Category: Environment

Encouraging Landscape Water-Conservation Behaviors #4: Florida Homeowners' Reactions to Messages that Encourage Landscape Water Conservation Practice Adoption

Sprinklers watering athletic fields. UF/IFAS Phto by Tyler Jones.

This is the fourth publication in a series focused on improving and encouraging water conservation among Florida residents who use irrigation in their home landscape. This four-page fact sheet examines the impact of differently framed messages on Florida residents’ attitudes toward good irrigation practices and their perceived ability to implement those practices. Written by Joy Rumble, Laura A. Warner, Courtney Owens, Alexa Lamm, and Randall Cantrell and published by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc202

Differences in Perceptions of Agricultural Water Use between the General Public and Local Officials

John Cisar, a professor of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida's Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, is studying how turfgrass and other landscape plants can help prevent nitrogen from leaching through the soil into groundwater, Wednesday - Aug. 13, 2003. He said three years of research have shown that turfgrass is most effective in reducing nitrogen leaching and should be used in Florida landscapes. Other plants require more time to become established and slow nitrogen leaching through the soil.

Due to the scarcity of water resources among states and the influx of people, balancing agriculture and public water needs has become a contentious issue. Therefore, dialogue msut take place to educate and inform the general public and local officials about the reality of agricultural water use. This is the second article in a series describing the differences in perceptions of agricultural water use in Florida between the general public and local officials. This four-page fact sheet identifies the differens among groups for agricultural water use and provides ways to change Extension programming according to these differences. Written by Courtney T. Owens, Alexa J. Lamm, and Ricky W. Telg and published by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc249

Pest Identification Guide: Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)

Western flower thrips

Western flower thrips transmits the carmovirus Pelargonium flower break virus (PFBV), the ilarvirus Tobacco streak virus (TSV), and the tospoviruses Chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (CSNV), Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV), and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). This species is primarily a flower feeder, so most damage would be expected on the flower or fruit. Learn to identify the western flower thrips with this two-page illustrated guide written by Jeffrey D. Cluever and Hugh A. Smith and published by the Department of Entomology and Nematology.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1127

Freshwater Fish of New River, Belize

bay snook

Belize is home to an abundant diversity of freshwater fish species and is often considered a fishing paradise. The New River area is a popular freshwater fishing destination in the Orange Walk district of northern Belize. Here locals and visitors alike take to the lagoons and waterways for dinner or for good sportfishing. This 3-page guide written by Venetia Briggs-Gonzalez, Kyle Allen, and Frank J. Mazzotti and published by the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department highlights the most popular species in the area and will help people identify and understand these species.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw406

Cressleaf Groundsel (Butterweed) Identification and Management in Pastures

Butterweed flowers.Butterweed is a winter annual that is toxic to both cattle and horses. This 2-page fact sheet provides an overview of the plant as well as herbicide recommendations. Written by Brent Sellers and Jay Ferrell, and published by the UF Agronomy Department, May 2016.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag406

Encouraging Landscape Water-Conservation Behaviors: Applying Audience Segmentation to Water Conservation Activities in the Landscape—Defining Segments of the Florida Homeowner Audience and Implications for Extension Programming

Theresa Ferrari, left, extension youth development specialist in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and Steve Jacob review findings form the citizen survey.

This is the second publication in a series focusing on encouraging water conservation among Florida residents who use irrigation in their home landscapes. This six-page fact sheet examines one approach to segmenting Florida residents who use irrigation in the home landscape. It also describes how segmentation can be used to encourage water conservation practices. Written by Laura A. Warner, Emmett Martin, Alexa J. Lamm, Joy N. Rumble, and Esen Momol and published by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc200

Attitudes and Perceptions of Agricultural Water Use in Florida Expressed by the General Public and Local Officials

Lemon trees with micro irrigation system. Photo Credits: UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones

The use of water has become increasingly contentious because an increased population is sharing a decreasing amount of water. Water remains Florida’s most plentiful natural resource but is at risk as the agriculture industry and Floridians demand more water for a variety of uses. This four-page fact sheet discusses the media’s influence on perceptions of agricultural water use, the measurement of attitudes and perception towards agricultural water use, and ways to educate the general public and local officials on this issue. Written by Courtney T. Owens, Alexa J. Lamm, and Ricky W. Telg, and published by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc248

