THE 2004 HAWAIÿI CONSERVATION CONFERENCE
Hawaii’s Invasive Species Challenges
June 29-30, 2004 Honolulu, Hawaiÿi
Sponsored by the Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance
Welcome to the annual Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference: the largest gathering of people actively involved in the protection and management of Hawaii’s native species and ecosystems. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate interaction among resource managers and the scientific community. It is an opportunity to discuss and obtain up-to-date information on a variety of conservation activities in Hawaiÿi. It is also a time to see old friends, meet new colleagues and form new partnerships. We all have something to gain when we gather together to share experiences and ideas.
Still, someone asked me the other day what the expected outcomes of this conference are. So, for all of you who do better with graphics, here is our logic model:
Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
Increase Knowledge of the State of the Resource
Provide an Opportunity for Communication among Researchers and Resource Managers
Improve Collaboration to Facilitate Specific Conservation Outcomes
Provide the Basis for Science-Based Management Decisions
Improve Quality and Quantity of Native Ecosystems
We sincerely hope that this year’s conference meets and exceeds your expectations, and that it aides in the achievement of all our intended outcomes. Mahalo for your support and participation.
Conference Organizing Committee: Tonnie Casey, Kamehameha Schools Jennifer Crummer, U.S. Geological Survey David Duffy, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa Mele Fong, Maui Invasive Species Committee Betsy Gagné, Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife Claudia Hamblin-Katnik, Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance Stephanie Joe, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa Annie Marshall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Steve Miller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Christopher Puttock, Bishop Museum Jen Saufler, Tetra Tech Hawaiÿi Kristie Trousdale, Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance Ron Walker, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
i 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference MID-PACIFIC CONFERENCE CENTER
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Registration: Coral Lounge
Job Board: Coral Lounge
Plenary Session: Coral Ballroom IV
Concurrent Sessions:
June 29, 2004 – Tuesday
Concurrent “Draft Protocol for Evaluation of Exotic Plants In Hawaiÿi,” Coral Ballroom IV “Biodiversity: Including the Human Animal in Management Planning,” Coral Ballroom V
June 30, 2004 – Wednesday
Morning “Techniques for Small Mammal Control,” Coral Ballroom V Afternoon “Improving Detection of New Invasive Species in Hawaiÿi,” Coral Ballroom IV
Lunch: Coral Ballroom III
Poster Sessions: Coral Ballroom II. Posters will be available both days.
ii 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE 2004 HAWAIÿI CONSERVATION CONFERENCE...... i
MID-PACIFIC CONFERENCE CENTER...... ii
ACRONYMS...... 1
PROGRAM ...... 2
TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2004 ...... 2 TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2004 - LATE AFTERNOON...... 3
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004 ...... 5 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004 - AFTERNOON ...... 7
WEDNESDAY EVENING PUBLIC PRESENTATION ...... 9
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD...... 10
POSTER SESSION ...... 13
POSTER DIAGRAM IN CORAL BALLROOM II ...... 18
ABSTRACTS...... 19
HAWAII CONSERVATION ALLIANCE...... 51
PARTICIPANTS………………………………………………………………….……………..……………..………52
iii 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
ACRONYMS
BGSU Bowling Green State University BM, HBS Bishop Museum, Hawaiÿi Biological Survey CGAPS Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species CNMI, DFW Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands, Division of Forestry and Wildlife DLNR, DAR Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Aquatic Resources DLNR, DOFAW Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Forestry and Wildlife (New Zealand) DOC Department of Conservation DOH Hawaiÿi Department of Health EECB Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology FORT Fort Collins Science Center HDOA Hawaiÿi Department of Agriculture MISC Maui Invasive Species Committee MFBRP Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project NPS National Parks Service NPS, PACN National Parks Service, Pacific Information Network PCSU Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit TNCH The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiÿi UCB University of California at Berkeley UCSC University of California at Santa Cruz UHH University of Hawaiÿi at Hilo UHM University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa UHM, CTAHR University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources UHM, CCRT University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Center for Conservation Research and Training USDA, APHIS United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA, APHIS, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, WS, NWRC Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center USDA, FS, IPIF United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Island Forestry USDA, NRCS United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS, BRD United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Discipline USGS, BRD, FORT United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Discipline, Fort Collins Science Center USGS, BRD, PIERC United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Discipline, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center USGS, HAVO United States Geological Survey, Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park
1 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference PROGRAM, Tuesday, June 29, 2004
TIME LOCATION LOCATION A.M. PLENARY SESSION HELD IN CORAL BALLROOM IV 7:15-9:30 Registration 8:45–8:55 Welcome: Claudia Hamblin-Katnik, and Oli: Sam Gon III 8:55-9:15 The Honorable Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaiÿi, Introduced by Christopher Puttock (BM) 9:15 Keynote Speaker: Tim Low 10:00 “Invasion in Hawaiÿi: A Perspecitve from Australia” 10:00 Rob Anderson, U.S. Geological Survey 10:20 “Sharing Biocontrol Success Across the Pacific: Aotearoa and Hawaiÿi” 10:20 Peter Simmons and Tonnie Casey, Kamehameha Schools 10:45 “Genesis and Evolution of Management-Based Research at Kamehameha Schools” 10:45 – 11:10 BREAK CORAL BALLROOM IV CORAL BALLROOM V Moderator: Sharon Reilly (DU) Moderator: Peter Simmons (KS) 11:10 Steven Goldsmith, Austin College Christy Martin, CGAPS “Assessing Restoration of Hawaiian Montane “Island-Based Partnerships and Statewide Wet Forests: Frequency and Abundance of Coordination to Address Invasive Pests” Longhorned Beetles: a Food Source for the 11:30 Endangered ÿAkiapöläÿau” 11:30 Katerine Schletz, USGS, HAVO Jeff Burgett, USFW & Larry Lau, DOH “Experimental Evidence of Evolving Disease “West Nile Virus: Combined Efforts for Resistance in Low Elevation Hawaiÿi ÿAmakihi Conservation and Health” 11:50 From the Puna District, Hawaiÿi Island” 11:50 *Liba Pejchar, UCSC (Student) Randall Kennedy, DLNR “Home Range Size Varies with Habitat Type in “Watershed Partnerships: United Front on the ÿAkiapöläÿau: Implications for Koa Invasive Species” 12:10 Forestry” 12:10 Dominique Monie, USGS, HAVO Mark L. White, TNCH “In the Eyes of the Mosquito, All Birds are Not “Pacific Island Invasives Learning Network” 12:30 Created Equal” P.M. 12:30 – 1:50 LUNCH Moderator: Katherine Ewell (USFS) Moderator: Terrell Erickson (NRCS) 1:50 *Jan Dierking, UHM (Student) Ati Jeffers-Fabro, Hawaiÿi Nature Center “Alien or Alien Invasive: New Findings about the “Incorporating Restoration Techniques and Introduced Fish Roi (Cephalopholis argus) in Educational Activities to Save a Community and a 2:10 Hawaiÿi” Wetland: Pouhala Marsh Ecosystem Restoration and Community Development Project” 2:10 Cheryl King, Hawaiÿi Wildlife Fund *R. A. Englund, Bishop Museum (Student) “Threats of Invasive Plant and Animal Species to “Assessing the Spectrum of Threats: Impacts of Nesting Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys Invasive Freshwater Fish Species on Native 2:30 imbricata) and Hatchlings on the Island of Maui, HI” Hawaiian Aquatic Insects” 2:30 *Scott Godwin, BM (Student) Daniel Rubinoff, UHM “Maritime Activities as a Mechanism for Introducing “The Conservation and Evolution of Hawaii’s 2:50 Marine Invasive Species: A Hawaiÿi Case Study” Unusual Aquatic Moths (Hyposmocoma)” 2:50 *Rebecca Most, TNCH (Student) *Jakob Eijzenga, UHM (Student) “Assessing the Feasibility of Alien Algae “Identifying Key Predators of Hawaiian Stilt Control and Native Marine Ecosystem (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) Chicks” 3:10 Restoration in Hawaiÿi” 2 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference PROGRAM, June 29, 2004 - Late Afternoon
TIME CORAL BALLROOM IV CORAL BALLROOM V P.M. 3:10 – 3:40 BREAK Moderators: Julie Denslow (USFS) & Curt Daehler (UHM) Moderator: Maile Sakamoto (DOH) Draft Protocol for Evaluation of Exotic Plants "Biodiversity: Including the Human Animal in Management Planning" 3:40 This will be a presentation/discussion with speakers roughly following the 20 Workshop. The protocol will be presented. minute/session schedule. Discussion is 4:00 The group asks for your constructive encouraged. 4:00 comments. Julianna Rapu-Leong: Hawaiÿi Youth Conservation Corps. “Making the Student 4:20 Connection” 4:20 Michael Furuya, ÿÖhiÿa Productions “Communicating Ideas Through Art, Theatre 4:40 and Music” 4:40 Cal Hirai: Outside Hawaiÿi. (Oceanic Channel 16) “Telling Your Story Through the Visual 5:00 Media”
5:15 – 9:00 pm Poster Reception, Coral Ballroom II
Concurrent Descriptions: “Draft Protocol for Evaluation of Exotic Plants In Hawaiÿi “ Moderated by Julie Denslow & Curt Daehler With the support of the HCA, a working group has been developing a protocol to evaluate the ecological and economic impacts of exotic plants on native and managed ecosystems of Hawaiÿi. While modeled on similar protocols developed in California and Florida, the Hawaiÿi Exotic Plant Evaluation Protocol (HEPEP) will incorporate some important differences. It will take predictions from the Hawaiÿi-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment as a starting point and it will generate assessments of economic impacts on priority managed areas as well as assessments of ecological impacts on natural areas. The objective is to develop a method to produce a reliable, documented assessment of actual impacts of exotic plants in Hawaiÿi. Such evaluations would provide guidance to businesses, agencies, and landowners in their selection of plants for use in the landscape. The workshop will be an opportunity to review the draft protocol and provide input for subsequent revisions.
Hawaiÿi Exotic Plant Evaluation Committee (HEPEC) Members: Julie Denslow, US Forest Service; Curt Daehler, UHM, Botany Dept; Nilton.T.Matayoshi, HI Department of Agriculture; Linda Pratt, USGS; Lelan Nishek, Kauaÿi Landscape and Nursery; Robert Hobdy, DLNR, DOFAW (ret.); Richard Criley, UHM, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences; Pat Conant, HI Department of Agriculture; George Staples, Bishop Museum.
Others who have aided in the genesis of the Protocol: Alenka Remec, The Nature Conservancy, Mindy Wilkinson, DLNR, DOFAW; Anne Marie LaRosa, US Forest Service; and Claudia Hamblin-Katnik, Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance.
"Biodiversity: Including the Human Animal in Management Planning." As funding for programs becomes tighter, it becomes very important to consider the necessity of building a constituency that will voice support for the need of conservation management and research. Anyone who has worked in conservation education soon realizes that we do not know how to communicate
3 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference effectively with many segments of society apart from those who are already involved in this type of work. In order to achieve successful outreach of and support for conservation concerns, there needs to be diversified approaches with realistic funding to develop and sustain interest. Education specialists in conservation organizations and agencies usually comprise a very small percentage of the staff, so it is difficult for their voices to be heard.
This symposium presents professionals who work in a variety of communication fields including television, theater, and the visual arts who have all worked on projects involving conservation. They will discuss their professions, costs involved with particular media, and present pros/cons of working with conservation issues.
Speakers:
Julianna Rapu Leong, along with her husband, John, own the Pono Pacific land management company, and are the directors of the Youth Conservation Corps program.
Michael Furuya, ÿÖhiÿa Productions. Michael is the artistic director for ÿÖhiÿa Production, a local theater group. He is an award-winning illustrator for his work featuring native Hawaiian species.
Cal Hirai is the producer of “Outside Hawaiÿi,” a news magazine on Oceanic Cablevision that focuses on outdoor issues throughout the Pacific region.
4 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference PROGRAM, Wednesday, June 30, 2004
TIME CORAL BALLROOM IV CORAL BALLROOM V A.M. 7:30–9:00 Registration 8:30-8:40 Announcements Announcements Moderator: Bill Steiner (USGS) Moderator: Sam Gon III (TNC) 8:40 Alison Roberts, Pacific Whale Foundation *Naupaka Zimmerman, Harvard University “Density and Abundance of Short-Finned Pilot (Student) Previous HIP Student Whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and “Lowland Wet Forests in Hawaiÿi: Ecosystem Pantropical Spotted Dolphins (Stenella Dynamics and Impacts of Invasive Species” attenuata) in a Growing Tourist Area 9:00 Adjacent to Maui, HI” 9:00 *Nina Rothe Hawaiÿi Pacific University Patti Welton, Haleakalä NPS (Student) “Defoliation of Koa (Acacia koa) at “The Ecology and Impact of an Alien, Haleakalä National Park, Maui, Due to the Invasive Octocoral (Carijoa riisei) in HI” Vascular Wilt Fungus (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp koae) and/or the Endemic Moth, Scotorythra 9:20 paludicola?” 9:20 Kenneth Longenecker, Bishop Museum *Art Medeiros USGS (Student) “Assessment of Nonindigenous Species on “Phenology, Reproductive Potential, Seed Coral Reefs in the Hawaiian Islands, with Dispersal, and Seedling Establishment of Three Emphasis on Introduced Invertebrates” Invasive Plant Species in a Hawaiian Rain 9:40 Forest” 9:40 John Zardus, Kewalo Marine Lab *Charles Chimera, UHM (Student) HCA Grant “Bird-Facilitated Dispersal of the Invasive Tree “Genetic Tracks of the Invasion of Hawaiÿi by Bocconia (Bocconia frutescens) in an 10:00 an Atlantic Barnacle” Hawaiian Dry Forest” 10:00 – 10:30 BREAK Moderator: Karen Poiani (TNC) Moderator: Darcy Hu (NPS) 10:30 *Nämaka Whitehead, UHM (Student) Previous Bill D. Sparklin, Maui Forest Bird Recovery HIP Intern, HCA Grant Project “E Nihi Ka Helena: Conservation, Ecology, “The Effectiveness of Rat Control Measures and Native Hawaiian Traditional within Portions of Hanawï Natural Area
Environmental Knowledge of Wild-Plant Reserve, Maui, HI”
Gathering and Associated Management 10:50 Practices” 10:50 Mark Fornwall, USGS TECHNIQUES FOR SMALL MAMMAL CONTROL “Biodiversity and Ecosystems Informatics: A Moderators: Bridge Between Research and Conservation Darcy Hu (NPS) and Jennifer Crummer (DU)
Management” Katie Swift (USFWS) & Michael Matsukawa (HDOA) “Bait Stations for Dummies: An Update and
Review of Rodent Control in Conservation
11:10 Areas” 11:10 Christopher Puttock, Bishop Museum Jeff Burgett (USFWS) & Kathleen Misajon (NPS) 11:30 “Plants for Riparian Restoration” “Tests of Predator-proof Fence Designs in HI” 11:30 Rogelio Ernesto Doratt, USDA, NWRC Gordon Rodda (USGS, Ft Collins) “Evaluating Environmental Moisture Levels May “Development of Multi-species Barriers” Lead to Greater Success in Controlling Coqui Frogs 11:50 (Eleutherodactylus coqui) with Citric Acid” 11:50 – 1:15 LUNCH CORAL BALLROOM III
5 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
Symposium Description:
UPDATES ON TECHNIQUES FOR INVASIVE MAMMAL CONTROL
The goal of this symposium is to disseminate information on current mammal control techniques, research, and regulatory requirements. Sessions will include an overview of predator exclusionary fencing, live trap technologies, research on attractants, and basic sharing of working knowledge. Additionally, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hawaiÿi Department of Agriculture will review the new rules regulating use of bait stations in conservation areas.
Conservation agencies in Australia and New Zealand have extensive experience developing fence designs for the exclusion of predatory mammals and have applied such designs to large-scale areas. Two pilot projects on the Big Island have tested the application of such designs in Hawaii’s environmental and biological conditions. An overview of these tests will be presented, along with a discussion of costs, special considerations for Hawaiÿi, and lessons and suggestions from fence design testing in the Mariana Islands.
Other presentations will preview new technologies for remotely monitoring live traps, attractants for drawing in low-density populations of mongooses, trials to test fence designs for mouflon and then minimize the impact of these upper-elevation fences to inland-nesting seabird populations, and a case study of the practical field application of predator control techniques. While this is by no means a complete summary of mammal control work in Hawaii’s conservation areas, it is intended to expand information sharing related to mammal control work, and to initiate a network to advance the control of invasive predators.
For a description of each presentation and contact information please see Abstracts.
6 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference PROGRAM, June 30, 2004 - Afternoon
TIME CORAL BALLROOM IV CORAL BALLROOM V P.M. Moderator: Bryan Harry (NPS) Moderator: Darcy Hu (NPS) Continued 1:15 Kathleen Friday, USDA Forest Service Howard Hoshide (NPS) & Roberta Swift (NPS) “Economic Impacts of Albizia (Falcataria “Options for Mouflon Fences and Testing 1:20 1:35 moluccana) on Infrastructure” Designs for Seabird Impacts “ 1:35 William D. Evanson, DLNR Steve Hess (USGS) “Managing Visitor Use in Protected Areas: “Development of New Trap Technology” ÿÄhihi-Kïnaÿu Natural Area Reserve and 1:55 Keoneÿöÿio – Paying for the Price of Paradise” 1:55 Creighton M. Litton, CSUF Will C. Pitt (USDA, NWRC) “Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum) “Potential Attractants, Lures, and Bait Affects Ecosystem Function in an Hawaiian Substrates for Introduced Mongooses 2:15 Dry Forest” (Herpestes auropunctatus) in Hawaiÿi” 2:15 David E. Gee II, Guam Dept. of Agriculture Dave Smith, DLNR, DOFAW “Recent Caribbean Tree Frog Introductions “Rat Eradication on Mokoliÿi Islet, Oÿahu, 2:20 2:35 from Hawaiÿi to Guam” Hawaiÿi” 2:35 – 3:05 BREAK PLENARY SESSION HELD IN CORAL BALLROOM IV Moderator: Claudia Hamblin-Katnik (HCA) 3:05 Don Hemmes for Peter Johnston, Hawaiÿi – New Zealand Exchange Program “Fungi and Site Restoration” 3:25 3:25-4:50 Early Detection and Rapid Response for Invasive Species Panel Discussion, Lloyd Loope, Moderator Gordon Rodda, USGS, BRD, FORT and Earl Campbell, USFWS, Introductory Remarks Haldre Rogers, USGS, BRD, FORT, “Brown Treesnakes” Greg Olmsted, Hawaiÿi DOH, “West Nile Virus in Hawaiÿi” Teya Penneman, MISC, “Incipient Plants on Maui “ TBD, Queensland DPIF, “Red Imported Fire Ant in Queensland, Australia “ Susan Timmins, New Zealand DOC, “Efforts in New Zealand” 4:50 Closing 5:00 Pau
“Early Detection and Rapid Response for Invasive Species” The capacity for addressing priority invasive species has increased dramatically over the past 7 years since the inception of the Invasive Species Committees. Eradication is recognized as the most cost effective, long-term solution for control of new introductions or newly established pests and for many of these ecosystem modifying and economically significant pests control is vital. Methods such as the Hawaiÿi- Pacific Weed Risk Assessment exist to evaluate the potential invasiveness of individual species and a “watch list” or “action list” can be developed from such an analysis. While early detection is clearly a key element in successful eradication programs, catching species when their population levels are low enough to effectively implement this solution has proved problematic. This is due, in part, to the difficulty in locating small, locally rare populations. A recent discussion regarding improving Hawaii’s early detection capabilities identified several new potential programs as models for a more pro-active and responsive detection network. These include: a consolidated inter-agency database for sightings and response actions; an improved outreach system to increase the reporting of new species; and two demonstration 7 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference projects for the early detection of selected plant and invertebrate pests. Standard protocols for detecting new plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate pests are key to the success of efforts such as these. The goal of this workshop is to build on the experience of biologists in detecting rare species or events and to identify a general strategy for the three previously mentioned taxonomic groups.
Panel Participants: Gordon Rodda is a Research Scientist for the U.S.Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center working both in Fort Collins and on the island of Guam. He is a herpetologist who has conducted research on a broad range of reptile species. He has been one of the primary individuals conducting research related to the biology and control of the brown treesnake. He is recognized as an expert in surveying and sampling of vertebrates.
Haldre Rogers is a Coordinator of the Brown Treesnake Rapid Response team. She works for the U.S.Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center on the island of Guam. The Rapid Response Team consists of specifically trained biologists and quarantine officers working within US-associated Pacific Islands. Haldre has designed the training course and conducts training. The Rapid Response Team has already responded to several snake sightings in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Greg Olmsted is the Chief of the Vector Control Branch of the Hawaiÿi Department of Health. He has previously worked in other parts of the Hawaiÿi Department of Health and has worked in vector control in the Midwest. Greg recently became the Chief of the Vector Control Branch and has been centrally involved in planning for the State of Hawaii's response to potential detection of West Nile Virus. His efforts have been instrumental in insuring that the State can respond quickly to this potential threat.
Teya Penniman is the Manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. The Maui Invasive Species Committee is a partnership of public, private, and non-profit entities banded together to combat invasive species that threaten Maui's environment, economy, and quality of life. She has been a seabird biologist and an environmental journalist. She is an attorney and mediator.
Susan Timmins is a Plant Ecologist for the Science and Research Unit of New Zealand Department of Conservation. New Zealand is at the forefront of invasive plant management worldwide. Susan is one of the architects of current weed management efforts in conservation areas in New Zealand. She is currently focusing on: (1) surveillance of new weeds, (2) monitoring of on-going weed control programs, and (3) conducting comparisons of site and species based weed control programs in DOC lands.
Lloyd Loope is a Research Scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center. His 24 years devoted to conservation biology on Maui, based at Haleakalä National Park, have taught him the urgent need to improve strategies for prevention and rapid response for biological invasions. He hopes to assist with development of statewide interagency collaboration in early detection of high-impact invaders.
Earl Campbell is the Invasive Species Division Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Field Office. He has worked on invasive species issues on oceanic islands since the mid-1980s when he began assessing the impact that roof rats have on endangered Virgin Island Tree Boas and their prey on Antillean Cays. He subsequently conducted research on the biology and control of introduced snakes, rats, and frogs on oceanic islands in several sites. His current goal is to develop capacity to deal with invasive species on oceanic islands.
8 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference WEDNESDAY EVENING PUBLIC PRESENTATION
Wednesday, June 30th, 2004
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom IV
Free and open to the public
7:30 p.m.
Tim Low
“Alien Species, Trade and War”
Tim Low is a biologist and author of six books about nature and conservation, including Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia's Exotic Invaders (1999), published in Australia by Penguin, and published internationally (in 2003) by the University of Chicago Press. Feral Future was reviewed in New Scientist and featured in Time magazine (Australia). It was listed as a best-seller in New Scientist (Australia). It inspired the formation of a new conservation group, the Invasive Species Council, the first non-governmental organization (NGO) of its kind in the world. Three of Tim's books have won Australian national awards, and the most recent, The New Nature, was listed as number one best seller in New Scientist (Australia), and listed by Who magazine (Australia) as one of the books of the year. Since 1986 Tim has written a column in Nature Australia, Australia's leading nature magazine. He has also written columns for four other publications. When he is not writing he works as an environmental consultant, surveying fauna and flora and advising about weed problems. He has sat on various government pest committees, and has spoken at international conferences on invasive species in Mexico and South Africa. He is much in demand as a speaker in Australia, and he is regularly interviewed about pest issues by journalists. He has discovered two new lizard species, one of which he named and the other which is named after him.
Books available at www.amazon.com Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia’s Exotic Invaders, ISBN 0 14 029825 8, Penguin Books The New Nature, ISBN 0 14 300194 9, Penguin Books
9 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 2004 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
These persons have excelled by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest thereby making distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their positions. These individuals embody the spirit of hope, the dedication of purpose, and the tenacity of firm belief that our native ecosystems are a valued component of our heritage, and our gift to Hawaii’s children.
Past Distinguished Service Award Winners:
1997: Clifford Smith, National Parks Service
Cliff Smith directed the National Park Service Cooperative Parks Study Unit (CPSU) at the University of Hawaiÿi, Mänoa from its beginnings in the early ‘70s, through its transition to a USGS Pacific Cooperative Study Unit in the 90s, and until his retirement in the mid-90s. Cliff gradually led this CPSU to be the finest in the U.S. system of Cooperative Study Units. In recognition of this he received the Department of the Interior Distinguished Service Award—the highest recognition granted by the Department.
Of greater importance, under Cliff’s guidance the CPSU developed a massive knowledge base of strategic management techniques to thwart invasive alien biota from destroying native island ecosystems in the Pacific. Cooperatively with National Park managers, the CPSU invented, tested, and refined a wide array of strategies to remove invasive aliens and restore native species and systems. He plotted experimental designs for CPSU students and scientists to experiment in the parks, assured wide publication of the results, and incorporated the current management knowledge into the UH natural resources curricula. Today, publications of the UH Unit are the intellectual basis for protecting and restoring native ecosystems.
Cliff steered the CPSU into uncharted waters by forming partnerships to construct, license, and operate the biocontrol quarantine station at Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park. He began active alien plant control through the units that have now evolved into the “ISCs.” These units are now active on all the main islands. His easy rapport with national park managers assured that effective and timely actions were taken to preserve park native ecosystems. These methods have now become standard practice throughout islands in the Pacific.
1998: Don Reeser, Superintendent, Haleakalä National Park
Don Reeser has been an aggressive leader inventing and demonstrating hands-on resource management techniques to preserve and restore native ecosystems in Pacific islands for more than three decades. In the late 60s and early 70s, as a young ranger/naturalist at Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park, Don was dissatisfied that the annual elimination of thousands of goats had no effect upon the park’s goat populations. He began small fenced exclosure experiments to determine how to control goat populations. At the time, this was a novel concept. Don discovered that it was possible to construct barrier fences to prevent ‘outside’ goats from re-entering areas where he had removed entire goat populations. Initially he kept marauding goats (and later pigs) from only a few acres—but the concept was born. From what then were merely a few goat-free acres--now are 50,000 or more such ungulate-free acres at both Hawaiÿi Volcanoes and Haleakalä National Parks.
Don not only invented the ‘barrier-fence’ technique of keeping goats/pigs out of areas to protect native ecosystems, but he also changed the National Park Service measure of success from the number of alien animals killed in a park to the number of acres free of alien animal populations in a park. The restoration of native ecosystems and the protection of the park’s native biodiversity is the true worthy goal of resource management in these parks.
10 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Don’s innovative philosophy is now the standard in the National Park Service nation wide. Professional resource management units within national parks, pioneered by Don, are now standard throughout the nation’s parks. Don’s inventive resource management techniques and philosophy have been widely copied world-wide.
1999: Charles H. Lamoureux: Former Professor of Botany at the University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa and Director of the Lyon Arboretum The late Charles Lamoureux had more than 40 years of intimacy with Hawaiian natural history. In the mid 1960s he developed a formal course "Natural History of the Hawaiian Islands" for the University of Hawaiÿi that he and a colleague from the Zoology Department taught with saturated enrollments for about the next 35 years. As Director of Lyon Arboretum (1992-2000) he was directly involved with promotion of all aspects of conservation, including the important micropropagation facility for which the Arboretum has received much international attention. Although he made important contributions to conservation causes in the form of his own publications, e.g., his award winning "Trailside Plants of Hawaii's National Parks," his influence on and input to the publications of other authors are probably of equal or greater significance. Over the years Charlie served on countless committees and working groups focused on conservation issues at all levels in the political (and biological) hierarchy. In July of 2001 Charlie was posthumously awarded the Award of Merit from the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arborta. The Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden posthumously presented him with the 2001 Robert Allerton Award to acknowledge his "lifetime achievements and myriad contributions to tropical botany and horticulture."
2000: Lloyd Loope: Research Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Haleakalä Field Station, Haleakalä National Park Lloyd Loope has been a botanist (with National Park Service and later US Geological Survey) working in the Hawaiian natural areas for the past 3 decades. During that time he has become the most effective scientist-champion in developing and pursuing practical strategies to protect native island ecosystems from invasive and destructive alien biota. Lloyd has long been the principal scientist and advocate confronting and convincing managers to concentrate on key invasive species which pose the highest risk-- and remove them entirely at the time of their earliest arrival when small populations are the most vulnerable. He has been the leader and stalwart scientist in demanding effective interception if invasive alien species before they arrive, of attacking first arrivals immediately with aggressive swat teams, and awakening us to the huge threat of invertebrates—particularly alien ants.
Lloyd is tireless in this quest to protect native ecosystems from destruction by alien invaders—through research, scientific publication, public involvement, and counsel and advice to active natural area managers. A few examples of his knowledgeable persuasion include the delay in expanding the Kahului Airport runway unless effective quarantine inspections are employed; early detection and complete removal of rabbit populations at their first discovery in Haleakalä; his analytical warnings and evaluation of Miconia invasion into Hawaiÿi; and his help in establishing the Hawaiÿi Ecosystems At Risk (HEAR) website.
Lloyd is a constant and skillful member of the group who are actively managing to protect Pacific island native ecosystems from destruction by invasive alien species.
2001: Nancy Glover: Former Senior Program Officer, Secretariat for Conservation Biology Nancy Glover began working for the Secretariat for Conservation Biology, now known as the Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance (HCA), in 1996. Under her leadership, the HCA diversified its sources of funding and its agenda to undertake natural resource valuation, environmental education, and strategic discussions of conservation strategy, while continually improving the interdisciplinary workshops and conferences that have become its hallmark. Nancy built the annual Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference from an important local forum for scientists and managers to a major regional event that attracts people from across the country and around the Pacific Rim as well. The meeting grew to twice its original size and more during Nancy's tenure.
11 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Nancy shepherded the HCA into new priority areas. Perhaps the best example is Mälama Hawaiÿi, which has grown into an outstanding, self-sustaining entity that empowers local communities to play a major role in conservation. Nancy took particular interest in bringing economists into the conservation/management dialogue, and she also began the process of working with the marine conservation community to build a forum similar to the HCA for bringing scientists, managers, and stakeholders closer together.
Nancy also strongly supported the University of Hawaii's Hawaiian Internship Program, recognizing the need to involve more native Hawaiians in the conservation of our natural resources. Her long involvement with the Waimänalo Community, where she lived, focused on not only environmental issues, especially water quality and watershed management, but also community development and community health. 2002: Sheila Conant Sheila Conant’s career in ecology and conservation in Hawaiÿi has spanned over 30 years. Her research focus is on Hawaiian birds and her list of publications on their ecology, evolution, conservation and management is astounding. In addition, her tireless community service, public lectures, assistance in creating GK-12 curriculum and other educational materials, as well as her dedicated work with her graduate students, has influenced many aspects of conservation throughout the state. Sheila has also played a major hand in landing sizable grants and contracts to further numerous conservation efforts here.
Her list of awards and accomplishments is impressive and extensive, as is her list of inspired and successful students. Sheila served as the Chair of the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Specialization at the University of Hawaiÿi from 1999-2001, and as Chair of the Department of Zoology from 2001 to the present. 2003: Kenneth Kaneshiro
In 1985 Ken Kaneshiro helped found the Hawaiÿi Evolutionary Biology Project. From this project he worked with colleagues to launch the University of Hawaii's graduate program in EECB (Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology), of which he was chair between 1991 and 1999. He also aided in the establishment of the Secretariat for Conservation Biology, now known as the Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance. In 1993 with funding from the state and federal governments and the MacArthur Foundation, Ken started CCRT (Center for Conservation, Research and Training) at the University of Hawaiÿi. For many years he has been one of the driving forces behind these projects, and has secured generous funding for them every year.
Ken also has a talent for bringing people together to start new projects or solve problems. Witness the Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference, which brings together natural resource managers and scientists who are devoted to the conservation of Hawaii's unique biota and ecosystems. The University's EECB graduate program has probably done more outreach in Kindergarten – Grade 12 science education (through a National Science Foundation Grant penned by Ken) than all the other science departments combined. He has served conservation quietly in many ways and for many years.
12 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference POSTER SESSION
1. RESTORATION AT MOAÿULANUI ON THE ISLAND OF KAHO’OLAWE. Lyman L. Abbott, Jamie Bruch, Andre Perez, Derek Mar, Jr. and Paul Higashino. Kahoÿolawe Island Reserve Commission, 811 Kolu St. Suite 201, Wailuku, Hawaiÿi 96793
2. NATIVE TREE REGENERATION FOLLOWING ERADICATION OF INVASIVE KÄHILI GINGER (Hedychium Gardnerianum) IN HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, 1998-2003. David M. Benitez1 and Rhonda Loh2 1PCSU, UHH, PO Box 52, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, 96718. 2NPS, Division of Resources Management, PO Box 52, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, 96718.
3. RESTORATION AT PUÿUOKALI LAVA FLOWS, SOUTHWESTERN HALEAKALÄ, MAUI WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO Kokia cookei OUTPLANTINGS. Erica Von Allmen,1,2 Nellie Sugii,3 Tamara Sherrill,4 Anna Palamino,5 Art Medeiros1 1USGS, BRD, PIERC, Haleakala¯ Field Station, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 2PCSU, UHM, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, 3190 Maile Way, Rm. 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Harold Lyon Arboretum, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3860 Mänoa Rd. Honolulu, HI 96822 4Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, PO Box 6040, Kahului, HI 96733 5Hoÿolawa Farm, PO Box 731, Haÿikü, HI 96708
4. A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF A NEWLY-ARRIVED INVASIVE BRUCHID (Specularis impressithorax) IN HAWAIÿI: AN IMPORTANT SEED PARASITE OF THE NATIVE WILIWILI (Erthyrina sandwicensis).
*Arthur C. Medeiros,1 Mach Fukada,3 Erica Von Allmen,1,2 Alan Samuelson,4 Forest Starr,1 Kim Starr1 1USGS, BRD, PIERC, Haleakalä Field Station, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 2PCSU, UHM, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, 3190 Maile Way, Rm. 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3HDOA, Division of Plant Industry, Biological Control Section, 635 Mua St., Kahului HI 96732-2322 4Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
5. STABILIZATION OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES AT HALEAKALÄ NATIONAL PARK. Matt Schultz,1 Regan Ritchie,1 Patti Welton,2 Rick Parry,1 Bill Haus,2 Steve Anderson2 1PCSU, PO Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768 2Haleakalä National Park, Vegetation Management, Resource Management Division, PO Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768
6. ARTHROPODS AS A FOOD RESOURCE FOR FOREST BIRDS: A COMPARISON ALONG AN ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT. Robert Peck,1,2 Paul Banko,1 Patrick Hart,1,2 and Bethany Woodworth1 1USGS, PIERC, Kïlauea Field Station, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2PCSU, UHM, 3190 Maile Way, Rm 408, Honolulu, HI 96822
7. ECONOMIC VALUATION METHODS TO ESTIMATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL LOSSES FROM INVASIVE SPECIES. *Kimberly Burnett1, Carol Ferguson1, Donna Lee2 1Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 1910 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 2Food and Resource Economics Department, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0240
13 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 8. POTENTIAL HABITAT OF THE COQUI FROG (Eleutherodactylus coqui) IN HAWAIÿI. *Amber Wright1 and Mindy Wilkinson2 1Center for Population Biology, Section of Evolution and Ecology, University of California at Davis, CA 95616 2DLNR, DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
9. THE OÿAHU GENETIC SAFETY NET RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. Susan N. Ching Harbin,1 Maya L. LeGrande,1 Marie Bruegmann,2 and Vickie Caraway3 1Oÿahu Genetic Safety Net, 2551 Waimano Home Rd. Room #202, Pearl City, HI 96782 2USFWS, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Honolulu, HI 968 3DLNR, DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
10. GPS AND GIS USE IN RARE PLANT SURVEYS AT PÖHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HAWAIÿI ISLAND. Steven A. Evans and Lena D. Schnell U.S. Army Garrison, Pöhakuloa Training Area, PO Box 4607, Hilo, HI 96720-0607
11. Withdrawn
12. SLINKY FENCE. Bryon Stevens DLNR, DOFAW, Maui Branch, Natural Area Reserves System, 54 South High Street #101, Wailuku HI, 96793
13. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVASIVE SPECIES INVENTORIES AND ‘VITAL SIGNS’ MONITORING. Fritz Klasner,1 Darcy Hu,2 Gordon Dicus1 1NPS, Pacific Island Network, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2NPS, Pacific West Regional Office Honolulu, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718
14. MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF LAVA TUBE CAVE ROOTS USING MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES. Shelley James,1,2 Frank Howarth,2 Chris Puttock,1 Wendy McDowell,3 and Clyde Imada2 1Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu HI 96817 2Hawaiÿi Biological Survey, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu HI, 96817 3Department of Botany, UHM, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu HI, 96822
15. PROJECTED EFFECTS OF AN ALIEN PLANT INVASION ON AN ENDANGERED NORTHWEST HAWAIIAN ISLANDS PASSERINE BIRD, THE LAYSAN FINCH (Telespiza cantans). *Andrew McClung Department of Zoology and Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB), University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822
16. RAPD ANALYSES OF THE HAWAIIAN ENDEMIC COTTON (Gossypium tomentosum Nutt. ex Seem.) REVEAL UNEXPECTED LEVELS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY. Alison R. Sherwood1 and Clifford W. Morden1,2 1Department of Botany, UHM, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822 2Center for Conservation Research and Training, UHM, Honolulu, HI 96822
17. BASELINE VEGETATION SURVEYS IN THE KONA FOREST SECTION OF THE HAKALAU FOREST NWR. Kealiÿi Bio1, 2, Donna Ball3, Jeff Burgett4, James D. Jacobi1, and Jack Jeffrey3 1USGS, BRD, PIERC, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 2PCSU, UHM, 3190 Maile Way, Room 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3USFWS, Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hilo, HI 4USFWS, Ecological Services, Honolulu, HI
14 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 18. DESIGNING FOREST BIRD SURVEYS TO DETECT POPULATION TRENDS: SURVEYS OF WINDWARD HAWAIÿI (1977-2003). Marcos Gorresen,1,2 Richard J. Camp,1,2 Bethany L. Woodworth1 and Thane K. Pratt1 1USGS, BRD, PIERC, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2PCSU, UHM, 3190 Maile, St. John 408, Honolulu, HI 96822
19. HAWAIÿI PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESTORATION. Craig Rowland1, Terrell Erickson2, Brian Hunter3, Randall Kennedy4, Piÿikea Miller5 1USFWS, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, PO Box 50088, Honolulu, HI, 96850 2USDA, NRCS, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 4-118, PO Box 50004, Honolulu, HI, 96850 3 DOH, 919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 301, Honolulu, HI, 96814 4DLNR, 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 224, Honolulu, HI, 96813 5Hawaiÿi Community Foundation, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 800, Honolulu, HI, 96813
20. HAWAIÿI PARNTERSHIPS FOR RESTORATION, Continued
21. INSECT INVASIONS, COLLECTIONS, AND APPROACHES: A NSF-SPONSORED RESEARCH COORDINATION NETWORK. George Roderick, Rosemary Gillespie, Paul Krushelnycky, and Elin Claridge Berkeley Natural History Museums and Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, 201 Wellman Hall, University of California at Berkeley, CA 94720-3112
22. PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH, MANAGEMENT, AND NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITIES TO CONTROL INVASIVE COQUI FROGS (Eleutherodactylus coqui). Bethany Dengler-Germain1, Laura Driscoll1, and Shayne Veriato2 1USDA, APHIS, WS, NWRC, PO Box 10880, Hilo, HI 96721 2USDA, APHIS, WS, PO Box 10880, Hilo, HI 96721
23. BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CONSERVATION AGENCIES THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. Kühea Paracuelles PCSU, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718
24. Withdrawn
25. AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY FOR HAWAIIAN PLANT CONSERVATION. Marie M. Bruegmann USFWS, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3122, Honolulu, HI 96813
26. HERBIVORES ON ISLANDS: HOW WILL THEIR ERADICATION IMPACT AN INVADED ECOSYSTEM? *Heather Eijzenga Botany Department, UHM, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
27. KALIJ PHEASANT (Lophura leucomelanos) SEED DISPERSAL AND PREDATION IN A MESIC FOREST. *Katherine Postelli,1,2,3,4 Jen McBroom,2 Darcy Hu,4 and Thane K. Pratt1 1USGS, BRD, PIERC, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2PCSU, UHM, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, 3190 Maile Way, Rm. 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Department of Botany, EECB, UHM, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822 4NPS, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718-0052
28. INVASION IN TARO LOÿI: ISSUES FOR FARMERS AND ENDANGERED WILDLIFE. *Kimberly J. Uyehara,1 Terrell Erickson,2 and Michael Robotham3 1Department of Natural Resources, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
15 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 2USDA, NRCS, Prince Kühiö Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 4-118, PO Box 50004, Honolulu, HI 96850 3USDA, NRCS, Tropical Technical Consortium, Sherman Laboratory, Room 240, 1910 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
29. HAWAIÿI CONSERVATION ALLIANCE Kristie Trousdale and Claudia Hamblin-Katnik Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance, 3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 409, Honolulu, HI 96822
30. CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING HIGH NATURAL QUALITY STREAMS IN HAWAIÿI. Betsy H. Gagné DLNR, DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
31. REEVALUATING ARTHROPOD EXTINCTIONS: REDISCOVERIES OF HAWAIIAN LEAF-ROLLER MOTHS IN THE GENUS Omiodes (CRAMBIDAE). *William P. Haines Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, CTHAR, UHM, Gilmore 310, Honolulu, HI 96822
32. THE PACIFIC BASIN INFORMATION NODE: AN EXAMPLE OF APPLYING BIODIVERISTY AND ECOSYSTEM INFORMATICS TO COMBAT INVASIVE SPECIES. Rhyn Davies2, Derek Masaki2 and Mark Fornwall1, 1USGS, Pacific Basin Information Node, 310 Kaÿahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 2University of Hawaiÿi, Pacific Basin Information Node, 310 Kaÿahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732
33. THE STATE OF HAWAIÿI AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PLAN Bruce Casler The Nature Conservancy in Hawaiÿi, 923 Nuÿuanu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817
34. TWO INSECT NATURAL ENEMIES OF MICONIA IN COSTA RICA. Edgar Rojas, Kenji Nishida, Pablo Allen, Luis Madrigal, Eduardo Chacon, Emilio Castro, Gerardo Rojas and Paul Hanson Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, Costa Rica
35. HIGH NUMBERS OF INVASIVE SPECIES IN OÿAHU’S INTERTIDAL ZONE. Erin P. Baumgartner,1 *Chela J. Zabin,2 Education Laboratory School class of 20063 1Curriculum Research & Development Group, 1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822 2Zoology Department, UHM, Edmondson Hall, 2538 The Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Education Laboratory School, 1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822
36. IDENTIFYING STORAGE POTENTIAL FOR SEEDS OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN PLANT SPECIES. Lauren Weisenberger, Alvin Yoshinaga Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, 3860 Mänoa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
37. EFFECTS OF PREDATOR CONTROL MEASURES AND NESTING SUBSTRATE ON NEST PREDATION, EAST MAUI, HAWAIÿI. Bill D. Sparklin,¹ Chris N. Brosius,¹ John P. Vetter,¹ and Kirsty J. Swinnerton¹ ¹Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, 2465 Olinda Road, Makawao, HI 96768.
38. REDISCOVERY AND UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF HIGH-ELEVATION HALEAKALÄ GROUND BEETLES. *Paul D. Krushelnycky1, Rosemary G. Gillespie1, Lloyd L. Loope2 and James K. Liebherr3 1Division of Insect Biology, Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, Wellman Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720. 2USGS, BRD, Haleakalä Field Station, P.O. Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768. 3Department of Entomology, John H. & Anna B. Comstock Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0901.
16 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 39. The Effect of Residential and Agricultural Runoff on the Microbiology of a Hawaiian AHUPUAÿA: MOLECULAR MICROBIAL ECOLOGY OF WATER SYSTEMS. *Kiana Frank, HCA Award winner at the 2004 Hawaiÿi State Science and Engineering Fair.
Kiana took this project to the recent Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Portland, Ore. Where she was the overall winner in the Environmental Science Category, receiving a $5,000 scholarship as the grand prize, an Intel Centrino Mobile notebook computer and $1,000 grants for her school and the state Science and Engineering Fair. She also took the first place award of $3,000 in the Environmental Science Category.
Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiÿi
40. THE HÖÿIKE O HALEAKALÄ CURRICULUM: A MODEL FOR STATEWIDE EDUCATION ON INVASIVE SPECIES ISSUES? Shannon Wianecki,1 Jeff Bagshaw,2 Elizabeth Anderson,3 and Elizabeth Speith4 1Höi’ke o Haleakala¯ Curriculum, PO Box 790666, Päÿia, HI 96779 2Haleakala¯ National Park, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 3Maui Invasive Species Committee, PO Box 983, Makawao, Maui, Hawaii 96768 4USGS, Box 196, 310 West Ka'ahumanu Ave., Kahului (Maui), HI 96732
17 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference POSTER DIAGRAM IN CORAL BALLROOM II
1. Lyman L. Abbott 11. Withdrawn 21. George Roderick 31. William P. Haines 2. David M. Benitez 12. Bryon Stevens 22. B. Dengler-Germain 32. Rhyn Davies 3. Erica Von Allmen 13. Fritz Klasner 23. Kühea Paracuelles 33. Bruce Casler 4. Arthur Medeiros 14. Shelley James 24. Withdrawn 34. Edgar Rojas 5. Matt Schultz 15. Andrew McClung 25. Marie M. Bruegmann 35. Erin P. Baumgartner 6. Robert Peck 16. Alison R. Sherwood 26. Heather Eijzenga 36. L. Weisenberger 7. Kimberly Burnett 17. Kealiÿi Bio 27. Katherine Postelli 37. Bill D. Sparklin 8. Amber Wright 18. Marcos Gorresen 28. Kimberly J. Uyehara 38. Paul Krushelnycky 9. S. Ching Harbin 19. Craig Rowland 29. HCA 39. Kiana Frank 10. Steven A. Evans 20. C.R. Continued 30. Betsy H. Gagné 40. Shannon Wianecki 18 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference ABSTRACTS
Lyman L. Abbott, Jamie Bruch, Andre Perez, Derek Mar, Jr. and Paul Higashino
Kahoÿolawe Island Reserve Commission, 811 Kolu St. Suite 201, Wailuku, HI 96793
RESTORATION AT MOAÿULANUI ON THE ISLAND OF KAHOÿOLAWE. The island of Kahoÿolawe was used as a bombing range for 50 years and access control has recently been given back to the state of Hawaiÿi. Severe erosion has taken place over the last 200 years, due to the presence of ungulates and the military. The Kahoÿolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) has received a two-year grant from the Department of Health (DOH) Clean Water Branch, to restore an area of 50 ha on the summit at Moaÿulanui. Best Management Practices (BMP’s) are currently being implemented and include irrigation and planting native species, soil amendments, mulching, construction of wind breaks, swales, and check dams, hummock restoration, and hydroseeding. Plantings include the native trees, wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis), koaiÿa (Acacia koaia), kuluÿï (Nototrichium sandwicense), and lama (Diospyros sandwicensis), the native shrubs ÿaÿaliÿi (Dodonaea viscosa), ÿäweoweo (Chenopodium oahuense), alaheÿe (Psydrax odorata), and ÿülei (Osteomeles anthylidifolia), the native vine päÿü o hiÿiaka (Jacquemontia ovalifolia), and the native grasses pili (Heteropogon contortus), käwelu (Eragrostis variabilis) and kämanomano (Cenchrus agrimonioides). The project will be complete in September 2005, and will produce a non-point source pollution brochure, and a final report to the DOH. Volunteer hours (19,200 hours) are being utilized and are part of the in-kind contributions incorporated into the DOH grant. Through the efforts of the restoration staff and volunteers, the summit of Kahoÿolawe has begun to shift from a predominantly non-native biota, into a native dry forest ecosystem.
Rob Anderson
U. S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, 3190 Maile Way, Rm 408, Honolulu, HI 96822
SHARING BIOCONTROL SUCCESS ACROSS THE PACIFIC: AOTEAROA AND HAWAIÿI. Isolated by thousands of miles of ocean, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Hawaiÿi are two gems of the Pacific with unique floras and faunas that are found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, several ecosystems of these island groups have been severely impacted by invasive alien weeds. For the worst of these weeds, chemical and mechanical control is impractical over large or remote areas, and is not a long-term solution. For these weeds, biological control is considered to be a long-term solution when other methods are only effective and practical in small-scale efforts. Biocontrol programs aimed at restoring missing natural-enemy relationships of several invasive weeds found in both locations are currently underway. These programs have worked with varying degrees of success and share many of the same challenges involved in the testing, production, release, and monitoring of biocontrol agents. One project that has recently been shown to be successful in Hawaiÿi is the kähili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum) biocontrol project. A member of the “World’s 100 Worst Alien Species”, kähili ginger is invasive in many environments of both Aotearoa and Hawai‘i. Different regions of Aotearoa were visited to assess the possibilities of a technology transfer of the kähili ginger biocontrol project. This invaluable opportunity to exchange knowledge and information about the successes and challenges of this and other biocontrol projects with managers and scientists in Aotearoa was made possible by the Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance and Landcare Research New Zealand, Ltd.
*Erin P. Baumgartner,1 *Chela J. Zabin,2 Education Laboratory School class of 20063
1Curriculum Research & Development Group, 1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822 2Zoology Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Edmondson Hall, 2538 The Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Education Laboratory School, 1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822
19 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference HIGH NUMBERS OF INVASIVE SPECIES IN OÿAHU’S INTERTIDAL ZONE. Hawaii’s intertidal zone is spatially narrow and low in biomass compared to lush temperate intertidal systems elsewhere. As such, it has received little research or conservation attention. With the intention of creating the first broad-scale species list, we carried out surveys of macro-invertebrates, algae and fish in 2001 and 2003 of 12 rocky intertidal sites around the island of Oÿahu. The diversity of the intertidal system – 400 taxa, including many endemics – surprised us. The intertidal zone also appears to serve as a nursery for several reef fish species and a refuge from herbivory for some algal species. All of these data argue for protection of this overlooked ecosystem. Threats to the intertidal zone have yet to be evaluated, but Oÿahu’s intertidal zone appears to be highly invaded relative to such ecosystems elsewhere. Ten percent of algae species and 11 percent of invertebrates are either non-native or cryptogenic. While many of the invaders were found at one site only (Coconut Island), several have become widespread and are frequently among the most abundant organisms at a given site. If predation and herbivory are lower in the intertidal zone than in adjacent reef areas, invasive species may flourish. We need further research on the impacts of these invaders on intertidal communities and investigations into effective removal techniques. At the very least, our data suggest that monitoring efforts need to address the intertidal zone as well as harbors and coral reefs.
David M. Benitez1 and Rhonda Loh2
1Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai‘I at Hilo, PO Box 52, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718. 2National Park Service, Division of Resources Management, PO Box 52, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718.
NATIVE TREE REGENERATION FOLLOWING ERADICATION OF INVASIVE KÄHILI GINGER (Hedychium Gardnerianum) IN HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, 1998-2003. Prolific regeneration of native tree species including ‘öhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha), kölea (Myrsine lessertiana), käwaÿu (Ilex anomala) and häpu‘u (Cibotium glaucum) was observed five years after removal of dense thickets of invasive kähili ginger from rain forest in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. In eight 100m2 plots, species richness, cover and density of arborescent species were tallied three months after control work (1998) and again in 2003. ‘Öhi‘a and häpu‘u displayed the most dramatic recovery, likely benefiting from increased light levels and the availability of propagules within surrounding native forest. Average density of both ‘öhi‘a and häpu’u individuals (< 50 cm height) increased fifty-fold from 0.02 individuals/m² in 1998, to 1 individual/m² 2003. Seedling densities of pilo (Coprosma spp.) increased nearly four-fold, kölea increased six-fold, and käwaÿu increased twenty-fold. Alien taxa, including faya tree (Myrica faya) and strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) showed minimal increases in abundance, due to ongoing control efforts and low densities of mature individuals in the surrounding area. These findings are encouraging to scientists and resource managers wanting to restore rain forests where kähili ginger forms a dense contiguous understory that precludes native plant regeneration. This study documents the initial stages of native species recovery following removal of kähili ginger. Future monitoring will determine whether additional management is required to ensure the long term recovery of the forest.
Kealiÿi Bio1,2,, Donna Ball3, Jeff Burgett4, James Jacobi1, and Jack Jeffrey3
1U.S. Geological Survey, PIERC, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, (UH) 3190 Maile Way, Room 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hilo, HI 4U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Honolulu, HI
BASELINE VEGETATION SURVEYS IN THE KONA FOREST SECTION OF THE HAKALAU FOREST NWR. The Kona Forest section of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is an important habitat for native forest birds and plants, including several endangered species. Habitats include wet, mesic, and xeric forests distributed between 600 m and 1850 m (1970 ft and 6070 ft) elevation. As with most conservation areas in Hawaiÿi management efforts are focused on reducing or eliminating the impacts of invasive species, and stabilizing or rehabilitation native species and ecosystems. Baseline surveys were conducted between 200- 2004 to document the distribution and abundance of invasive plant species, as well as rare or uncommon
20 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference native plants. Additionally, a new vegetation map has been prepared for this area to serve as the basis for management and long-term monitoring activities. The results of the baseline surveys are being used to help with the development or modification of resource management strategies within the refuge.
Marie M. Bruegmann
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3122, Honolulu, HI 96813
AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY FOR HAWAIIAN PLANT CONSERVATION. The Hawaiian archipelago is the most isolated high island chain in the world. The diversity of habitats and distinctive age sequence of the islands resulted in the evolution of a unique biota, exemplified by 90% endemism of the Hawaiian flora. Following human contact, starting approximately 1,200 years ago, many of the Hawaiian ecosystems have been profoundly altered and more than 50% of the native flora either has gone extinct or is rapidly declining. Conservation of Hawaii’s plant diversity requires an integrated strategy of species recovery and ecosystem management that is actively coordinated among the various conservation partners. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hawaiÿi and Pacific Plants Recovery Coordinating Committee, comprised of botanists and land managers involved with plant conservation efforts in Hawaiÿi, has completed a strategy to define and implement conservation programs to recover this unique flora. The strategy’s major components are to: 1) initiate emergency actions to keep species from going extinct, 2) implement species and community efforts to recover species and their habitats, 3) support groups working on invasive species prevention and long-term control tools, and 4) other support activities, such as public education and outreach programs. The Service and Committee are poised to work with conservation partners to initiate new actions, building on existing programs, to implement additional actions needed for plant recovery. This strategy is a case study in the coordination of a multidisciplinary and multi-agency response to plant conservation and also a case study for other island hotspots.
Jeff Burgett1, Laurence K. Lau2, Shokufeh Ramirez3, Greg Olmsted4, and Maile Sakamoto5
1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Box 50088, Honolulu HI 96850 2DOH Environmental Health Administration, 1250 Punchbowl Street, # 326, Honolulu, HI 96813 3DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division, 1132 Bishop St. #1900, Honolulu, HI 96813 4DOH Vector Control Branch, 99-945 Halawa Valley St., Aiea, HI 96701 5DOH Environmental Planning Office, 919 Ala Moana Blvd. #312, Honolulu, HI 96814
WEST NILE VIRUS: A LOOMING THREAT TO HAWAIÿI. West Nile virus (WNV) was introduced from Eurasia into North America in 1999, and has now spread across the continent. In addition to causing the largest human meningoencephalitis epidemic in American history, WNV has caused dieoffs of many North American birds. WNV has several potential routes of entry into Hawaiÿi and other Pacific islands. Once established in Hawaiÿi, WNV could not be eradicated and would spread throughout the islands, jeopardizing the survival and precluding the recovery of many species and causing recurrent human illness and mortality. This could be as catastrophic for native birds as were the introductions of avian malaria and pox over a century ago. A public-private coalition has worked on this issue for two years and hosted an international workshop in January 2004. Participants agreed that Hawaii’s best strategy to avoid the impacts of WNV was detection and prompt eradication of WNV outbreaks. To implement this technically and logistically challenging strategy, branches of the State of Hawaiÿi Department of Health (DOH) are directing prevention, surveillance, and response planning. Because public health threats generally tend to attract more attention than wildlife threats, the work being done by DOH will supplement the efforts of natural resources agencies to prevent the arrival of WNV to Hawaiÿi. Actions to date include a postal embargo and bird quarantine, surveillance of dead and live birds, mosquitoes, horses, and humans. Challenges include reduction of mosquito transport to Hawaiÿi, rapid testing of surveillance samples, and rehearsal of response actions.
Jeff Burgett1 and Kathleen L. S. Misajon2 (Symposium Speakers)
1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, PO Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850 2 National Park Service, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718
21 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
TESTS OF PREDATOR-PROOF FENCE DESIGNS ON HAWAIÿI. Long-term exclusion of all alien mammals from natural areas of Hawaiÿi has the potential to generate large gains in ecosystem function and populations of impacted native species. However, current effective fence designs from New Zealand had not been tested on lava substrates or with mongoose or mouflon. Two trial fences were erected by Xcluder and NPS crews at Honomalino in 2002 and tested against a range of alien mammals. Modifications to the standard design allow this fence to be erected on lava or retrofitted to a standard “pig fence.” The fence defeated rats, cats, mongooses, feral pig, and (in a separate trial) mouflon sheep. Although mice were able to pass through the fence as tested, simple design modifications should provide a “mouse to mouflon” barrier. Installed cost is estimated to be approximately $90 per meter, or $74 per meter if retrofitted to an existing fence. In 2003, the NPS used an Australian predator proof design to replace a deteriorating predator resistant, open-topped nënë pen at HAVO. This design has excluded feral cats at Roxby Downs, Australia for over 3 years. It was erected in Hawaiÿi to protect nesting, brooding and molting nënë from feral pigs, dogs, and cats, and also to permit evaluation of the ease and cost of construction on a small scale. The fence consists of the standard t-post and hogwire design covered with a heavy gauge PVC coated mesh with modifications to approximate the Roxby Downs design. The total length of the fence was 900 m; cost per meter was $47. No predator ingress has been noted to date; traps are deployed around the perimeter and Eaton's bait blocks are utilized both inside and out.
Kimberly Burnett3, Carol Ferguson1, Donna Lee4
1Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 1910 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 1Food and Resource Economics Department, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0240
ECONOMIC VALUATION METHODS TO ESTIMATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL LOSSES FROM INVASIVE SPECIES. Pimentel et al. estimated the total economic cost of non-indigenous species in the U.S. at $137 billion per year. The estimate included economic damages and expenditures for control measures. However, this value omits a number of natural resource losses such as species extinction, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and aesthetics. The authors indicate their estimate would be several times higher if ecosystem values were included. Our poster will demonstrate the most common methodologies to estimate environmental values and quantify the economic losses from exotic species invasions. Valuation methods will be illustrated using hypothetical examples from Hawaiÿi and elsewhere, including on-going case studies by a Tropical/Subtropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR) project. Natural resource and environmental valuations can be difficult from a conceptual and empirical perspective. Single point estimates of invasive damages may conceal uncertainties in deriving quantitative values. A statistical confidence interval or likely range of values from sensitivity analyses can convey the magnitude of such uncertainty.
Bruce Casler
The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiÿi, 923 Nuÿuanu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817
THE STATE OF HAWAIÿI AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PLAN. For the first time, Hawaiÿi has an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management Plan which supports current on-the-ground efforts and stimulates new approaches to tackle the enormous impact of invasives on aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic invasive species include species in marine and inland waters whose introductions cause or are likely to cause economic or environmental harm, and/or harm to human health. The goal of this plan is to minimize the harmful impacts of AIS through the prevention and management of their introduction, expansion, and dispersal into, within, and from Hawaiÿi. The AIS Management Plan is a tool to address many issues the state feels are a serious threat, a few of which include: alien algae that invade our beaches and coral reefs; pathways of introduction such as hull fouling; the spread of the most invasive marine invertebrate,
22 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference snowflake coral; and the myriad species invading freshwater ecosystems. This plan proposes to unite agencies and organizations in a common mission through collaborative actions that lead toward solving AIS management issues. Consequently, the plan stresses coordinated thinking and planning regarding the aquatic aspect of the invasive species problem. Though this plan specifically focuses on aquatic invasive species, it should be viewed as a component of the larger effort to address all invasive species, both aquatic and terrestrial, throughout the State.
*Charles Chimera
Department of Botany, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 Current Address: PO Box 664, Kula, HI, 96790
BIRD-FACILITATED DISPERSAL OF THE INVASIVE TREE BOCCONIA (Bocconia frutescens) IN A HAWAIIAN DRY FOREST. Dry forests are among the most endangered natural communities in Hawaiÿi. Of the factors associated with dry forest decline, replacement of native birds with a non-native assemblage of generalist feeders appears to be contributing to the spread of the invasive tree bocconia (Bocconia frutescens) in the dry forest and surrounding areas of Kanaio Natural Area Reserve, Maui. As part of a study on seed dispersal in the reserve, I collected seeds in traps for one year. Among bird-dispersed species, bocconia seeds were collected under trees at the highest density (14.78 seeds m-2 year-1) and accounted for approximately 75% of all seeds collected. The alien shrub lantana (Lantana camara) accounted for another 17% of collected seeds. Bocconia’s small, arillate seeds are particularly suited for dispersal by non- native birds in the reserve, where the Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) is their principal dispersal agent. Although nearly 60% of the reserve’s native woody species possess fleshy fruits adapted for bird dispersal, the non-native birds rarely disperse their seeds. Natives accounted for less than 8% of all seeds dispersed by birds. Alien birds are concentrating the dispersal of fleshy-fruited weed seeds under trees. Invasion by bocconia and other fleshy-fruited aliens may worsen as future restoration efforts augment native tree cover, thereby increasing perch sites favored by birds. Future weed control programs must therefore address species both within and outside reserve boundaries, particularly those adapted for long- distance dissemination by non-native birds.
Susan N. Ching Harbin,1 Maya L. LeGrande,1 Marie Bruegmann,2 and Vickie Caraway3
1Oÿahu Genetic Safety Net, 2551 Waimano Home Rd. Room #202, Pearl City, HI 96782 2U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Honolulu, HI 96813 3Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
THE OÿAHU GENETIC SAFETY NET RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. The Hawaiÿi Rare Plant Restoration Group (HRPRG) was created to bring together various organizations to help prevent the extinction of critically rare plants. HRPRG has designated a “genetic safety net” list for each island for species with less than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. The US Fish and Wildlife and the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife have been able to fund a resource management program on Oÿahu since March 2003. Field support has been provided by the Oÿahu Army Environmental Division, The Nature Conservancy, National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Hawaiÿi Natural Heritage Program, Koÿolau Mountains Watershed Partnership, private landowners and volunteers. The goal is to focus conservation efforts on a handful of the approximately 30 Oÿahu GSN species that occur outside of actively managed areas on both State and private land. Some of the species monitored through this project are hähä (Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana), hähä (Cyanea stjohnii), hähä (Cyanea truncata), Hesperomannia (Hesperomannia arbuscula), ÿöhä wai (Lobelia monostachya), and (Schiedea kaalae). Management actions over the past year varied for each species based on biological needs and include monitoring, weeding, fencing, outplanting and seed/propagule collections. GSN collections are propagated by the Lyon Arboretum Micropropagation Lab and Pahole Rare Plant Nursery. It is hoped these conservation efforts will help to reduce the threat of extinction for some of Oÿahu’s most critically rare plant species.
23 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Eric Co,1 Cynthia Hunter,2 Celia Smith,3 Eric Conklin,4 Kimberly Peyton, 3 Kanekoa Schultz, 3 Rebecca Most,5 Thomas Sauvage, 5 David Gulko6
1 The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiÿi, 923 Nuÿuanu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817 2 Biology Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2450 Campus Rd., Dean Hall R2, Honolulu, HI 96822 3 Botany Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822 4 Zoology Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2538 The Mall, Edmondson Hall, Honolulu, HI 96822 5 Waikïkï Aquarium, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2777 Kaläkaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815 6 Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, DAR, 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 330, Honolulu, HI 96813
ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF ALIEN ALGAE CONTROL AND NATIVE MARINE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION IN HAWAIÿI. In Hawaiÿi, blooms of several non-indigenous algal species are becoming increasingly common that can decimate coral reef ecosystems by overgrowing corals and decreasing biodiversity. These alien species are often unpalatable to native grazers and capable of successfully outcompeting corals even in low nutrient environments. Without the development of an effective control program, it is expected that these algae will continue to spread throughout the state. As a result, a partnership spanning several federal,state, and non-profit organizations, and local businesses, are attempting to restore key areas of native marine ecosystems on Oÿahu by controlling the spread of these alien algae. In this project, particular attention is paid to Käneÿohe Bay and Waikïkï where preliminary research has identified the most threatening blooms of alien algae in the state. High priority alien, invasive species include Gracilaria salicornia, Kappaphycus spp., Hypnea musciformis, Avrainvillea amadelpha, and Acanthophora spicifera. No efforts currently exist to control alien algae save the recent preliminary efforts of volunteer-based manual removal of alien algae and education activities coordinated by this same partnership. Therefore the goal of this project is to assess the feasibility of alien algae control in Hawaiÿi by researching new methodologies that will work toward shifting the competitive advantage back toward the native coral reef ecosystem. New technologies include: 1) a mechanized underwater removal device; 2) native urchin cultivation and strategic deployment of Tripnuestes gratilla; and 3) native algae cultivation and strategic outplanting.
Rhyn Davies2, Derek Masaki2 and Mark Fornwall1
1USGS, Pacific Basin Information Node, 310 Kaÿahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 2University of Hawaiÿi, Pacific Basin Information Node, 310 Kaÿahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732
THE PACIFIC BASIN INFORMATION NODE: AN EXAMPLE OF APPLYING BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM INFORMATICS TO COMBAT INVASIVE SPECIES. The Pacific Basin Information Node has been developing with the goal of supporting the one a key theme, invasive species. As a guiding principle, projects were selected based upon their ability to demonstrate an “impact on the ground”. This poster describes the process that was used to address needs of the invasive species community, the tangible products produced and the utility of those products to both the invasive species community and the broader needs of natural resources scientists and managers in the state and in other areas of the Pacific.
Bethany Dengler-Germain1, Laura Driscoll1, and Shayne Veriato2
1U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, PO Box 10880, Hilo, HI 96721 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Services, PO Box 10880, Hilo, HI 96721
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH, MANAGEMENT, AND NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITIES TO CONTROL INVASIVE COQUI FROGS (Eleutherodactylus coqui). Invasive coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) populations are expanding rapidly throughout the island of Hawaiÿi, impacting the export nursery industry, tourism, and homeowners. The frogs also pose a potential threat to native insect and bird populations through direct predation and competition for food resources. Citric acid was developed as a tool by the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) to control coqui frogs and has been successfully used by government agencies, commercial nurseries, and private homeowners. Even though the efficacy of citric 24 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference acid has been demonstrated, multiple obstacles have prevented timely control of coqui frogs on Hawaiÿi. Lack of government funding for operational efforts, misinformation among the public, and variable results due to drought conditions are issues we are trying to resolve. We have organized cooperative efforts among community associations, property owners, and government agencies to provide outreach and operational control. Wildlife Services research and operations is currently coordinating control efforts with Hawaiian Paradise Park community to reduce its infestations. To increase public awareness and control frog populations, NWRC is providing ecological and control information through community presentations, public access television, radio programs, telephone hotline contacts, and informational brochures. Currently, laboratory and field research are being conducted by NWRC to investigate how variable weather conditions affect the efficacy of citric acid on coqui frogs. Coqui frog infestations on Hawaiÿi have become so severe that successful control of this invasive pest will take collaborative efforts among government, industry, private homeowners, and community organizations.
*Jan Dierking1, Charles Birkeland1 and William Walsh2
1Department of Zoology, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2538 The Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822 2Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, DAR, Honoköhau Marina, 74-381 Kealakehe Pkwy, Suite L, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
ALIEN OR ALIEN INVASIVE – NEW FINDINGS ABOUT THE INTRODUCED FISH ROI (Cephalopholis argus) IN HAWAIÿI. Roi (Cephalopholis argus) is a predatory grouper that was intentionally introduced to Hawaiÿi to establish a new food-fish fishery from Moÿorea, Society Islands, in 1956. Although roi has spread widely in the main Hawaiian Islands, and is locally very abundant today, a fishery never succeeded because roi in Hawaiÿi frequently caused ciguatera fish poisoning and is not commonly caught anymore. In contrast to the benefits of the introduction that the state of Hawaiÿi once expected, reef stakeholders such as dive tour operators, marine ornamental collectors, and fishermen, now allege roi to have a severe impact on native reef-fish communities. Until recently, scientific data was too scarce to assess these allegations. We will present new information from stomach content analysis and ciguatera analysis of a sample of 304 roi from 28 sites on Oÿahu and Hawaiÿi Island obtained by spearfishing in 2003. Stomach content analysis indicates that roi prey on a wide variety of Hawaiian reef fishes, and less commonly, crustaceans. Full results will be used to quantitatively estimate the potential impact of roi predation and the necessity of control of this species. Ciguatera analysis shows that toxicity varies significantly with location, and may in some regions not exceed the toxicity levels in other reef fishes. Findings will be used to look at the feasibility of a small scale fishery for roi that may present an easy and value-generating solution to control roi abundance.
Rogelio Ernesto Doratt,1 Robert T. Sugihara,1 Randal Stahl,2 and William J. Mautz3
1U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Hawaiÿi Field Station, PO Box 10880, Hilo, HI 96721 2U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521 3Biology Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Hilo, 200 West Käwili Street, Hilo, HI 96720
EVALUATING ENVIRONMENTAL MOISTURE LEVELS MAY LEAD TO GREATER SUCCESS IN CONTROLLING COQUI FROGS (Eleutherodactylus coqui) WITH CITRIC ACID. The coqui frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, is one of two Caribbean tree frog species that has invaded the Hawaiian Islands and is affecting Hawaii’s floriculture and agriculture industry, in addition to real estate, private industry, and human health. Two years ago, 16% a citric acid solution was developed by the USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center and approved for general use in controlling coqui frogs. However, lab trials demonstrated a high degree of variation in efficacy from coqui frogs collected during a period of prolonged dry weather in the summer of 2003. Citric acid acts as an osmoticant on the coqui frogs, resulting a rapid loss of water from the body. Coqui frogs adjust to drought conditions by accumulating nitrogenous wastes in the bladder and other tissues. One management tool that can aid in preventing coqui frogs from adapting to drought conditions and thus increase efficacy of citric acid, is to artificially provide moisture via irrigation systems. Twenty coqui frogs were exposed to sprinkler irrigation daily for up to 7 days, collected at 24, 48, 72, and 168 hour
25 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference intervals, and treated with 16% citric acid. Hydrating the coqui frogs significantly increased mortality rates and greatly reduced the time to mortality. While climatic variables are uncontrollable, further research including monitoring environmental moisture levels could provide information to gauge, schedule, and optimize operational citric acid spraying, thereby insuring a greater success of the treatment technique.
*Heather Eijzenga
Botany Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
HERBIVORES ON ISLANDS: HOW WILL THEIR ERADICATION IMPACT AN INVADED ECOSYSTEM? Herbivores have been introduced to islands throughout the world with devastating consequences. In Hawaiÿi, plans have been made to remove these vertebrate pests from all offshore islets. Although removing introduced mammals from islands is often a successful option, recent research shows that species removal in isolation can also result in unexpected changes to other ecosystem components, such as the proliferation of weeds and decline of nesting seabirds. The objectives of this project are two-fold: 1.) use herbivore eradication as a large-scale experiment to evaluate the relative importance of top-down versus bottom-up influences on islands, and 2.) predict unexpected negative consequences of the eradication to avoid further degradation of the ecosystem. Preliminary results, based on a combination of vegetation transects and herbivore diet analysis, are presented here. The most noteworthy results indicate that the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) consumes seeds from the highly invasive grass Cenchrus echinatus, potentially preventing its spread throughout the island. There are broad reaching benefits of studying this system. Managers will be able to mitigate negative consequences of the eradication, while ecologists will benefit from a greater understanding of the degree to which interactions among species and the environment affect community processes.
*Jakob Eijzenga
Botany Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa. 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
IDENTIFYING KEY PREDATORS OF HAWAIIAN STILT (Himantopus Mexicanus Knudseni) CHICKS. The Kiÿi unit of James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is a long-term stronghold for waterbirds, including the endangered Hawaiian stilt or aeÿo (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni). However, despite control and exclusion of mammalian predators stilt fledging success is very low. Stilt chicks are flightless for the first three weeks after hatching and the greatest mortality occurs during the first two weeks. In 2003 hatching success was 88% with a fledging success of less than 9%. To determine hatchling survival and identify key-predators we banded 24, 7-10 day-old stilt chicks with unique color combinations of bands on the tibiotarsus, and outfitted them with small radio transmitters that were glued directly onto the back. This study is the first to provide conclusive evidence that bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) are key predators of juvenile Hawaiian stilts. Predator control minimized mammalian impact to predation by a single cat (Felis catus). We found additional evidence of predation by black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli) and/or cattle egrets (Bulbulbus ibis). Other causes of mortality were entanglement in dense non-native grass (Brachiaria mutica) and emaciation. High predation rates of chicks younger than seven days resulted in a low sample size. We will continue and expand this study in 2004 to include hatchlings younger than seven days and an additional study site. An increased knowledge of stilt breeding ecology is needed to implement effective predator control strategies and habitat management, and ultimately increase reproductive success of the Hawaiian stilt.
*R.A. Englund
Hawaiÿi Biological Survey, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
ASSESSING THE SPECTRUM OF THREATS: IMPACTS OF INVASIVE FRESHWATER FISH SPECIES ON NATIVE HAWAIIAN AQUATIC INSECTS. As spectacular as the Hawaiian honeycreeper and plant radiations, aquatic insects have received comparatively little attention. Although bird and plant extinctions have received considerable study, extinctions of Hawaiian arthropods usually merit much less notice. While conservation efforts are directed at large, edible vertebrates such as native freshwater fishes, little attention has focused
26 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference on insects comprising the principal faunal component of biodiversity in freshwater systems. This native biodiversity is threatened by over 70 introduced fish species that have had devastating impacts. In Hawaiÿi, native aquatic insects are rare in low-elevation areas except for a few isolated, remote areas such as north shore Molokaÿi streams. Endemic Megalagrion damselflies indicate a healthy and pristine aquatic ecosystem, yet populations have been decimated throughout the state by invasive fish species. Some damselflies are reduced to less than 95 m of habitat lacking invasive fish. Fish introduced for mosquito control (Poeciliidae) and tilapia appear to have caused the greatest damage to native aquatic insects, yet elimination is not a simple task because of their invasiveness and wide salinity tolerances. Pathways for invasive freshwater fish introductions were examined, and steps taken to reduce their further spread and establishment are recommended. Preservation of native aquatic insect populations will require complete eradication of invasive fish species from selected habitats, and translocations of natives into these restored habitats. Isolated anchialine ponds and high-gradient streams entering the coast as waterfalls are best suited for restoration efforts.
Steven A. Evans and Lena D. Schnell
U.S. Army Garrison, Pöhakuloa Training Area, PO Box 4607, Hilo, HI 96720-0607
GPS AND GIS USE IN RARE PLANT SURVEYS AT PÖHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HAWAIÿI ISLAND. Pöhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is located on the Island of Hawaiÿi. It is found in the saddle region between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. PTA is home to twelve endangered and threatened plant species. Previous rare plant surveys were conducted prior to the widespread availability and use of GIS and GPS technologies. The results of these surveys identified the species’ distribution but did not provide accurate coordinate information to reidentify specific locations. GPS accuracy and precision greatly improved when selective availability was discontinued (1998). GPS and GIS are used to conduct accurate and systematic surveys of areas without the use of markers such as flagging or hip chain. Habitats, vegetation types, or substrates where rare plants may be found are identified with GIS. For surveying large areas, transects are created with GIS and waypoints are uploaded to GPS units. Smaller areas are searched more efficiently with concentric circles centered on a GIS generated search coordinate. The resultant survey routes from either flagless transects or concentric circles can be recorded and incorporated into a GIS. The use the GPS and GIS enable the actual area surveyed to be mapped and used to plan subsequent surveys. Concentric circle and flagless transect techniques were used to survey for the endangered Hedyotis coriacea. These surveys have successfully reidentified previously recorded as well as new individuals bringing the total number of individuals from 33 to 124.
William D. Evanson and Matthew J. Ramsey
Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96822.
MANAGING VISITOR USE IN PROTECTED AREAS: ÿÄHIHI-KÏNAÿU NATURAL AREA RESERVE AND KEONEÿÖÿIO – PAYING FOR THE PRICE OF PARADISE. The ÿÄhihi-Kïnaÿu / Keoneÿöÿio coastline is valued for its unique biological and cultural resources as well as its open space and scenic values. In recent years, population growth, visitor industry promotion, and the advent of “adventure” tours have triggered a significant increase in visitors. Up to 700 visitors and residents per day frequent this area to experience its “wildness” and participate in recreational activities such as snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking. While an increase in visitors on Maui has created a source of revenue, it also has created safety and health issues and threatens the health of the area’s resources. Archaeological sites are being impacted, reefs and anchialine ponds are being trampled, and user conflicts continue to increase. DLNR, in partnership with the visitor industry and the community is instituting a resource protection plan. It includes full time rangers, boundary buoys, an archaeological assessment, additional facilities, and an education kiosk lead by the Hawaiÿi Wildlife Fund. Acknowledging its responsibility, The Hawaiÿi Tourism Authority has provided funding for immediate action to be taken while more work is done to gather public sentiment, address long-term issues surrounding the difficult balance of commercial use and resource protection, and address the questions, “What measures should be employed to protect unique resources for future generations while meeting demands of its users today?” and “How much and what types of “uses” are acceptable?”
27 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Mark Fornwall1, Rhyn Davies2 and Derek Masaki2
1USGS, Pacific Basin Information Node, 310 Kaÿahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732 2University of Hawaiÿi, Pacific Basin Information Node, 310 Kaÿahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS INFORMATICS: A BRIDGE BETWEEN RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION. Biodiversity and Ecosystems Informatics seeks to provide organized access to domain specific information to support biodiversity science and conservation. For the past 2 years, staff and collaborators have been developing the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) to support biodiversity conservation in Hawaiÿi. This presentation will provide an overview of the development of the node, including the basic approach to building the node, the involvement of key partners and by highlighting future node developments, suggest ways that biodiversity and ecosystem informatics can support natural resources conservation and management.
Kiana Frank, HCA Award winner at the 2004 Hawaiÿi State Science and Engineering Fair
Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiÿi
The Effect of Residential and Agricultural Runoff on the Microbiology of a Hawaiian Ahupuaÿa: Molecular Microbial Ecology of Water Systems. The goal of this project is to assess microbial diversity in freshwater systems more accurately and time-efficiently using molecular techniques. Other studies have shown traditional culture medias to be representative of only 1-2% of the bacterial population present in freshwater systems. The result of initial experimentation an alternative method of fluorescence microscopy showed greater diversity of the microbial population than did traditional culture techniques. The disadvantage to both the standard Luria-Betani based culturing and fluorescent staining is that the point to which speciation is accomplished is tedious, inaccurate and time consuming. Thus DNA of high purity was extracted directly from the water samples, using a modified protocol, to eliminate the selectivity of traditional culture media for use in molecular techniques. The presence of bacteria was confirmed using two primers, which amplify highly conserved regions of DNA specific to bacteria. The presence of coliform bacteria was identified from DNA extracted directly from the water sample using a primer, which amplified a region of the lacZ gene. Detection of lacZ genes present in the environment could be used as a quick method to indicate mammalian fecal contamination at water sites. The presence of methanotrophs was illustrated at various water sites using a primer specific the PmoA gene region. Identification of methanotrophs could be used as a means to indicate a certain solvent contamination at water sites. Other primers used in this study focused on the molecular identification of antibiotic and or heavy metal resistance genes present in the environment. Certain primers specific to regions of the Beta-lactamase gene, amplified regions of DNA extracted from environmental antibiotic resistant microorganisms. Heavy metal primers specific to genes regulating efflux systems also showed varieties of positives from DNA extracted from environmental ampicillin and heavy metal resistant microorganisms.
Kathleen Friday,1 Comfort Sumida,2 John Yanagida3
1 USDA Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, 23 E. Käwili St., Hilo, HI 96720 2Department of Economics, College of Social Sciences, 2424 Maile Way, Saunders Hall room 542, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, 1910 East-West Road, Sherman 220, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Honolulu, HI 96822
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF ALBIZIA (Falcataria moluccana) ON INFRASTRUCTURE. Albizia (Falcataria moluccana) has invaded nearly 100,000 acres in East Hawaiÿi. Hughes (unpublished data) has documented the impacts of albizia on native ÿöhiÿa (Metrosideros polymorpha) forests as well as disturbed areas. Albizia’s fast growth and weak structure also make it a hazard tree when it grows near infrastructure. This study seeks to estimate direct costs to landowners for the presence of albizia in Puna district. An informal telephone survey of public landowners and utilities documented a minimum of $175,000 in annual expenditures for albizia control, but records were not suitable for a complete or accurate estimate. Annual expenditures by private community associations are in excess of $65,000. A survey of private landowners
28 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference from the most severely affected areas allowed computation of a minimum baseline aggregate annual cost of $50,000. Other potential impacts of albizia were also explored in brief: influence on property values, previous and potential markets for its products, and non-monetary impacts. The project revealed a high level of concern on the part of community associations responsible for roads and other infrastructure in large developments. A brochure was written and distributed to help with community associations’ efforts to provide credible information to landowners about the problems posed by albizia, and sources of assistance for its control. Albizia control will prove difficult for community associations in the Puna area since three-fourths of the private landowners surveyed were absentee landowners.
Betsy H. Gagné
Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATING HIGH NATURAL QUALITY STREAMS IN HAWAIÿI. The Commission on Water Resources has been directed to revisit the classification of streams in Hawaiÿi. This is an opportunity for conference attendees to respond directly with their own list of high quality streams and criteria they would consider important. While the Watershed Partnerships are not directly involved in water allocation, they play a critical role in how water is collected, managed and protected; their lands play a large part in the contribution of high quality (or otherwise) Hawaiian. This is an excellent way for the conservation biology community as a whole to play a part in how these streams are designated and protected for the greater good of the resources. It is an opportunity to provide new information, as well as learn about other agencies concerned with protection and management of streams. Information gathered from participants will have direct bearing on future directions of Hawaiian stream protection. This is a good way to directly interact with an audience that has valuable information and perspective. There will be a questionnaire to be answered on the spot (including threats such as invasive species, the best streams for different species, management practices on adjacent lands, and others) as well as information for more detailed follow up should it be requested. This information will be provided to the Commission to aide in refining criteria to designate and protect Hawaiian streams. It will also serve to reinforce that management goes across boundaries and there are many ways of contributing to protection of native ecosystems in the fight against invasive species.
David E. Gee II,1 Diane L. Vice,1 and Daniel S. Vice2
1Government of Guam Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources, 192 Dairy Road, Mangilao, Guam 96913 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, APHIS, WS, 1060 Route 16, Suite 103C, Barrigada Hts., Guam 96913
RECENT CARIBBEAN TREE FROG INTRODUCTIONS FROM HAWAIÿI TO GUAM. Two species of Caribbean tree frog, both established throughout the Hawaiian islands, have recently been detected on Guam. Greenhouse frogs (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) were discovered on Guam in October 2003; coqui frogs (E. coqui) in February 2004. Subsequent investigation of plant nurseries and surrounding areas has confirmed the successful colonization of Guam by E. planirostris. As of March 2004, greenhouse frog infestations have been discovered in five of 30 nurseries importing plants from Hawaiÿi, and two male coqui frogs have been captured in separate nurseries. E. planirostris has also colonized areas outside of nurseries, establishing populations on major hotel and tourist attraction properties. Surveys of nurseries currently without frogs will continue in order to determine the change in distribution over time. These introductions are examples of Hawaiÿi being both a recipient of and a source population for invasive species spreading to Pacific islands. They also present Guam with new management challenges. Preliminary results indicate that Caribbean tree frogs will be a novel food source for juvenile brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis), leading to increases in the snake population and to new problems for Guam’s endangered species recovery projects. In light of this, the Government of Guam has implemented a four-point plan: delineation of the frogs’ populations, revision of plant import requirements from Hawaiÿi, development of a management strategy to control or eradicate frogs in key areas, and institution of a public awareness campaign to identify new infestations.
29 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Scott Godwin
B.P. Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
MARITIME ACTIVITIES AS A MECHANISM FOR INTRODUCING MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES: A HAWAIÿI CASE STUDY. Ocean-going vessels can be thought of as biological islands for species that dwell in harbors and estuaries around the world. Maritime vessel activity acting as a vector for marine alien species is a complex issue involving ballast water, ballast water sediments, and hull fouling. Ballast water is the pathway that has been the major focus of investigations concerned with marine invasion vectors, and the biofouling that occurs on the surfaces of vessel hulls has been given less attention. Recent compilations of marine alien species in Hawaiÿi include some 343 species, which includes 287 marine invertebrate species. The mechanism of transport for more than 70% of these marine invertebrate species is considered to be hull fouling. Pending administrative rules focused on management efforts for ballast water have recently moved toward mandatory exchange for all United States ports. Hull fouling is a new management issue, and will require expert opinions from various stakeholders connected to maritime shipping, marine resource management, and marine alien species problems. Such an effort was recently undertaken in Hawaiÿi and the goal was to develop initial ideas that could be used to develop a formal management strategy. It was shown that it could be more important to focus management efforts on those vessels not part of the regularly scheduled traffic (instead of regular arrivals) to minimize marine invasive species introductions through hull fouling.
Steven Goldsmith, Hayley Gillespie, and Cole Weatherby
Department of Biology, Austin College, 900 North Grand Avenue, Sherman, TX 75090
ASSESSING RESTORATION OF HAWAIIAN MONTANE WET FOREST: FREQUENCY AND ABUNDANCE OF LONGHORNED BEETLES (GENUS Plagithmysus), A FOOD SOURCE FOR THE ENDANGERED ÿAKIAPÖLÄÿAU (Hemignathus munroi). We characterized the frequency and abundance of larvae, pupae, and adults of endemic longhorned beetles in branches of koa (Acacia koa) at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaiÿi. The beetles feed by boring into dead koa branches and are food for ‘akiapöläÿau (Hemignathus munroi), an endemic and endangered honeycreeper. We sampled from trees of three age categories: young planted groves, older planted groves, and mature trees. We sampled by locating dead koa branches, breaking them into short pieces, and counting and measuring the beetles within. Beetles occurred more frequently in branches of mature trees than in branches of younger trees, and were clumped in distribution among branches. Beetles were significantly more abundant in mature trees than in younger trees, and were significantly more abundant in older planted groves than in younger planted groves. Mean basal diameter of branches in mature trees was greater than in planted trees, and was greater in older planted groves than in young planted groves. In young and older planted groves, branches that harbored beetles were larger than branches that did not, but in mature trees there was no difference. Most beetles were accessible to ‘akiapöläÿau due to their position near the surface of the branch. Our data indicate that reforestation is increasing availability of foraging habitat for ‘akiapöläÿau. Implications for management are that replanted koa forests, with their associated species, are good habitat to encourage ÿakiapöläÿau abundance.
Marcos Gorresen,1,2 Richard J. Camp,1,2 Bethany L. Woodworth1 and Thane K. Pratt1
1U.S. Geological Survey, PIERC, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
DESIGNING FOREST BIRD SURVEYS TO DETECT POPULATION TRENDS: SURVEYS OF WINDWARD HAWAIÿI (1977- 2003). The primary objective of most ecological monitoring programs is to detect population trends in species of concern. Ecological monitoring typically entails a large investment of cost, time and personnel. However, because detecting trends is a statistical process, if issues of sample size, frequency, and variance are not addressed, even surveys conducted at hundreds of stations over many years may not be able to detect increasing or decreasing trends when they occur. This problem is exacerbated with rare or endangered species, precisely those species we are usually most interested in monitoring. Power analysis is 30 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference a tool used to address the question of whether a given survey protocol is likely to be able to detect population trends. We present a power analysis of data collected using variable circular plot surveys of forest bird density from 1977-2003 in upper elevation forest habitat on windward Hawaiÿi island. Given the observed variability in bird densities, we calculated the power to detect trends for a range of hypothetical rates of decline, sampling effort (i.e., number of survey stations and monitoring duration), and alpha levels (i.e., the risk of mistakenly concluding a trend exists when it does not). We discuss its application to current efforts in conservation planning for the endangered ‘akiapöläÿau (Hemignathus munroi), Hawaiÿi ÿakepa (Loxops coccineus), Hawaiÿi creeper (Oreomystis mana) and other native birds, and its implication for survey programs in general.
William P. Haines
Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Gilmore 310, Honolulu, HI 96822
REEVALUATING ARTHROPOD EXTINCTIONS: REDISCOVERIES OF HAWAIIAN LEAF-ROLLER MOTHS IN THE GENUS Omiodes (CRAMBIDAE). Moths in the genus Omiodes are some of the most biologically interesting of endemic Hawaiian insects, due to their unusual natural history. Some species in the group have shifted onto Polynesian-introduced plants, and possibly undergone rapid speciation. Other species are pests of agricultural crops, and were targets of biocontrol introductions. Due to the suspected pressures of biocontrol agents, accidentally introduced non-native predators, and habitat destruction, 14 of the 23 Hawaiian species have been presumed extinct. However, recent field surveys and examination of collections has revealed extant populations of at least five ‘extinct’ taxa on Hawaiÿi Island, and at least three on Maui. Some of these, such as O. continuatalis, are widespread, and do not appear to be threatened. Others, such as O. asaphombra, may have a more restricted range. Omiodes larvae collected in the field show high rates of parasitism by non-native wasps, though field experiments have yet to be conducted to evaluate actual parasitism rates. Despite the rediscoveries presented here, several species of Omiodes have not been recorded for decades, and may in fact be endangered or extinct. These findings illustrate the need for complete field surveys throughout a taxon’s historic range whenever assessing its conservation status. For many arthropod groups, this is a nearly impossible task, but for taxa such as Omiodes, whose host plants and natural history are relatively well known, complete field surveys are feasible.
Steven C. Hess (Symposium Speaker)
USGS, PIERC, Kïlauea Field Station, PO Box 44, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TRAP TECHNOLOGY. The control of predation on native wildlife by carnivores, particularly by feral cats, is primarily restricted to live trapping. Ethical treatment concerns require the daily maintenance of such traps, thus restricting the scale of application to small areas. Improvements in trap technology can provide better welfare for trapped animals by reducing time animals spend in traps. 'Smart trap' systems notify field staff immediately when animals are captured, thereby allowing animals to be removed speedily, reducing both the time that animals are held and time that traps are inactive, and increasing potential scales of application. The simplest type of smart trap employs a trap-transmitter to transmit continuously until an animal is captured or a malfunction occurs. At the time transmission ceases, staff will know to check the appropriate trap. At the next level, either an automated data recorder or cellular telephone call-out box can be employed to check trap status from a remote location. Call-out boxes have the capability of sending a pre-recorded message to a remote telephone with 'caller I. D.' to verify that trap-transmitters are functioning, but depend on availability of cellular phone service. Call-out boxes may also be programmed to call repeatedly when a motion monitor continues to detect motion in a trap, thereby discriminating false alarms from true captures. Heat and motion sensors and remote cameras with wireless internet connections may be used to provide species identification of trapped animals, and remote mechanisms to release unintentionally captured species will reduce trap maintenance. These devices may be particularly useful for inaccessible locations, but must first be proven reliable and effective.
31 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Howard Hoshide1 and Roberta Swift2 (Symposium Speakers)
1National Park Service, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718
OPTIONS FOR MOUFLON FENCES AND TESTING DESIGNS FOR SEABIRD IMPACTS. Conventional 47” hogwire boundary fences used in the past for feral goats, pigs, and cattle are not as effective at excluding mouflon. Rock tumuli or chunks of aÿa adjacent to fencelines are successfully used by mouflon as launching platforms. Currently, all new fences constructed where mouflon are a threat in Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park are a minimum of 6 feet in height, with the exception of areas with the potential for Hawaiian petrel strikes. Two different designs are being utilized, with a third currently undergoing trials. A test pen was constructed last year, with trials currently being run using various fence designs, in an attempt to better understand the physical capabilities of mouflon and mouflon-sheep hybrids and to test the efficacy of different designs. In conjunction with testing fence designs for mouflon, we observed the behavior of Hawaiian petrels (Pterodroma sandwicensis) around three fence designs to assess their fence strike risk in a petrel aerial display area. During the summer of 2003 we observed seven weeks of petrel behavior around three fence types made of surrogate materials (fabric mesh): a four-foot hogwire fence, a six-foot hogwire fence and a six-foot hogwire fence with white flagging for added visibility. As a measure of the birds’ ability to avoid each type of fence, we quantified the proportion of birds that reacted to each fence with late avoidance behaviors, and also compared the birds’ responses to these three types of fences relative to a control.
Shelley James,1,2 Frank Howarth,2 Chris Puttock,1 Wendy McDowell,3 and Clyde Imada2
1Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu HI 96817 2Hawaiÿi Biological Survey, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St, Honolulu, HI 96817 3Department of Botany, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF LAVA TUBE CAVE ROOTS USING MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES. Lava-tube cave systems in Hawaiÿi support unique ecosystems, consisting of highly specialized organisms that have adapted to live in a rigorous, stressful physical environment. Cave animals rely on plant roots for food, shelter, and cocoon-building materials. The identification of roots that penetrate the inner cave walls through cracks and pores is important for developing effective management plans for cave ecosystems through the appropriate management of the vegetation over the cave footprint. As roots change form as they grow deeper or encounter different environmental conditions, morphological identification is difficult. The use of molecular techniques has assisted in the identification of cave roots within two cave systems on different Hawaiian Islands. On Maui, cave roots were identified as belonging to two invasive species common to the area, namely forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and silk oak (Grevillea robusta). The second cave on Hawaiÿi island was found to contain roots of silk oak and the indigenous woody vine, huehue (Cocculus orbiculatus). Knowledge of the presence of invasive species roots within these cave ecosystems, and the use of these roots by cave fauna, can assist in formulating management plans for the removal of non-native plant species and restoration of native deep-rooted vegetation in the vicinity of the cave footprint.
Peter Johnston1 and Don Hemmes2
1Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand 2Natural Sciences, University of Hawaiÿi at Hilo, 200 W Käwili St, Hilo, HI 96720-4091
FUNGI AND SITE RESTORATION. Healthy forests require a healthy and diverse fungal biota. Vascular plants physically dominate forests, but provide little of the biological diversity of the forests. Much of the diversity comes from fungi living in association with the plants. Despite being vital to basic ecosystem processes, such as nutrient recycling, fungi are rarely considered when monitoring the success of forest restoration. This is because fungal diversity is difficult to assess. Fungi are too numerous to allow total species counts, they are small, visible only when forming fruiting bodies, and fruit-body production is ephemeral and governed by poorly understood factors. Recent sampling of ÿöhiÿa (Metrosideros polymorpha) on the
32 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference island of Hawaiÿi demonstrated the potential of using an ecologically specialized group of fungi, the leaf endophytes, to make rapid and practical comparisons of fungal diversity. Attempts to restore forests invaded by weeds involve removing the weed species and planting native, nursery-raised seedlings. But what about the rest of the forest community? It is often assumed that by restoring plants the other parts of the forest community naturally associated with those plants, the fungi and the insects, will also return. However, endophyte sampling shows that this may not be true for the fungi. Given the importance of fungi to forest diversity and health, this lack of diversity could impact the long-term success of forest restoration projects. Whether or not fungi should be considered during forest restoration will depend on the management goals of the particular project.
Randall W. Kennedy
Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
WATERSHED PARTNERSHIPS - UNITED FRONT ON INVASIVE SPECIES. Watershed Partnerships are voluntary alliances of public and private landowners committed to the common goals of protecting large areas of land for water recharge and other values. Although resource quality and management goals differ among partnerships, all share the common threat of non-native invasive species. A significant portion of watershed activities go towards management of invasive species, much of which could not be possible without the partnership’s fund raising abilities or collaboration between landowners. These unique partnerships have grown to include more than 303,500 hectares of both public and private land and create an important contiguous front on which to address feral ungulates, alien plants, and non-native predators. Each individual landowner can only do so much; but by entering into management on a broader landscape scale provides enhanced protection that is greater than the sum of the individual owners. The early control efforts of Miconia calvescens, and the building of strategic feral animal control fences on East Maui, were two of the catalysts for formation of the East Maui Watershed Partnership, the first formally recognized partnership. The agreement allowed the most effective control strategies and the most effective fence alignment that addressed the best ecological rather than ownership boundaries. This has led to the creation and successful operations of additional partnerships and has in turn stretched dollars and other resources more effectively than if allocated individually.
Cheryl King,¹ William Gilmartin,¹ Skippy Hau,² Hannah Bernard,¹ Suzanne Canja,¹ Glynnis Nakai,³ Mary Grady,¹ Steven Williams,³ & Alastair Hebard¹
¹Hawaiÿi Wildlife Fund, PO Box 70, Volcano HI 96785 ²Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, 130 Mahalani St., Wailuku, HI 96793 ³U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maui NWR Complex, P.O. Box 1042 (Milepost Hwy), Kïhei, HI 96753
THREATS OF INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES TO NESTING HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLES (Eretmochelys imbricata) AND HATCHLINGS ON THE ISLAND OF MAUI, HAWAIÿI. Critically endangered hawksbills predominately nest on Hawaiÿi Island, but lower numbers also nest on Maui and Molokaÿi with a statewide estimate thought to be at least fifty reproductive females. Hawksbill nesting activities were first documented on Maui in 1991, and an organized effort to systematically document these occurrences began in 1996. From 1996-2003, an average of 1.5 nesting females/year have utilized four distinct beaches for nesting. A multi-agency management collaboration has been essential for protecting this small population from dangers caused by human disturbance, coastal lighting, vehicular collisions, native and non-native vegetation, and introduced predators. The clearing of invasive vegetation and the replanting of native species is ongoing. Nesting females have become entangled in naturalized tree brush, and overgrowth of non-indigenous grasses degrade suitable nesting habitat. Deposited nests have become inundated with roots which drain essential moisture and nutrients from eggs, killing developing embryos. Plants and roots have grown over the top of a nest, entrapping the hatchlings. Once hatchlings leave the nest and begin their trek to the sea, dune vegetation inhibits their progress, leaving them susceptible to dehydration, energy loss and predation. The presence of cats, rats, dogs, and mongooses can be a menace to the nesting females, eggs and hatchlings but no eradication is being done at this time. Intensive monitoring of all nesting and hatching activities are crucial to insure this species’ survivorship.
33 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
Fritz Klasner,1 Darcy Hu,2 Gordon Dicus1
1National Park Service, Pacific Island Network, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2National Park Service, Pacific West Regional Office Honolulu, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVASIVE SPECIES INVENTORIES AND ‘VITAL SIGNS’ MONITORING. The NPS Inventory and Monitoring program was established to provide baseline resource information, monitor long- term trends in resource condition, and facilitate collaboration, information sharing, and economies of scale in natural resource management. The Pacific Island Network (8 National Parks in Hawaiÿi , 1 in American Sämoa, 1 in Guam, and 1 in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) is one of 32 national networks based on shared geography and natural resource characteristics. Inventories in network parks, including mapping incipient invasive plant threats and herpetological, anchialine pond, and alien mammal inventories, were begun with cooperators in 2000. From lands surrounding Hawaiÿi Volcanoes NP, results to date include identification of plume poppy (Bocconia frutescens), distributed across 1,800 hectares, and removal of 1 immature and 3 large mature miconia (Miconia calvescens). Within the Kaÿäpahu addition to Haleakalä NP, unanticipated mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) populations were discovered. Anchialine pond inventories in progress on the Kona coast have not encountered unanticipated invasive species to date. Other inventories, such as those targeting australian tree fern (Sphaeropteris cooperi), relied heavily on public outreach. These inventories enabled appropriate management actions for containment, control, or eradication. Monitoring of natural resources is currently in a planning phase. As envisioned, invasive species monitoring will build upon existing baseline inventory information. 'Vital Signs' monitoring will also organize and present data such that the role of invasive species can be evaluated within the context of ecosystem health.
Paul D. Krushelnycky1, Rosemary G. Gillespie1, Lloyd L. Loope2 and James K. Liebherr3
1Division of Insect Biology, Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, Wellman Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720. 2U.S. Geological Survey/Biological Resources Division, Haleakalä Field Station, P.O. Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768. 3Department of Entomology, John H. & Anna B. Comstock Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0901.
REDISCOVERY AND UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF HIGH-ELEVATION HALEAKALÄ GROUND BEETLES. Recent biotic surveys in subalpine shrubland on Haleakalä volcano, Maui, Hawaiÿi, have recovered several species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) not seen since their original 19th Century collections. Blackburnia lenta (Sharp), described from specimens collected just below Haleakalä summit in 1894, was found at lower elevational sites ranging from 2400-2750 m. Mecyclothorax rusticus (Sharp), last seen in 1896, and M. nubicola (Blackburn), only collected in 1878, were also rediscovered in this vicinity. Recent collections of B. lenta contradict the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s previous classification of this species as one likely to be extinct. Nevertheless, B. lenta’s known distribution comprises only 63 ha within an elevational zone that is bounded above and below by unicolonial populations of the invasive alien Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr). The known recent collections of M. rusticus and M. nubicola also occurred outside the distributional range of the Argentine ant. Mature eggs held in the lateral oviducts of B. lenta females averaged 1.4× the volume of the largest eggs previously reported among 13 species of Blackburnia. We hypothesize that the giant eggs of B. lenta result from selective forces favoring large, well-nourished developing and hatched first instar larvae, consistent with a patchy distribution of suitable microhabitat and prey in the subalpine Haleakalä landscape. The specialized life history of B. lenta, and coincidence of distributional limits of the three rediscovered carabid species with range limits of the Argentine ant populations, suggest that all would be jeopardized by future distributional expansion of Argentine ant.
Creighton M. Litton,1,2 Darren R. Sandquist,1 Susan Cordell2
1Department of Biological Sciences, California State University at Fullerton, 800 N. State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92834
34 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, 23 E. Käwili St, Hilo, HI 96720
FOUNTAIN GRASS (Pennisetum setaceum) AFFECTS ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION IN A HAWAIIAN DRY FOREST. Invasive species are a global phenomenon, and island ecosystems are particularly susceptible to their detrimental effects. To date, much of the research in invasive species biology has focused on changes in species assemblages and, therefore, management decisions have largely centered on eliminating invaders and restoring community composition. However, the effects of invasive species can reach far beyond species composition, with considerable impacts on function of ecosystems and services that they provide (e.g., cycling of water, carbon, and nutrients). Moreover, elimination of invasives and restoration of pristine species assemblages may be impossible for many areas. It is, therefore, imperative that we gain a better understanding of how invasives affect important ecosystem processes so that management decisions may take into account maintenance of desirable ecosystem functions. At lower elevations on the dry side of Hawaiÿi, remnant native forests are heavily invaded by fountain grass which aggressively competes for limiting resources (e.g., water). We are examining how fountain grass affects water availability to native species (mechanism) and ecosystem carbon cycling (consequence), areas of considerable importance in global change biology. Our data show that the presence of an invasive grass has significant impacts on ecosystem function, both in terms of water availability and carbon cycling. In the absence of fountain grass, tree utilization of shallow soil water increased by 20%. Removal of grass also resulted in greater tree productivity, with a 42% increase in basal area increment and 62% increase in foliage production.
Kenneth Longenecker,1 Steve L. Coles,1 Frederique Kandel,2 and Lu Eldredge1
1Department of Natural Sciences and Hawai‘i Biological Survey, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St. Honolulu, HI 96817 2Department of Zoology, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2444 Dole St., Honolulu, HI 96822
ASSESSEMENT OF NONINDIGENOUS SPECIES ON CORAL REEFS IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, WITH EMPHASIS ON INTRODUCED INVERTEBRATES. Rapid assessments for nonindigenous and cryptogenic (collectively termed NIS) marine organisms were conducted in 2002-2003 at 41 coral reefs sites on Kauaÿi, Oÿahu, Molokaÿi, Maui and Hawaiÿi using timed searches on areas of 312 m2 at each site. Only 26 NIS (three algal species, 19 invertebrates, and four fishes) were recorded from a total of 486 taxa encountered during the study. Seventeen NIS occurred at only one or two sites. The most NIS per site was six, and 21 sites had fewer than three. If three fishes (introduced in the 1950s and occurring throughout Hawaiÿi) are excluded, over half the sites had fewer than two NIS. Invertebrate NIS usually occurred cryptically within reef recesses, and none were abundant or dominant at any site. This low NIS richness on reefs strongly contrasts high NIS richness in Hawaiian harbors. Best subsets regression analysis related numbers of NIS at each site to factors that may influence spreading or proliferation of introduced marine species. Over 65% of the variance in NIS richness was explained by a highly significant increase in NIS with a decrease in exposure (open coastlines to embayments to semi-protected harbors) and a highly significant negative interaction between exposure and native species richness. This suggests that, in embayments and semi-enclosed environments, higher native species diversity may limit the opportunities for introduced species to establish themselves.
Christy Martin,1 Keren Gunderson,2 Tina Lau,3 Teya Penniman,4 Greg Santos5, Ryan Smith6
1Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, PO Box 61441, Honolulu, HI 96839 2Kauaÿi Invasive Species Committee, PO Box 1988, Lïhuÿe, HI 96766 3Molokaÿi/Maui Invasive Species Committee, PO Box 220, Kualapuÿu, HI 96757 4Maui Invasive Species Committee, PO Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768 5Big Island Invasive Species Committee, 16 East Lanikäula St., Hilo, HI 96720 6Oÿahu Invasive Species Committee, 2551 Waimano Home Rd., Pearl City, HI 96782
ISLAND-BASED PARTNERSHIPS AND STATEWIDE COORDINATION TO ADDRESS INVASIVE PESTS. In the 1990s, two reports chronicled large gaps in Hawaii’s invasive species prevention, detection, response and control
35 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference programs and concluded that gaps could be addressed through increased statewide cooperation. In 1995, the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS) was formed -- a government/non- government partnership that works on policy, funding, collaborative projects, and outreach. Since then, CGAPS has facilitated the formation of island-based Invasive Species Committees (ISCs) on all of the major islands. The ISCs are partnerships of government agencies, non-government organizations, and private landholders working to control the pests that pose the greatest threats on each island. ISC participants select target species based on the level of threat posed and on the potential for successful eradication or control given limited funding. ISC field crews survey, map and control the selected targets, and monitor for post-treatment recruitment. In 2003, the ISCs controlled over 72,000 miconia plants (Miconia calvescens) and surveyed over 55,040 ha statewide for all targets. The ISCs have eradicated several pests on individual islands, including fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) and coqui frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui) on Molokaÿi, and Jerusalem thorn (Parkinsonia aculeata) on Maui. They have assisted in capturing a wild population of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on Kauaÿi, and eradicated chrysanthemum white rust (Pucchinia horiana) on the Big Island. The ISCs provide trained crews to augment staffing at the Hawaiÿi Departments of Agriculture and Land and Natural Resources. These partnerships provide a model for addressing invasive pests nationally and internationally.
*Andrew McClung
Department of Zoology and Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB), University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822
PROJECTED EFFECTS OF AN ALIEN PLANT INVASION ON AN ENDANGERED NORTHWEST HAWAIIAN ISLANDS PASSERINE BIRD, THE LAYSAN FINCH (Telespiza cantans). Efforts to maintain diversity and minimize human contributions to extinction are being challenged by alien species invasions into new habitats. Absent typical regulating mechanisms, invasives can degrade habitat and increase extinction risk for native species. Population viability analysis (PVA) provides a way to assess extinction risk and the relative value of management actions. This study applied a count-based PVA method to a translocated population of the Laysan finch (Telespiza cantans), a federally listed endangered endemic passerine, at Southeast Island, Pearl and Hermes Reef (PHR). Density dependence form and magnitude were assessed by nonlinear regression of population size time series, which also provided parameter estimates. Demographic variability and environmental autocorrelation in growth rates were not significant, but a sampling error adjustment was used to reduce spurious inflation of growth rate variance. A stochastic version of the Ricker logistic model of population growth was simulated to obtain the extinction time cumulative distribution function for pre- and post-invasion periods. The simulation projects low extinction risk at PHR, and a surprising reduction in risk due to the increase in carrying capacity associated with the weed invasion. However, stochastic demographic matrix models and VORTEX PVA suggest much higher extinction risk. Precision of all three models' estimates is limited by the amount and quality of time series and demographic data. More intensive data collection is needed, and model projections should be used with caution.
Arthur C. Medeiros,1 Mach Fukada,3 Erica Von Allmen,1,2 Alan Samuelson,4 Forest Starr,1 Kim Starr1
1U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, Haleakalä Field Station, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), 3190 Maile Way, Rm. 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Hawaiÿi Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, Biological Control Section, 635 Mua St., Kahului, HI 96732-2322 4B.P. Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF A NEWLY-ARRIVED INVASIVE BRUCHID (Specularis impressithorax) IN HAWAIÿI: AN IMPORTANT SEED PARASITE OF THE NATIVE WILIWILI (Erthyrina sandwicensis). This study was initiated to develop preliminary information to assist in determining the impacts of an invasive seed beetle (Specularis impressithorax) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) on wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) dryland forests of the Hawaiian Islands. Apparently native to Africa, this species was first collected in Hawaiÿi on Oÿahu in 2001, Maui in 2002, and Hawaiÿi Island, Kauaÿi, Molokaÿi, and Kahoÿolawe in 2003. This beetle attacks wiliwili seeds in open seedpods only. Whitish eggs are attached to the outside of seeds. All larval instars and pupation are completed within the seed. Multiple emergence holes leave
36 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference seeds with a characteristic shotgunned appearance, conspicuous even to casual observers. Germination experiments are underway and though germination is possible with one or a few emergence holes, seeds become non-viable as the number increases. A parasitoid wasp (Bethylidae), collected on Maui, may parasitize Specularis larvae. Experimentally, Specularis oviposits on, but thus far, does not attack other native legume seeds. Our collections and experiments suggests that Specularis parasitizes only numerous species of Erythrina in Hawaiÿi including the endemic wiliwili. As wiliwili is the dominant species of the wiliwili forest, the effects of this single beetle may come to radically degrade the forest type. More information is needed to better evaluate the impact of this alien beetle on lowland Hawaiian dry forests.
Arthur C. Medeiros
U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, Haleakalä Field Station, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768
PHENOLOGY, REPRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL, SEED DISPERSAL, AND SEEDLING ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN A HAWAIIAN RAIN FOREST. This study investigated important ecological traits of three important invasive species: clidemia (Clidemia hirta), kähili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum), and strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum). We determined clidemia ripe fruit production was highest from October-January, kähili ginger from October-December, and strawberry guava in November. Clidemia was estimated to produce more than four orders of magnitude more seeds than kähili ginger and 2 strawberry guava of equal cover. Individual clidemia plants, which averaged 0.37 m cover, produced an average of 3,815,552 seeds/yr. Non-native Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) and red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) are dispersing all three weed species and at least six native plant species. Under experimental conditions, the passage time for seeds of clidemia was as long as 210 minutes, kähili ginger as long as 270 minutes, and strawberry guava less than 60 minutes. A seedling establishment experiment indicated that clidemia sites (but not kähili ginger and strawberry guava) had a large, viable seed bank and/or seed rain. Clidemia produced the greatest number and heights of seedlings in scalped and grassy sites. Kähili ginger produced the greatest number of seedlings in epiphytic sites and the least in grassy sites. Strawberry guava was found in three site types, with the tallest seedlings in fernland sites. This investigation suggests that clidemia is disturbance-adapted and less adapted to protected, shaded sites, whereas kähili ginger and strawberry guava are greater threats to recovering and intact rain forests.
Dominique Monie1,2 and Dennis LaPointe1
1U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, PO Box 218, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), 3190 Maile Way, St. John Hall 408, Honolulu, HI 96822
IN THE EYES OF THE MOSQUITO, ALL BIRDS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. It has been demonstrated that non- native birds in Hawaiÿi are an unlikely reservoir of avian malaria, therefore making them potential sinks for transmission. This assumes that all birds are equal in their desirability and complacency to serve as blood hosts to mosquitoes. As part of an attempt to model the transmission of avian malaria across a broad landscape, we looked at the mosquito defensive behavior of some native and non-native passerines in Hawaiÿi. We used ÿiÿiwi (Vestiaria coccinea), ÿapapane (Himatione sanguinea), and common ÿamakihi (Hemignathus virens), and the introduced Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus), red billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea), and house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Unrestrained, individual birds were exposed to 20 mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus) for a three-hour period. Birds were removed and mosquitoes were collected and examined for blood-feeding success. Mosquito blood-feeding success rates on ÿiÿiwi ranged from 57% to 85%, on ÿapapane ranged from 72% to 92%, and on ÿamakihi ranged from 35% to 92%. With the Japanese white-eye, mosquitoes had blood-feeding success rates ranging from 5% to 23% and for the red billed leiothrix the rates ranged from 1.6% to 10%, while with the house sparrow the range was from 55% to 68%. These preliminary results suggest that while individuals may vary in their tolerance to mosquito blood-feeding, non-native birds show more defensive behavior in general than native birds. Since mosquitoes’ host seek until they are fully engorged, encounters with non-native birds would not necessarily translate into diminished transmission to native birds.
37 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Kühea Paracuelles
Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CONSERVATION AGENCIES THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. Most members of the general public have never had the opportunity to be exposed to native, upland forests and species. Additionally, some special interest groups (e.g., hunters) who oppose management activities such as feral ungulate control, have made significant efforts through videos and flyers to convince our youth and other members of the public that introduced animals, such as pigs, are beneficial to native ecosystems. In 1999, the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiÿi, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service formed a partnership for environmental education on the Island of Hawaiÿi. ÿImi Pono no ka ÿÄina (Seeking Excellence for the Land) initiated several new programs to educate teachers, students and the general public. Teacher training allows information to extend exponentially throughout the public school system. Internship and enrichment programs for (middle, high school, and college) students allow opportunities for hands-on, field based experience. Radio and television programs reach other critical members of the population in a creative way. These programs have shown success in gaining the understanding and support resource managers need from our local communities.
Robert Peck,1,2 Paul Banko,1 Patrick Hart,1,2 and Bethany Woodworth1
1U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, Kïlauea Field Station, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), 3190 Maile Way, Rm 408, Honolulu, HI 96822
ARTHROPODS AS A FOOD RESOURCE FOR FOREST BIRDS: A COMPARISON ALONG AN ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT. Arthropods are the primary food resource for many forest birds. In Hawaiÿi, arthropod abundance varies considerably over the landscape and may influence the distribution of forest birds. If arthropod resources are limiting, they may influence the nutritional condition of a bird. This, in turn, may affect the bird’s susceptibility to disease. As part of the Biocomplexity of Avian Diseases project, we are investigating the role that arthropods play in the distribution of forest birds. We sampled arthropods from foliage of ÿöhiÿa (Metrosideros polymorpha), the dominant canopy-forming tree across an elevation gradient within wet forests of the Big Island. In terms of biomass, arthropod communities differed markedly with elevation: spiders (Araneae), bark lice (Psocoptera) and true bugs (Hemiptera) were dominant at high elevation; spiders, isopods (Isopoda) and plant hoppers and psyllids (Homoptera) were most abundant at mid elevation; and, Homoptera, cockroaches (Blatteria) and ants (Hymenoptera) dominated low elevations. Arthropod abundance also differed among sites, with significantly more individuals and greater biomass found at high elevation. To better understand which arthropods are important prey items, we flushed the stomachs of nearly 150 Japanese white-eyes (Zosterops japonicus) using warm-water lavage. Our results indicate that Homoptera, Hemiptera and spiders were the most common prey items of these generalist foragers. Determining landscape patterns of arthropod abundance will allow a more complete understanding of factors that influence the distribution of Hawaiian forest birds and will help guide restoration efforts.
*Liba Pejchar,1 Karen Holl1 and Julie Lockwood2
1Department of Environmental Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064. 2Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, 14 College Farm Road, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08824
HOME RANGE SIZE VARIES WITH HABITAT TYPE IN THE ÿAKIAPÖLÄÿAU (Hemignathus munroi): IMPLICATIONS FOR KOA FORESTRY. Reforesting degraded landscapes with native, high-value timber trees may contribute to biodiversity protection while also increasing the economic value of the land. Ideally, these reforested areas should have the habitat characteristics to support viable populations of native fauna. We investigated habitat use by ÿakiapöläÿau (Hemignathus munroi), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, in three habitat types: a relatively intact old-growth forest, an old-growth forest with a long history of
38 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference grazing, and a native koa (Acacia koa) plantation. We quantified habitat characteristics, calculated foraging preferences, mapped home ranges, and measured territoriality and reproductive success at all sites. We found that ÿakiapöläÿau were highly selective, foraging primarily on koa despite its relative scarcity in the environment, and then secondarily on several subcanopy species. Home range size was significantly smaller at the intact old-growth site and the koa plantation, the two sites with greater cover of koa and other species preferred by ÿakiapöläÿau. Birds at these sites were also less territorial, supporting behavioral theory that predicts a nonlinear relationship between food availability and territoriality. Overall, our results show that the koa plantation, with the highest percentage of koa, the smallest ÿakiapöläÿau home ranges, and the least territoriality, supported the highest density of breeding birds. Because koa is an extremely high-value hardwood and thus can be selectively harvested, there is tremendous potential for conservation advocates to work with landowners to grow koa for economic benefit while also enhancing biodiversity.
