State Of Florida Research Articles

Evolving national guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria: International perspectives

From the early years of this century, many Western countries adopted the “Dutch Protocol” as a new medical pathway for treating children and adolescents with childhood-onset gender dysphoria. On this approach, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) were used to suppress puberty, followed by cross-sex hormones (testosterone or oestrogen). This perspective article traces—in each of the countries where we, the authors, live and work—how the Dutch Protocol came to be incorporated into clinical practice or formally adopted into national guidelines. Over time, guidelines across different countries were progressively shaped by a rights-based approach that removed previous safeguards and increased availability of gender-reassignment medical interventions for children and adolescents. From 2010 onward, two developments raised new concerns, generating alternate perspectives and wide-ranging differences in clinical approach. Numerous countries reported an unexpected increase in adolescent-onset presentations, especially among girls. During the same period, an increasing number of individuals who had undergone gender-reassignment medical interventions as minors reported harm and regret. Worldwide, questions were raised about the safety of clinical guidelines for children and adolescents presenting with gender dysphoria. Government bodies in Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. state of Florida commissioned systematic reviews pertaining to hormone treatments and issued formal reports. In a parallel process, “conversion therapy” laws, passed in many countries, closed access to exploratory psychotherapy that enables exploration of gender-identity issues from a neutral therapeutic stance. Taken together, these three developments introduced evidence-based and legal considerations into the debate, resulting in tensions that remain unresolved.

Shared Households in the U.S.: A New Perspective on Family Structure and Adolescent Substance Use

Research on the family structure–adolescent substance use association has largely neglected shared households—those in which non-parent adult figures live in the home—even though the number of these households has increased substantially in the U.S. Using data from the state of Florida, we assessed the association between several shared household structures and adolescent substance use, along with whether their associations were mediated by parent-child relationship quality or parental monitoring/discipline. Adolescents in shared family households, especially when a parent did not reside in the home, manifested a higher odds of marijuana use and vaping than those in two-parent households. Monitoring/discipline partly mediated the household structure effects, suggesting that engaging in high levels of monitoring can lower the risk of substance use even in families without two parents.

Exploring Neighborhood-Level Environmental Justice to Tackle County-Level Disparities in Breast Cancer Outcomes

Breast cancer is a disease in which cells, originating from the breast epithelium, grow out of control and form tumors. The progression of breast cancer can vary, and its severity is often categorized by stages ranging from early, localized forms to more advanced stages involving widespread dissemination. Breast cancer cases can be hereditary or non-hereditary; Hereditary cases are caused by a penetrant gene mutation: one that is pathogenic and has the potential to promote the development of cancer whereas non-hereditary cases can be caused by a variety of day-to-day exposures affected by socioeconomic disparities and health literacy rates. Despite scientific and technological advancements, researchers and health officials still do not know enough about the disease and breast cancer incidence rates in the United States have steadily increased. This literature review aims to synthesize the relationship between breast cancer health outcomes and environmental justice, health literacy, and socioeconomic disparities. This relationship was first examined from a county-level in the state of Florida. We first examined three Florida counties with varying socioeconomic profiles (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach) and then examined neighborhoods within the county of Miami-Dade (selected because it has the highest breast cancer rates out of all Florida counties). This examination revealed higher incidences of breast cancer in Latinx and African American communities with high environmental exposures and lower socioeconomic statuses. The identification of specific neighborhoods primarily affected by environmental exposures and low socioeconomic statuses emphasizes the need for neighborhood level modeling to inform future breast cancer research and intervention strategies.