Facts about Wildlife Diseases: Hemorrhagic Fever in White-Tailed Deer

deer

The viruses that cause hemorrhagic disease (HD) in deer do not cause illness in people, but they are a growing problem. HD is the most important viral disease of white-tailed deer in the United States. Large outbreaks have occurred in the northern Midwest and western United States. In Florida outbreaks are fewer and less severe in populations of wild white-tailed deer than are outbreaks among wild deer in other areas of the United States, but farm-raised deer in the state are proving vulnerable to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus: one of the viruses that cause HD. This 6-page fact sheet written by Katherine A. Sayler, Charlotte Dow, and Samantha M. Wisely and published by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation describes best management techniques for outbreaks of HD in farm-raised deer. It includes strategies for best supportive care for sick animals, diagnostics, and integrated pest management to control biting midges that spread the viruses that cause HD, because the best way to manage HD is to prevent it.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw411

History and Status of Introduced Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Silver Springs State Park, Florida

rhesus macaque monkey child

Local folklore suggests that the rhesus macaque monkeys living in what is today Silver Springs State Park were released while the 1939 movie Tarzan "Finds a Son" was filmed at the site, but no rhesus macaques appear in that movie, and the macaques had been living in Silver Springs for a considerable time before Tarzan found his son there. In fact, today’s thriving population of macaques in Silver Springs State Park descended from monkeys intentionally released earlier in the 1930s in an effort to increase tourism to the area.

Silver Springs became a tourist attraction in the 1870s and has had glass-bottom boat tours ever since. In the 1930s the manager of the glass bottom boat operation, Colonel Tooey, released approximately six rhesus macaques to attract tourists and increase revenue for the boat tours. Not knowing rhesus macaques are proficient swimmers, Colonel Tooey released his monkeys on an island in the Silver River from whence they quickly swam to the surrounding forests, where they made themselves at home and set up a growing colony. What happened next? Learn the story (so far!) of the monkeys and the park in this 4-page fact sheet written by C. J. Anderson, S. A. Johnson, M. E. Hostetler, and M. G. Summers and published by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw412

Landowner Cost-Share Incentives and Payments for Ecosystem Services: A Comparison of Key Program Features

Florida forests

Landowners who conduct land management activities that protect environmental benefits may be eligible for several types of financial assistance from the government, but not all incentive strategies are the same. This 4-page fact sheet written by Melissa M. Kreye, Elizabeth Pienaar, and Raoul K. Boughton and published by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation compares traditional cost-share programs offered to landowners through federal agencies and a new type of market-based incentive program called payments for ecosystem services (PES). The information inside can help private landowners understand the advantages and limitations of both approaches and guide decision-makers in designing effective future conservation incentive programs.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw415

Using the Ecosystem Services Approach to Advance Conservation Efforts on Private Lands

deer

Decision-makers in Florida have shown increased interest in using the Ecosystem Services (ES) approach to reward ecosystem conservation efforts on private lands. For example, payments for ecosystem services (PES) strategies have been effective in motivating landowners to conserve ecosystems on their land. Some landowners may find a better understanding of the ES approach to be useful when deciding to participate in a PES program. This 5-page fact sheet written by Melissa M. Kreye, Elizabeth Pienaar, Raoul K. Boughton, and Lindsey Wiggins and published by Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation will provide landowners, Extension agents, government and agency leaders, and other stakeholders with a better understanding of how ES are classified, the different ways ES can be valued, how quantifying ES values can help support conservation efforts on private lands in Florida, and a few of the challenges inherent in using the ES approach.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw414

Predaceous Diving Beetles as Pets and the Self-Cleaning Aquarium

diving beetle

Meet a new, attractive, easy-to-keep, local, non-endangered, aquatic pet: the diving beetle! Predaceous diving beetles are aesthetically pleasing yet still rare in US aquariums (though common in countries like Japan), which makes them a fun, new, unusual pet. This 5-page fact sheet written by Craig Bateman and Jiri Hulcr and published by the School of Forest Resources and Conservation provides information about the aquatic beetles, including how to catch and maintain them. Learn how you can befriend these sprightly little insect pals and allow them to bring to your home a mysterious green and quiet world, beautiful silver air bubbles and bronze iridescence, and exciting shows of feeding frenzy. And if you have to part with them, you can safely release the native species into the wild, because they are a part of our Florida natural landscape.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr398

