Management Issues

Primary Management Issues:* 

Water Level Management.  Topics include the impacts of the timing and duration of controlled dry downs; deviation from natural hydrologic regimes (including high water impacts); and indirect effects on apple snails as hydrology affects their habitat and their predators.

Water Quality and Water Chemistry.  Topics include the direct and indirect effects of pesticides and herbicides to snail habitat and snails; calcium and pH effects on snail growth and shell integrity; and nonpoint pollution problems (e.g., nitrates).

Non-native Snails.  Topics include a synopsis of the establishment of non-native snail populations and available reports on impacts to native apple snails and habitats; information from field and laboratory studies of Pomacea insularum; a summary (with links to other websites) of available information on non-native apple snails, and recommended stratagies to reduce their spread and impact.

Habitat Management.  Topics include specific recommendations on substrate types and plant communities that appear to favor native apple snail populations. The emphasis is on lakes, because they tend to receive more intensive management activities (e.g., draw downs, muck scraping, herbicide applications and mechanical harvesting of hydrilla and floating islands and tussocks) compared to emergent marsh wetlands like the water conservation areas.  In terms of management, the primary management activity in the conservation areas is water level management (see above).

* Some of these pages are in early stages of development and will be expanded upon following additional literature review, analysis of data, and completion of on-going studies.