Strange title right?
Let’s first define Six Rivers CISMA.
CISMA is an acronym for Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. There are 17 such CISMAs in the state of Florida. Six Rivers is the one found in the far western panhandle. https://www.floridainvasives.org/.
It includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Washington, and Holmes counties. It also includes three counties from the state of Alabama: Baldwin, Escambia, and Covington. CISMAs are partnerships between state and county resource management agencies, universities, and NGOs with a focus on managing invasive species.
EDRR…
This is an acronym for Early Detection Rapid Response. These are invasive species that are either (a) within your CISMA but are in very low numbers, or, (b) not within your CISMA but are in neighboring ones, and pose a potential threat. Looking at the invasive species curve, it is understood that your best chance at eradicating an invasive species from your CISMA, at the lowest cost, is early in the invasion. Below is a table of EDRR species for Six Rivers CISMA as of 2020. Residents who live within this CISMA should report the occurrence of any to their local county extension office.
Image: University of Florida
Six Rivers CISMA EDRR List (2020)
| Scientific | Common | Records in CISMA (2020) | Records in Panhandle |
| Myriophyllum spicatum | Eurasian milfoil | 5 | 16 |
| Salvinia molesta | Giant salvinia | 9 | 2 |
| Eichhornia crassipes | Water hyacinth | 12 | 265 |
| Hydrilla verticillate | Hydrilla | 4 | 27 |
| Ipomoea aquatica | Swamp morning glory | 2 | 0 |
| Ardidia crenata | Coral ardisia | 10 | 387 |
| Melinis repens | Natalgrass | 13 | 14 |
| Paederia foetida | Skunk vine | 1 | 9 |
| Panicum maximum | Guinea grass | 13 | 1 |
| Pyrus calleryana | Callery (Bradford) pear | 161 | 0 |
| Vitex rotundifolia | Beach vitex | 77 | 4 |
| Osteopilus septentrionalis | Cuban treefrog | 5 | 8 |
| Bulimulus sporadicus | Snail | 0 | 2 |
| Perna viridis | Green mussel | 11 | 0 |
| Pomacea canaliculate | Channeled apple snail | 0 | 1 |
| Salvator merianae | Black and White tegu | 5 | 5 |
| Rhinella marina | Cane toad | 1 | 1 |
| Eleutherodactylus planirostris | Greenhouse frog | 4 | 2 |
1 green mussel has not been confirmed within the CISMA
Dirty Dozen…
The Dirty Dozen is a list complied by the members of Six Rivers as the top 12 most problematic established invasive species within the CISMA (complied in 2020). These are invasive species whose populations are not going to be eradicated but are problematic enough that focused management efforts are needed.
Six Rivers “Dirty Dozen” List (2020)
| 9 plants | 3 animals | ||
| Lygodium japonicum | Japanese Climbing Fern | Albizia julibrissin | Mimosa |
| Triadica sebifera | Chinese Tallow | Pterois miles | Red lionfish |
| Imperata cylindrica | Cogongrass | Sus scrofa | Feral hog |
| Ligustrum sinense | Chinese privet | Solenopsis invicta | Red fire ant |
| Panicum repens | Torpedograss | Pueraria montana | Kudzu |
| Pyrus calleryana | Callery Pear | Lonicera japonica | Japanese Honeysuckle |
So, what does a resident do when they find one of these invasive species?
- Confirm identification.
Most species are pretty easy to identify, but not all. It is important that we are not trying to manage native species in the process of managing invasive ones. There are numerous guides and websites to help identify but you can always call your local county extension office for help.
- Report it.
The national database most often used by resource managers managing invasive species is www.EDDMapS.org. On the tool bar across the top you will find “report a species” and you can just follow the instructions on how to report one. A photograph will be important, as will a location (latitude, longitude). It is also important to note that you cannot report an invasive species on someone’s private property without their permission. If you can get permission, that would be great. If not, you can let your county extension office know and at least we are aware of it. There is a free app for reporting invasive species to the EDDMapS site. It is called I’ve Got One and can be found at any app store. It is pretty simple to use. It knows your location already and has a feature for taking, and storing, photographs.
- Remove it.
Depending on the species, this can be easy or hard. If you are not sure of the best method, contact your local county extension office for advice.
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