This document summarizes a study comparing the costs of 5 different methods for treating an invasive plant species, melaleuca, across 5 parcels of land in Florida. The methods included cutting trees manually, using machinery to cut and remove biomass, and aerial herbicide application. The helicopter applicators method was found to be the cheapest at $705.80/hectare, treating the largest area of 72.84 hectares for a total cost of $51,411.70. The document recommends further analysis of regrowth after treatment and validated the findings using another site.

1. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Cost of Treatment of Melaleuca
quinquenervia Standing
Biomass by Various Methods
Jennifer Fugett
EMBA Final Project
Presentation,
October 7, 2001
Exotic
Control

2. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
What is Melaleuca ?
 Exotic, invasive plant species
 Australian native
 Distribution in Florida
 1906 Sydney, Australia
 1937 Aerial Dispersion to Dry Wetlands
 1941 Erosion Control
 Today – Controlled Invasive Species

3. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Why an Invasive Species in
Florida?
 Strangles out native flora
 Takes over wetland habitats
 Deprives other species of valuable food
resources
 Flourishes in variety of ecological
conditions
 Rapid colonization and population growth

4. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Why Control Exotic Invasive
Species?
 Cost billions of dollars annually in the US
 Crop damage
 Rangelands
 Waterways
 Government maintained lands
 Cause losses greater than $138 billion per
year in the US

5. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Background
 Challenge for DEP Funding by
Entrepreneur from Future American Corp.
 Future American’s Treatment Method
 Way of Testing Proposed Method Against
Other Methods

6. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Overall Project Objectives
 Analyze Cost of Five Different Methods of
Exotic Vegetation Treatment
 Determine the Least Expensive of the Five
Methods Analyzed
 Determine Dry Weight Standing Biomass
 Determine Population Density
 Further Research Recommendations

7. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Project Site
 161.9 hectare (400
Acre) Land Parcel
 4  15 hectare (40
acre) parcels
 Various treatment
methods
 1 – 96.15 hectares (237
Acre) Parcel
 Aerial spraying
SFWMD Survey Sketch

8. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Methods
 Established 3 100m2 plots in
Parcels 1 thru 4
 Parcel 5 Not Included in
Biomass Data
 Collected Data
 Melaleuca dbh
 Number Melaleuca seedlings
 Number of each type Native
species present
 Predictive Equation
developed by USGS
Scientists
SFWMD Survey Sketch

9. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Measuring 10m X 10m Plots

10. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Data Collection

11. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Marked Plot

12. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 1
Method of Treatment
Future American Corporation
 Use Inmate Labor
 Shear trees and cut manually with chainsaws
 Treat stumps with herbicide
 Trees Moved to Staging Area
 Chipped
 Loaded onto trucks
 Delivered to Prisons or Power Plant
 Treatment has not Started

13. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 2
Method of Treatment
Habitat Restoration Resources
 Cut Down and Spray trees
 Tracked Feller Buncher
 Move Debris to Project Boundaries
 Shovel Loader
 Chip Trees w/ Whole Tree Chipper
 Haul chips away
 Remove Remaining saplings
 Gyro Trac Forestry Mower
 Hand Labor to Treat Stumps w/ Herbicide
 Retreat Site in 6-8 weeks for Re-growth

14. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 2
Tracked Feller Buncher Cutting Trees

15. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 2
Tracked Feller Buncher Spraying Stumps
Treated Stump
Spraying

16. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 2
Shovel Loader Moving Trees

17. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 2
Trees Stacked in Staging Area

18. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 3
Method of Treatment
Applied Aquatic Management, Inc.
 Use Hand Labor
 Cut Trees with Chainsaws
 Treat stumps with Herbicide Application
 Remove seedlings
 Do Not Remove Melaleuca Biomass from
Site

19. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 3 – After Treatment

20. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 4
Method of Treatment
Florida Environmental Clearing
 Knock Trees Down and Mulch into Ground
 Clear-More Tree Chipper Stumper
 Leave Site in Level Condition
 Re-treat Re-Growth Aerially within One
Year

21. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 4
Clear-More Tree Chipper Stumper
Knocking Down Trees

22. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 4
Clear-More Tree Chipper Stumper
Grinding /Mulching

23. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 4 - After Treatment
Remaining
Natives
Ground
Rutting

24. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Parcel No. 5
Method of Treatment
Helicopter Applicators
 Aerially Broadcast herbicide over Parcel
 Innermost 180 Acres Treated
 Method used to compare low cost of aerial
treatment method

25. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Results 1
14.49 15.18 15.58 16.19
72.84
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
H
e
c
t
a
r
e
s
1. Future American
Corporation
2. Habitat
Restoration
Resources
3. Applied Aquatic
Management, Inc.
4. Florida
Environmental
Clearing
5. Helicopter
Applicators
Parcel No. & Contractor
Parcel Area Treated (Hectares)

26. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Results 2
$58,000.00
$99,400.00
$70,199.53
$75,190.00
$51,411.70
$0.00
$10,000.00
$20,000.00
$30,000.00
$40,000.00
$50,000.00
$60,000.00
$70,000.00
$80,000.00
$90,000.00
$100,000.00
$
1. Future
American
Corporation
2. Habitat
Restoration
Resources
3. Applied
Aquatic
Management,
Inc.
4. Florida
Environmental
Clearing
5. Helicopter
Applicators
Parcel No. & Contractor
Total Contract Cost ($)

27. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Results 3
$4,003.46
$6,550.06
$4,505.72 $4,645.05
$705.80
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
$
/
H
e
c
t
a
r
e
1. Future American
Corporation
2. Habitat
Restoration
Resources
3. Applied Aquatic
Management, Inc.
4. Florida
Environmental
Clearing
5. Helicopter
Applicators
Parcel No. & Contractor
Total cost ($/Hectare)

28. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Results 4
876.22
2081.81
1160.89
2240.12
0.00
500.00
1000.00
1500.00
2000.00
2500.00
M
e
t
r
i
c
T
o
n
s
o
f
B
i
o
m
a
s
s
1. Future American
Corporation
2. Habitat Restoration
Resources
3. Applied Aquatic
Management, Inc.
4. Florida Environmental
Clearing
Parcel No. & Contractor
Total Biomass per Parcel (metric tons)

29. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Results 5
20,133.33
31,400.00
37,000.00 37,066.67
0.00
5,000.00
10,000.00
15,000.00
20,000.00
25,000.00
30,000.00
35,000.00
40,000.00
#
o
f
T
r
e
e
s
P
e
r
H
e
c
t
a
r
e
1. Future American
Corporation
2. Habitat
Restoration
Resources
3. Applied Aquatic
Management, Inc.
4. Florida
Environmental
Clearing
Parcel No. & Contractor
Population Density

30. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
$66.19
$47.75
$60.47
$33.57
$0.00
$10.00
$20.00
$30.00
$40.00
$50.00
$60.00
$70.00
$
/
M
e
t
r
i
c
T
o
n
1. Future American
Corporation
2. Habitat Restoration
Resources
3. Applied Aquatic
Management, Inc.
4. Florida Environmental
Clearing
Parcel No. & Contractor
Total Cost $ Per Metric Ton of Biomass
Results 6

31. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Results 7
$2,628.67
$6,245.44
$3,482.68
$6,720.37
$0.00
$1,000.00
$2,000.00
$3,000.00
$4,000.00
$5,000.00
$6,000.00
$7,000.00
P
o
s
s
i
b
l
e
B
i
o
m
a
s
s
$
R
e
v
e
n
u
e
1. Future American
Corporation
2. Habitat Restoration
Resources
3. Applied Aquatic
Management, Inc.
4. Florida Environmental
Clearing
Parcel No. & Contractor
Possible Biomass Revenue (Market Value $3 /
Metric Ton)

32. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Future Considerations
 Develop method to Analyze Re-Growth as an
indicator of Method Effectiveness
 Analyze Costs to Treat Re-growth in each Parcel
 Prepare Estimates for Each Contract Using
Industry Standard Estimation Software – Analyze
Contract Costs
 Are Contract Amounts Accurate
 Cost-Benefit Analysis of Social Good of Future
American Corporation’s Method
 Repeat Research on Similar Parcel of Land to
Validate using $/Amount of Biomass Method of
Comparison

33. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
Acknowledgements
 Francois LaRoche , SFWMD
 Project idea, mentoring, and opportunity to continue
developing project
 Thai Van, USGS
 Assistance reproducing Standing Biomass methods and
interpreting biomass data
 Linda Yarrish, SFWMD
 Data collection
 Gordon Baker, SFWMD
 Data collection

34. FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY - ENVIRONMENTAL MBA PROGRAM
QUESTIONS?