Engaging with Social Media: Implications for COVID-19 Research Participation Among Adults Living in the State of Florida.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased use of social media, with many people turning to it for social support. Given the varying effects of social media, this study examines how social media use influences the willingness of adults in the State of Florida to participate in COVID-19-related research. The study used data collected through the Florida Statewide Registry for Aging Studies (FSRAS), which included 587 participants who were 25 years and older. The primary outcome variables were COVID-19 treatment and COVID-19 vaccine research. Ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between social media use and willingness to participate in COVID-19 treatment and vaccination research, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. The analysis did not find a statistically significant relationship between social media use and the likelihood of participating in COVID-19 research. However, significant differences were observed across racial/ethnic groups. Participants who identified as "Hispanic/Latino" (OR-2.44, 95% CI-1.11-5.35, p = 0.03) and "Other" (OR-12.51, 95% CI-1.98-79.22, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with willingness to participate in a COVID-19 treatment research. Similarly, participants of all other races/ethnicities were significantly more willing to participate in research testing COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, females were more likely to express willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine research. Social media use did not significantly affect willingness to participate in COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research; however, racial and ethnic differences significantly influenced willingness to participate. These findings suggest that implementing targeted culturally sensitive recruitment strategies and community engagement efforts can improve participation in COVID-19 research.

Preservice training perspectives among Florida foster parents

Relatively little is known about foster parent preservice training, particularly how foster parents perceive the helpfulness of preservice training. Given the high turnover of foster parents and research indicating that multiple demands are placed on foster parents, more attention should be paid to the preparation and support of new foster parents. The purpose of this study was to utilize an administrative data set from the state of Florida to examine foster parents’ perceptions of the type and quality of their preservice training in terms of feeling prepared to take on a foster care placement in their home. Almost one half of all participants were able to identify the name of the training completed. Of which, three of the trainings have some empirical support in published literature. Additionally, a little more than one half of participants indicated they felt prepared for their role as a foster parent, but almost one third indicated not feeling prepared for the role. Slightly more than one quarter of participants indicated supplementing their training with other resources. Results support the need for more rigorous evaluation of preservice training due to limited empirical support, attention to how training prepares foster parents to support the needs of the child and family following placement, and potential improvements to what is covered in preservice training.

Infection Prevention and Control in Long-term Care Facilities in Florida: A Needs Assessment Survey

Although several surveys of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices have been conducted in the United States, none have focused on the state of Florida, which has the fourth largest number of certified nursing facilities in the country. A needs assessment survey was conducted to better understand the specific needs and practices of individuals responsible for IPC in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Florida. In November and December of 2022, a 90-question online survey was distributed to individuals responsible for IPC activities at 3,690 LTCFs in Florida. After omitting incomplete responses, 304 survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Survey responses regarding hand hygiene, sharps safety, and staff training reflect compliance with recommended IPC practices. Staffing shortages for Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nursing Assistants were high among respondents (30%), while few reported shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (5%). Only 11% of respondents state their facility requires flu vaccines despite the high-risk environment of LTCFs. Concerning the built environment, the results suggest Infection Preventionists have limited awareness of the scope of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in their facilities. Some areas of compliance with IPC best practices were noted, but multiple opportunities for education and training on IPC best practices were identified.

Shaping coastal nature-based solutions: Perceptions and policy priorities of living shorelines

Coastal nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines, are promoted as shoreline stabilization alternatives to hard infrastructure in the United States. In the state of Florida, where sea level rise and increasing storms impact coastal areas, living shorelines are a state research priority to support coastal risk reduction and resilience goals. However, while the ecological benefits of living shorelines are well-documented, few studies have examined the social and institutional factors that hinder or support the design and implementation of living shorelines in Florida.Our study applies an integrated framework combining results from expert interviews with a policy analysis to evaluate decision-making contexts and considerations related to living shorelines in Florida. We present barriers and enablers of living shorelines as perceived by practitioners and marine contractors. Key barriers to adoption of living shorelines include rule or permitting-related mismatches, community-level use and access concerns, and environmental design uncertainties. Enablers include community-level education and incentives, increased demonstration projects, and criteria or policy standardization for living shorelines. We then connect these barriers and enablers to policy priority patterns drawn from coastal management plans in select Florida counties. These policy priority patterns involve defining nature-based and hard solutions, addressing public and private access concerns, and resolving restoration and conservation goals when considering living shorelines as an appropriate coastline stabilization and protection measure. By connecting on-the-ground practical experiences with insights from coastal management policies, our study provides a socio-institutional methodology and contextual baseline for the planning and implementation of living shorelines in Florida and similar coastal areas.

Lessons from a longitudinal community-based investigation of adherence to guidelines and intent to vaccinate during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic is a major public health challenge. The US Centers for Disease Control published guidelines early in the pandemic emphasizing practicing good hygiene and staying at home, which were later modified. PurposeUsing a community sample of 2152 participants in the state of Florida who responded to a series of online surveys, we tested a prediction model of adherence to guidelines and intent to vaccinate during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsParticipants were assessed in May 2020, June 2020, and January 2021. Predictors included sociodemographic and psychological variables. ResultsA slight decrease in adherence was reported over time. In multivariate models, older age, female sex, having health insurance, greater knowledge about COVID-19, more worry, less loneliness, and greater confidence and trust in COVID-19 information were all significantly and consistently associated with greater adherence to guidelines. Significant predictors of intent to vaccinate were male sex, greater knowledge, higher socioeconomic status, identifying as White, and greater guideline adherence (p's < 0.05). ConclusionsOur findings highlight a number of significant predictors, including knowledge, loneliness, and confidence/trust. Critically these variables are modifiable and could therefore serve as targets in public health interventions to improve adherence to pandemic guidelines in the general population, as well as certain demographic characteristics that may influence intent to vaccinate. COVID-19 knowledge appears to play a central role in both adherence to guidelines and intent to vaccinate suggesting that having accurate information is critical for appropriate behavior.

Marshaling science to advance large landscape conservation

AbstractApplying science to conservation requires deliberate planning and action infrequently taught in academic settings. To illustrate impactful analysis and science communication, we describe scientific activities targeting the needs of land trusts, NGOs, landowners, and government agencies working to conserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor (“Corridor”). This 7.2 million hectare area is prioritized for habitat connectivity conservation in the US state of Florida. Our activities are built on decades of science guiding Florida land conservation. We quantified threats (e.g., average of over 14,000 ha of development/year from 2001 to 2019) and socio‐ecological benefits of Corridor conservation, prioritized yet‐to‐be‐conserved Corridor areas, produced and shared a new statewide connectivity model, and convened groups to identify campaign science needs. The new connectivity model—the Florida Circuit Model—supported the geography of the Corridor, as designated, and facilitates local (10 km radius, or less) conservation planning. Our efforts have contributed to allocation of over $2 billion for land conservation and the permanent protection of over 82,000 ha within the Corridor by state agencies from June 2021 to March 2024. Targeting science to outreach and policy, planning, and management decisions can motivate public, media, researcher, and government support for land conservation, improve conservation interventions, and attract research funding.

Have per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) infiltrated Florida's freshwater springs?

The state of Florida contains over 1000 freshwater springs, fed by groundwater that provides 90 % of the drinking water for inhabitants. Freshwater springs are regarded as some of the cleanest water sources left on Earth, but recent studies regarding the extreme pervasiveness of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) across the globe have called into question whether PFAS have infiltrated these vital water sources. In this study, 90 water samples (43 vents/40 runs/plus 7 additional surface samples) from 50 freshwater Florida springs were analyzed for the presence of 29 PFAS via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. PFAS were detected in 63 % of the vent samples and 68 % of the run samples, with a total of 13 different quantifiable PFAS (>LOQ) present in at least one sample. Concentrations across samples ranged from 0.205 to 64.6 ng/L, with the most detected PFAS being perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). This data highlights the presence of PFAS in Florida springs, representing a potential health concern for spring water users and drinking water consumers, and suggests the need for further research regarding the possible contamination pathways of Florida's freshwater springs.