Zika Vector Control for the Urban Pest Management Industry

Figure 2. Aedes aegypti (left) and Aedes albopictus (right). Credits: Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.
Zika is a mosquito-transmitted virus that has recently spread to the Americas. Zika virus (ZIKV) was discovered in 1946 in Africa where it was isolated from a Rhesus monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda. In 2007, a disease outbreak occurred on the Yap islands in Micronesia, and in 2013, an outbreak occurred in French Polynesia. In 2015, a large outbreak occurred in Brazil, and ZIKV has since spread through the Americas. As of April 18, 2016, 15 counties in the state of Florida had reported travel-associated Zika cases. This seven-page fact sheet provides an overview of ZIKV, including its incidence and distribution, transmission and symptoms, and the connection between zika virus and infant microcephaly. This article also explains the biology and identification of the mosquito that vectors the virus with a focus on how to manage the vector using inspection, larviciding, adulticiding, monitoring, and personal protective equipment. Written by Casey Parker, Roxanne Connelly, Dale Dubberly, Roberto Pereira, and Philip Koehler and published by the Entomology and Nematology Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1131

Pond Apple: A Tree Species Adapted to Salt Stresses

Figure 1. Pond apple seedlings. Credits: Guodong Liu, UF/IFAS
Soil salinity is a naturally ocurring problem for growers, gardeners, and homeowners in Florida. As sea-levels rise, seawater intrusion causes salt stress to plants grown in coastal lowland areas. This three-page fact sheet introduces a salt-tolerant species, pond apple (Annona glabra L.), which has great potential to be used in high-salinity coastal landscapes. Written by Guodong Liu, Yuncong Li, Kimberly Moore, and Kim Gabel and published by the Horticultural Sciences Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1281

Temporary Food Plot Deterrents for Deer: Do They Work?

Figure 1. Small cool-season food plot planted in north Florida.
Many Floridians enjoy the opportunity to hunt, watch, or photograph white-tailed deer. Hunters and landowners often plant cool season forage plots both to attract wildlife and to provide a dependable food source. But where there is a high deer population or scarce food resources, deer may forage on food plots as soon as the plants emerge and before they become established. This fact sheet presents the results of research conducted at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy into the effectiveness of various strategies hunters and landowners can use to temporarily limit access to new food plots until the plants are well established and strong enough to attract and sustain hungry deer through the winter. Written by Holly Ober, Cheryl Mackowiak, and Ann Blount and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw410

How the General Public and Local Officials Prefer to Learn about Agricultural Water Use in Florida

Sprinklers watering athletic fields. UF/IFAS Phto by Tyler Jones.
Water is a precious resource that is invaluable to the state of Florida. The amount of water being used daily in the state is estimated at 14.3 million gallons. Part of a series dedicated to describing the preferred ways of learning about agricultural water use in Florida, this study can be used to assist Extension educators and the agricultural industry at large in the development of strategies meant to inform people about the realities of water use. This three-page fact sheet helps Extension educators understand preferred learning mediums so they can provide useful information about agricultural water use. Written by Courtney T. Owens, Alexa J. Lamm, and Ricky W. Telg and published by the Agricultural Education and Communication Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc247

How to Chemigate Salinity-Stressed Plants with Hydrogen Peroxide to Increase Survival and Growth Rates

Figure 3. Oxygen fertilization saved bald cypress plants flooded by 8 PPT sodium chloride for four days. Left plant: no oxygen fertilization, no salinity, growing well; middle plant: no oxygen fertilization, 8 PPT salinity stressed, died; right plant: oxygen fertilization, 8 PPT salinity stressed, growing well.

Man-made activities can induce climate change and global sea-level rise, posing threats to the survival and growth of coastal vegetation in Florida. This three-page fact sheet explains how to ensure plant survival and facilitate the growth of coastal vegetation threatened by sea-level rise and the resulting oxygen deficiencies and saline stresses. Written by Guodong Liu, Yuncong Li, Kimberly Moore, Kim Gabel, Lei Wu, and Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, and published by the Horticultural Sciences Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1280

Consumers' Response to "Neonic-Free" and Other Insect Pollinator Promotions on Ornamental Plants

bee pollinating citrus flower

Pollinator insects are essential to world food crop production, the economy, and the environment. Neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides are facing intense backlash from environmental groups because the systemic protection they provide throughout the plant, including the pollen and nectar, may be injuring pollinator insects and causing their population decline. But many nursery and greenhouse growers use neonic-based pesticide control measures because they are effective, inexpensive, and cause less environmental damage than other insecticides. The increased publicity may influence consumer demand and preferences but very few studies have investigated consumer responses to neonic-free labels, and evidence suggests that many consumers have little knowledge or awareness of the issue. This 3-page fact sheet describes the results of a the study investigating how consumers’ awareness of neonic insecticides influenced their preferences and purchasing behavior for plants and exploring the marketing potential of using alternate pollinator promotions (besides neonic-free) in garden center retail outlets. Written by Hayk Khachatryan and published by the Food and Resource Economics Department.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe991