. To learn more on the project's goals, and what to do a href="http:// www.freewebs.com/jacksbromeliads/"Visit My Website/a |
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