Rethinking cycling safety: The role of gender in cyclist crash injury severity outcomes

Given the ongoing climate crisis and the need for environmentally friendly communities, there has been an increasing interest in sustainable mobility solutions such as cycling. This study seeks to incorporate an equitable component to studying cycling safety and uses one full year’s data of 4,457 single bicycle-single motor vehicle crashes that took place in 2022 in the state of Florida to estimate a series of random parameters multinomial logit models with heterogeneity in the means and variances to capture gender differences in outcome severities. A comparison of advanced statistical models such as unconstrained and partially constrained approaches, that were previously employed in the literature to test for temporal stability, is undertaken in a new application. A partially constrained model is estimated to best identify gender specific factors and argue the need to evaluate and promote safety of female and male cyclists separately. The study finds substantial differences between how the contributing factors and crash circumstances impact the crash injury severity of women and men cyclists. It evaluates factors such as age, location, cyclist behavior, weather, and road design as well as performs out-of-sample simulation to gain additional insights. The findings of this research emphasize the need for targeted approaches in designing our cities and policy making that account for the collective differences in behavior and experience of women and men cyclists.

Design and assessment of an advanced renewable energy system with hydrogen and monomethylhydrazine production for space shuttles

A new renewable energy-driven advanced plant is designed and developed to produce multiple useful outputs, namely electricity, heat, cooling, hydrogen, and monomethylhydrazine (as space shuttle fuel) using solar and wind energies locally available. A specific location needed for this kind of unique work is identified as the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), which is known as located on Merritt Island, in the state of Florida (USA). It is also one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the subsystems that constitute the newly proposed system potentially for KSC and highlights their complex relationships and synergies. Leveraging renewable energy sources, such as concentrated solar power (CSP) and wind energy, coupled with the subsystem uniquely, such as the regenerative Rankine cycle, multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination unit, hydrogen production process, and Li–Br absorption chiller, the KSC's system maximizes energy conversion efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Noteworthy outcomes include daily water production of 177.63 kg/s and hydrogen production of 169.61 kg/day, alongside annual energy contributions of 212,692,688 kWh for CSP and 66,158,552 kWh for wind turbines. More than that, it produces 23.04 kg/s MMH as fuel. Additionally, the overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are 30.6% and 33% respectively. Despite challenges, such as low efficiencies in certain subsystems, like mono methyl hydrazine (MMH) production, ongoing research and development efforts aim to optimize processes and enhance sustainability.

Recasting Mary McLeod Bethune’s Legacy

From the 1930s until the time of her death in 1955, Mary McLeod Bethune was the most well-known African American woman in the United States. A race and gender leader commonly referred to as the “First Lady of the Struggle,” Bethune famously led the largest black women’s club, had regular meetings in the White House, and helped with the founding of the United Nations. Because of her achievements, Bethune’s name and likeness have been used on a U.S. postal stamp, numerous schools, and statues. This article examines two memorials to Bethune—showing how Bethune’s words and likeness have been used as a historical corrective, as well as an extension of the legacy that Bethune determined to leave before she died in 1955. First, I examine the National Council of Negro Women’s many frustrating years of fundraising for a Bethune memorial in Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. That memorial, erected in 1974, became the first statue of a woman or an African American person dedicated on federal land in the U.S. capital. The second statue I examine is the 2022 statue of Bethune erected in the U.S. Capitol Building. There, the state of Florida decided to replace its long-standing statue of a white, male Confederate general in favor of a newly commissioned statue of Bethune, a black, female educator and civil rights leader as a way to rehabilitate and redefine the state’s image. Finally, the article shows how Bethune had hoped to be memorialized by her survivors, as evidenced in the form of an auto-eulogy, an essay that she wrote for future generations of readers.

A Century of Band Contest Literature Lists: From National Origins to the State of Florida

Band repertoire lists for the National Band Contests evolved from a desire to make school bands “more educational” in the 1920s. The national band contest repertoire lists (1924–1943) formed the basis for the wind band canon during the first half of the twentieth century. Many state band organizations developed their own lists when national contests ended after World War II. This study was an analysis of the pieces and composers that were on the Florida band contest lists, how the lists evolved, and who influenced them, especially compared to the national lists. Findings include greater diversity in Florida’s concert music committee membership than National, but likely only since 1991. The percentage of original wind band works on Florida’s lists maintained the final proportions of the National Band Contest lists (approximately 50%–53%). White male composer representation over the 75 years of lists remained extremely high (98.08% of all works), though the proportion of women composers and composers of color on annual additions since 2015 has increased dramatically.

