Impact of Biocontrol Agents on Melaleuca Chemotypes in Florida, 2003-2006

South Florida data from a 3-year field experiment on the invasive tree Melaleuca quinquenervia. The dataset records the impact of two biocontrol insect species and irrigation on different tree chemotypes, with measurements of insect counts, tree height, and biomass. Data was collected by Blake Blaskowski between May 2003 and October 2006 at a USDA-ARS research site in Fort Lauderdale.

Use Cases

• Modeling the growth impact of herbivory based on insect treatment and irrigation variables described.
• Comparing the response of different plant chemotypes to biological control agents mentioned in the experiment.
• Analyzing long-term biomass partitioning trends over the 3-year study period.
• Studying the interaction effects of multiple experimental factors (herbivory, chemotype, irrigation, block) in a field setting.

Strengths

• Data spans a 3-year period from May 2003 to October 2006, providing longitudinal observations.
• Experimental design is a complete 2x2x2x6 factorial with six blocks, suggesting structured data collection.
• Specific location and environmental conditions (soil type, weather station) are documented.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to a single field site in south Florida.

Provenance

Source

figshare, author Blake Blaskowski.

Collection Method

Field experiment with randomized complete block design at a USDA-ARS research site.

Time Range

May 2003 to October 2006.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-01 17:08:22; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.