The Relationship between Adolescent Dating Violence and Risky Health Behavioral Outcomes.

Dating violence is a serious public health issue among adolescents due to the detrimental short- and long-term consequences. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between adolescent dating violence (ADV) and adverse health behavioral outcomes related to substance abuse, mental health, and select risky health behaviors such as feeling unsafe, school performance, and inadequate sleep within the state of Florida. This study used data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The high school students represented a weighted total of 542,818 (n = 4301). Logistic regression analyses, stratified by gender, examined the relationship between ADV and health risk behaviors after adjusting for race and grade. Proportions of ADV were as follows: 3.1% of students reported being abused both physically and sexually; 3.4% reported being abused only physically; 3.9% reported being abused only sexually; and 89.6% were uninvolved. ADV was associated with almost all the health risk behavior outcomes studied, with a few exceptions. Experiencing both kinds of abuse held the highest odds ratio among the four mutually exclusive categories of ADV. The findings from this study could be helpful in identifying youths who demonstrate warning signs of ADV abuse and thus could provide opportunities for targeted preventive interventions.

Improving understanding of nematode communities in agricultural settings: a comparison of mitometagenomics and morphology

Florida’s strawberry production provides significant economic benefit for the State; however, plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) pose a significant barrier to production. A better understanding of the distribution of nematode diversity in these fields could help to evaluate the potential risk to crops in agricultural fields and support more sustainable PPN management, but accurate analysis of constituent nematode species is key. The use of targeted mitometagenomics (mtMG) to identify nematode species has shown promise with nematode mock communities, but it remains unclear how it compares in natural agricultural settings and to the more traditional morphology-based approach. In this study, we performed a diversity survey of nematode communities across four different strawberry fields at four depths in the State of Florida using both mtMG and morphological methods. We observed significant differences in nematode community richness and composition between the two methods. Both methods failed to detect taxa recovered by the other method, due to method-specific biases resulting from differential detection of trophic groups. Importantly, both methods did agree on the detection and distribution of Meloidogyne, the most abundant PPNs with the added benefit of the mtMG precisely describing specific species. Despite significant community differences, both methods pointed to the important role of both field and depth in shaping these communities and provided evidence of PPN migration across the soil profile. In conclusion, our findings support the complementary use of multiple detection/identification methods when evaluating nematode diversity, particularly for PPNs.

Empirical hurricane fragility assessment of elevated and slab-on-grade residential houses

The widespread hurricane-induced damage to residential houses in the United States leads to severe social and economic impacts. Recent community-wide efforts by researchers within the natural hazards community to collect and curate post-hazard damage data have advanced the potential to assess structural vulnerability during extreme wind events. These efforts have led to data re-use and further analysis for detailed evaluation, allowing for the comparison of the performance of elevated versus slab-on-grade single-family residential houses during hurricanes. The empirically derived fragility functions from these damage assessment data offer a unique opportunity to evaluate the vulnerability of constructed buildings. This paper presents the development of empirical fragility functions for elevated and slab-on-grade residential houses, along with their building envelope components, when subjected to hurricane winds. It assesses the post-hurricane occupiability and the annual probability of failure for both elevated and slab-on-grade houses. Utilizing post-hurricane building performance data collected from 618 elevated and 1188 slab-on-grade single-family residential houses impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey in 2017, we analyzed the relationship of damage to the estimated peak 3-sec gust wind speed at each house. The analysis yields the assignment of each house to one of five damage state categories, from which we developed the fragility functions of buildings and building components in accordance with FEMA's HAZUS Hurricane model. Results showed that the developed empirical fragility functions for building envelope components of elevated houses have a higher probability of failure compared to those installed on slab-on-grade houses. Additionally, the likelihood of elevated houses being unoccupiable after a hurricane is significantly higher than that of slab-on-grade houses in both Florida and Texas. For residential buildings constructed in the state of Florida, this study finds that elevated houses have a 39 %–74 % higher annual probability of failure due to hurricane wind compared to slab-on-grade houses for the different considered damage states.

Monitoring iohexol and its transformation products as evidence of reclaimed water irrigation input to contiguous waterbodies

Irrigation with reclaimed water alleviates water supply shortages, but excess application often results in impairment of contiguous waterbodies. This project investigated the potential use of iohexol, an iodinated contrast media used in medical imaging, together with its bio- and phototransformation products as unique reconnaissance markers of reclaimed water irrigation intrusion at three golf courses within the state of Florida. Inter-facility iohexol concentrations measured in reclaimed waters ranged over ~2 orders of magnitude while observed intra-facility seasonal differences were ≤1 order of magnitude. A ~50 % reduction in iohexol was observed post-disinfection for reclaimed water facilities utilizing UV light while none was observed with use of chlorine. Iohexol biotransformation products were observed to decline or shift to lower molecular weight compounds when exposed to UV light but not during disinfection using chlorine. Iohexol biotransformation products were observed in most of the samples but were more prevalent in samples collected during the dry season. Much fewer iohexol phototransformation products were observed in chlorinated reclaimed water, and they were only observed in UV light irradiated reclaimed water when the pre-disinfectant iohexol concentration was ≥5000 ng/L or from solar exposure of reclaimed water spiked with 10 μM of iohexol. For the Hillsborough golf course overlaying an aquifer, the groundwater did not contain iohexol or phototransformation products but did contain biotransformation products. It is not known if these biotransformation products are from active or historical intrusion. The additional presence of sucralose in the aquifer suggests that intrusion has occurred within the past 3 years. This study demonstrates three crucial points in attempting to utilize iohexol to denote reclaimed water intrusion from irrigation overapplication: (1) interpretable results are obtained when iohexol concentrations in the reclaimed water employed for irrigation are ≥1000 ng/L, with higher concentrations in the range of ≥5000 ng/L better able to meet analytical sensitivity requirements after further dilution or degradation in the environment; (2) it is beneficial to assess iohexol transformation products in tandem with iohexol monitoring to account for environmental transformations of iohexol during storage and transport to the receiving water of concern; and (3) inclusion of monitoring for sucralose, an artificial sweetener ubiquitous in wastewater sources that is comparatively stable in the environment, can aid in interpretating whether reclaimed water intrusion based on identification of iohexol and transformation products in the receiving water is attributable to historic or ongoing irrigation overapplications.

Florida

The state of Florida has seen many changes this year to both P-12 education and higher education. Most of the changes can be linked to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has backed the culture wars, changes to history and civics education, expansion of school vouchers, and changes and regulations to the state system of higher education.

Defining preferred turfgrass features for lawn choice for Floridian homeowners

Turfgrass lawns provide many environmental benefits, including temperature moderation, soil stabilization in urban centers, and surface water runoff reduction in the rapidly urbanizing societies. Recently, more sustainable management of urban vegetation have arisen to encourage Florida homeowners to shift from high-input (e.g., fertilizer, water) to low-input landscapes through initiatives such as the Florida Friendly Landscapes and Florida Water Star Programs. To support the water conservation programs in Florida, and better understand homeowners' lawn choices, the objective of this study is to identify and evaluate homeowners' preferred turfgrass features for lawn choices and understand the context of promoting sustainable landscaping practices in the state of Florida. Approximately 1000 Florida homeowners were surveyed online and ranked their most preferred turfgrass features out of a set of 12 alternatives. A rank-ordered logit model was utilized to evaluate Florida homeowners’ preferences for different turfgrass features and determine if they influence turfgrass selection for Florida homeowners. The results showed that the top features were drought tolerance, color, frequency of mowing, disease resistance, and pest tolerance. Identification and communication of water proficient, low fertilizer input turfgrass cultivars that are tolerant to environmental stresses (e.g., drought, traffic, shade) are needed in Florida. Policymakers should promote strategies to combat drought tolerant cultivars. Extension agents should educate homeowners on grass dormancy and drought tolerance (affecting color change) as well as promote disease resistance and pest tolerant species through the Florida Friendly Landscape and WaterStar Programs.