William C. Pitt and Robert T. Sugihara (Symposium Participants)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, PO Box 10880, Hilo, HI 96720
POTENTIAL ATTRACTANTS, LURES, AND BAIT SUBSTRATES FOR INTRODUCED MONGOOSES (Herpestes auropunctatus) IN HAWAIÿI. Small Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) were introduced to Hawaiÿi Island in 1883 from Jamaica and India by the early sugarcane planters to exterminate rats in sugarcane fields. Subsequent introductions were done on the islands of Maui, Molokaÿi, and Oÿahu; none were introduced on the island of Kauaÿi. Mongooses are now common and firmly established on all the main islands except Kauaÿi (Baldwin et al. 1952). Their value as a serious rodent predator never materialized; instead they have severely limited the reproductive success of at least eight species of endangered Hawaiian birds. The island of Kauaÿi is one of the few places where ground-nesting native bird species have reproduced successfully. Two documented road-kills and numerous credible mongoose sightings have been reported on Kauaÿi over the past 10-15 years. Despite extensive trapping efforts, no individuals have been subsequently observed or captured. Current trapping methods are not effective in low density mongoose populations. Moreover, few tests of potential attractants for mongooses have been conducted and little information is available on relative effectiveness. To increase the likelihood of trapping mongooses in low density areas, we identified candidate bait substrates, lures, and attractants that will elicit a strong attraction response from mongooses in controlled laboratory setting and field trials. Baits tested included foods (fish, chicken, beef, coconut), food scents (fish, egg, cheese, and blood) and animal scents (mongoose feces, predator urine, and synthetic musk).
*Katherine Postelli,1,2,3,4 Jen McBroom,2 Darcy Hu,4 and Thane K. Pratt1
1U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), 3190 Maile Way, Rm. 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Department of Botany and Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB), University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822 4National Park Service, PO Box 52, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718-0052
KALIJ PHEASANT (Lophura leucomelanos) SEED DISPERSAL AND PREDATION IN A MESIC FOREST. The kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos) is an introduced game bird distributed in diverse forest types from sea level to 2450 m elevation on the Island of Hawaiÿi. Although kalij feed on fruits of many native and alien plant species, little is known about the fate of seeds they consume. We made weekly foraging observations and collections of kalij droppings (n = 300) in Kïpuka Puaÿulu in Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park for six months. Kalij were observed eating fruits and/or seeds of 14 species (79% native). Intact seeds of sixteen species (44% native) and seed fragments of thirteen species (54% native) were extracted from droppings. Seeds of native and alien species were found in 61% and 34% of droppings, respectively. Of native species consumed by kalij, some (Pipturus albidus, Leptecophylla tameiameiae, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia) usually occurred as whole seeds; while others (Coprosma rhynchocarpa, Myrsine lessertiana, Nestegis sandwicensis, Sapindus saponaria) usually occurred as seed fragments. Of alien species ingested by kalij, four (Fragaria vesca, Kyllinga brevifolia, Rubus argutus, Rubus rosifolius) typically emerged intact,
39 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference while seeds of the grass, Ehrharta stipoides, were always destroyed. Due to their abundance and the diversity of seed species they consume, kalij may have lasting impacts on plant species dynamics in Hawaiian forests through dispersal and predation of native and alien seeds. Evaluation of kalij interactions with native and alien plant species will enable land managers to respond appropriately to the spread of this invasive alien vertebrate.
Christopher F. Puttock, Laura M. Crago and Shelley A. James,
Bishop Museum Laboratories, Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817
PLANTS FOR RIPARIAN RESTORATION. A new management tool has been developed by Bishop Museum for the outplanting of riparian habitats. Model development was funded by the Tropical Technology Consortium of Natural Resources Conservation Service in October 2003 and completed in March 2004. The model version was released in late April 2004. The second phase of the project, supported by the Hawaiÿi Department of Health CWA 319 funds, commenced in April 2004. The model is now being expanded to encompass many more riparian species, and to address issues relating to biological engineering, such as reduction of sediment loads and improvement of water quality. We will present progress of the tool that will contain approximately 100 species suitable for use in on-site riparian restoration efforts, and demonstrate the ease of its use and the depth of information available. It is planned that by early in 2005, managers of restoration projects will have an interactive tool that will provide them with a comprehensive list of plants that best fit the physical attributes of their riparian restoration sites. This is a new and innovative approach to the development of best management practices for restoration and the use of this tool will enable greater community participation in improving water quality through public involvement and education projects.
Alison C. Roberts1 and Dwayne W. Meadows1,2
1Pacific Whale Foundation, 300 Mäÿalaea Road, Suite 211, Wailuku, HI 96793 2NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
DENSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF SHORT-FINNED PILOT WHALES (Globicephala macrorhynchus) AND PANTROPICAL SPOTTED DOLPHINS (Stenella attenuata) IN A GROWING TOURIST AREA ADJACENT TO MAUI, HAWAIÿI. Accurate data on population size and structure are crucial for the successful management of marine protected species, as well as for establishing baselines for studies of human impacts as development throughout the Hawaiian Islands continues. A systematic boat-based line-transect study on odontocetes around the islands of Maui County was conducted. A pilot study in 2001 showed that the area around Länaÿi has the highest density of odontocetes. We thus focused our study efforts in 2002 to estimate density and abundance in that area. Density estimates are provided for all species encountered in 2002. Due to the small sample size for most species, abundance estimates are only reported for short- finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus, x = 219 individuals, 95% CI = 142 - 339) and pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata, x = 841 individuals, 95% CI = 419 - 1690). The abundance estimate for pilot whales is particularly important, as we suggest that the population is likely a closed population. In addition, the study area is being increasingly visited for on-water tourism activities as development on and tourism to Länaÿi increases. Our findings suggest that this resident population of pilot whales should be included in a revised National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan (as they are required to consider the addition of "other significant resources"), and that current sanctuary boundaries should be extended to encompass this population.
Gordon H. Rodda1, Gad Perry2, and Earl W. Campbell3 (Symposium Speakers)
1 U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. C, Fort Collins, CO 80526 2 Dept. of Range, Wildlife & Fisheries Mgmt., Texas Tech University, Box 42125, Lubbock, TX 79409 3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850
DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-SPECIES BARRIERS. Conservation on Pacific islands is often a matter of protecting native wildlife from non-native predators. Non-native predators can be removed by active control or 40 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference excluded by barriers. Exclusion may be preferable because it may eliminate more species, better mimic the biotic isolation that produced insular biodiversity marvels, and be less costly in the long run, less likely to induce evolved resistance, more acceptable to a skeptical public, and less demanding of uninterrupted political support (costs are front-loaded). High up-front costs include research/development, siting authorization, and construction. Low initial-cost barriers tend to have high maintenance costs. We will review more than a decade of effort to develop and construct barriers in the Mariana Islands, primarily to restrict entry of brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis), rodents, carnivores, and ungulates. Expected challenges included high up-front cost, rapid plant growth, regular typhoons and earthquakes, rodent gnawing, crab digging, unreliable power systems, and gymnastic prowess among the excluded species. Unexpected challenges included grossly-inflated durability claims for construction materials, seemingly irrational behavior of animals challenging the barriers, uncontrolled but critical changes in product specifications, dysfunctional government contracting procedures, aesthetic objections, local government recalcitrance to freebies from Uncle Sam, and bureaucratic paralysis due to unrelated jurisdictional conflict. For exclusion applications involving preventing stowaways from accidental transport in cargo, the largest remaining challenge is precluding contamination inside cargo entering a sanitized zone. For exclusion of predators from nature reserves, the most-challenging unresolved issues are cat exclusion in hurricane-prone areas, gate design, and mouse exclusion.
Edgar Rojas, Kenji Nishida, Pablo Allen, Luis Madrigal, Eduardo Chacon, Emilio Castro, Gerardo Rojas and Paul Hanson
Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San Jose, Costa Rica
TWO INSECT NATURAL ENEMIES OF MICONIA IN COSTA RICA. Where it is native, Miconia calvescens is sparsely distributed and challenging to survey for insects. Over the last two years surveys of natural miconia populations have led to discovery of several insect species with potential for biological control. To date, two species have been studied in detail. One potential agent is a butterfly, Euselasia chrysippe (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Riodininae), whose larvae eat miconia leaves. Females lay eggs on the underside of leaves in clusters of 15-120. After 30 days, larvae hatch and feed together in groups throughout development. Larval development lasts approximately 2 months. The pupal stage lasts 1-3 weeks. Butterflies did not mate or lay eggs in small cages, but did in large field cages (3.5 m or more in height) containing large plants. Adult behavior remains poorly understood, presenting a hurdle to rearing this species for quarantine studies in Hawaiÿi. A second potential biocontrol agent is Dicledophlebia sp. (Homoptera: Psyllidae), which is new to science. These small, reddish psyllids primarily infest shoot tips. Their presence is readily detected by white threads of wax they excrete as nymphs while sucking plant fluid from young leaves. They can also be found developing on flower buds. Under laboratory conditions severe infestation can cause death of miconia plants. This species is probably highly specific to miconia. We hope that we will soon know enough about both these potential agents to begin exporting them to Hawaiÿi for quarantine testing.
*Nina Rothe1, Sam Kahng2
1Hawaiÿi Pacific University, 1164 Bishop Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 2Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
THE ECOLOGY AND IMPACT OF AN ALIEN, INVASIVE OCTOCORAL (Carijoa riisei) IN HAWAIÿI. In 2001, a deep- water survey of the Maui black coral beds discovered alien soft coral Carijoa riisei overgrowing and smothering large numbers of black coral colonies. Until this time, C. riisei was considered relatively benign, colonizing underutilized habitat in shallow-waters. However, a 2003 investigation confirmed that C. riisei was readily killing black corals (Antipathes dichotoma, A. grandis), proliferating at depth, and overgrowing large beds of plate corals (Leptoseris sp.). Relative abundance and distribution of C. riisei was compiled from submersible and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video data to quantify ecological impact at depth. Data and observations suggest that the probability of C. riisei overgrowth on black corals increases with time and may be facilitated by other epifauna. The result is that large, reproductively mature colonies are being selectively killed. Despite this emerging notoriety, little was known about C. riisei’s ecology including its reproductive characteristics. Preliminary results from time series analysis reveal that C. riisei is
41 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference highly fecund and capable of continuously seeding the water column with larvae. While C. riisei exhibits common soft coral reproductive characteristics, it also exhibits a regular incidence of simultaneous hermaphroditism – extremely rare in octocorals. Developing an appropriate management plan will require the assessment of the ecological impact of C. riisei on the marine biota in Hawaiian waters including potential changes in the composition of marine communities and consequent alterations of ecosystem composition.
Craig Rowland1, Terrell Erickson2, Brian Hunter3, Randall Kennedy4, Piÿikea Miller5
1U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, PO Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850 2USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 4-118, PO Box 50004, Honolulu, HI 96850 3 Hawaiÿi Department of Health, 919 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 301, Honolulu, HI 96814 4Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 224, Honolulu, HI 96813 5Hawaiÿi Community Foundation, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 800, Honolulu, HI 96813
HAWAIÿI PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESTORATION. What do the Department of Health and the Department of Land and Natural Resources have in common? Try the protection and restoration of Hawaii's natural resources. Why? Because healthy ecosystems are important to both human health and Hawaii's environment. What about the Hawaiÿi Community Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? You guessed it, natural resources again. Healthy ecosystems bring Hawaiian communities together, prevent soil erosion, enhance watershed capacity, provide clean water, support rare and endangered species, and possess intrinsic values in their own right. A number of different entities that share the goal of protecting and restoring natural resources in Hawaiÿi provide funding and technical expertise to willing landowners. These groups are communicating and collaborating on a regular basis in the belief that working together is the best way to maximize human and funding resources to effectively provide the best service to Hawaii's landowners. These partners may have different mandates, responsibilities and professional expertise; however, in Hawaii's environment, they have very important common ground.
Daniel Rubinoff
Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3050 Maile Way, 310 Gilmore Hall, Honolulu, HI 96822
THE CONSERVATION AND EVOLUTION OF HAWAII’S UNUSUAL AQUATIC MOTHS (Hyposmocoma). The cosmopterigid moth genus Hyposmocoma may rival or exceed Drosophila in terms of endemic Hawaiian species diversity. The current number of species is already over 400, though relatively little research has been conducted. As one of the greatest radiations in the Hawaiian Islands, Hyposmocoma could provide a powerful source of information for the prioritization of regions and habitats on which conservation attention should be focused to save relatively intact native ecosystems. I present the first systematic analysis, based on mtDNA sequence, for one small, unusual group of Hyposmocoma, which has evolved a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Analysis includes assessment of relatedness of populations within and between watersheds on four of the high islands. Aquatic Lepidoptera are a global evolutionary anomaly, making Hawaii’s radiation especially worthy of preservation. Riparian degradation appears to have limited the range of many populations, and aquatic Hyposmocoma may serve as indicator species for assessments of riparian habitat or water quality, though habitat requirements are poorly understood. Conservation and evolutionary implications of systematic relationships will be discussed.
Katerine O. Schletz,1,2 Dennis Triglia,1,2 and Carter Atkinson1
1U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, Kïlauea Field Station, PO Box 44, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), 3190 Maile Way, St. John Hall 408, Honolulu, HI 96822
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OF EVOLVING DISEASE RESISTANCE IN LOW ELEVATION HAWAIÿI ÿAMAKIHI (Hemignathus virens) FROM THE PUNA DISTRICT, HAWAIÿI ISLAND. One of the primary hypotheses explaining
42 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference the relatively recent emergence of low elevation native bird populations on both Oÿahu and Hawaiÿi is natural selection for resistance to introduced avian pox and malaria. While this hypothesis is appealing, supporting data have been circumstantial and other alternative explanations have not been ruled out. We measured morbidity and mortality to acute malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in a group of uninfected low elevation Hawaiÿi ÿamakihi (Hemignathus virens) from Puna, and a group of uninfected high elevation Hawaiÿi ÿamakihi from Upper Waiäkea Forest Reserve by exposing birds to single infective mosquito bites. Control groups included superinfected low and high elevation ÿamakihi and uninfected high elevation ÿamakihi. Low elevation ÿamakihi had lower peripheral parasitemias, lost significantly less body weight, and had lower mortality during acute phases of the infection than high elevation birds. These findings provide the first definitive evidence that natural selection may be driving evolution of more disease resistant native birds in areas with intense disease transmission. The high rates of disease transmission that occur in some low elevation habitats may be critical for speeding selection of disease resistance, highlighting the importance of protecting and managing low and mid elevation native forests.
Matt Schultz,1 Regan Ritchie,1 Patti Welton,2 Rick Parry,1 Bill Haus,2 Steve Anderson2
1Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, PO Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768 2Haleakalä National Park, Vegetation Management, Resource Management Division, PO Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768
STABILIZATION OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES AT HALEAKALÄ NATIONAL PARK. Hawaiÿi faces a critical need to manage and recover threatened and endangered plant species. The extinction crisis in Hawaiÿi and the high proportion of endangered rare plant species in the Hawaiian flora are largely due to the impacts of humans, and more importantly, their introductions. At Haleakalä National Park, broadscale habitat restoration has been enacted for most areas through feral ungulate removal and control of key alien plant species for the last twenty years. Some rare plant species have begun to regenerate; others have not. The species most at risk for local extinction are beginning to be stabilized by establishing new populations in historical habitat with outplantings of propagated individuals. Twenty plant species (ten federally listed as endangered, two species candidates for listing, and eight species of concern) were initially identified as warranting population stabilization. Four nursery facilities have been constructed to accommodate the propagation of plants in the subalpine shrubland, mid-elevation wet forest, and coastal lowland habitats of the park. Quarantine and sanitization protocols have been implemented to prevent the dispersal of weeds and diseases. Thus far, the stabilization project has been successful with high survivorship of outplantings with minimal post planting maintenance. This project will prevent the loss of species from demographic or environmental chance events, and allow time for more detailed studies on demography and limiting factors needed for well-informed recovery programs.
Alison R. Sherwood1 and Clifford W. Morden1,2
1Botany Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822 2Center for Conservation Research and Training, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, Honolulu, HI 96822
RAPD ANALYSES OF THE HAWAIIAN ENDEMIC COTTON (Gossypium tomentosum Nutt. ex Seem.) REVEAL UNEXPECTED LEVELS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY. The Hawaiian endemic cotton plant (Gossypium tomentosum) is reported from all islands in the Hawaiian archipelago except the big island of Hawai‘i. Previously published molecular analyses of the species have suggested that little genetic variation is present within the taxon. We used the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to examine the genetic diversity of 72 individuals of the plant, including eight populations from the islands of Oÿahu (5), Länaÿi (2) and Kahoÿolawe (1). Cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis of the RAPD markers both indicate that substantial genetic variation is present within the species, contrary to prior indications. Interestingly, populations from the same island did not always group together in the analyses, and one well-defined cluster contained populations from all three islands included in the study. This indicates that populations are not specific to each island, and some mixing probably occurs among the three islands. Given that Hawaiian cotton usually grows on dry and rocky coastal plains to approximately 120 m elevation, preservation of terrestrial near shore habitats is necessary for the success of the species. These molecular
43 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference results indicate, however, that the genetics of populations from each island are rarely unique, and thus any future conservation efforts could be facilitated by this apparent genetic intermixing.
David G. Smith,1 Ati Jeffers-Fabro2 and Christina R. McGuire1
1Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813 2Hawaiÿi Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822
INCORPORATING RESTORATION TECHNIQUES AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO SAVE A COMMUNITY AND A WETLAND: POUHALA MARSH ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. The Hawaiÿi State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) along with The Hawaiÿi Nature Center, and many other partners, are working to restore a 28 ha (70-acre) wetland ecosystem at Pouhala Marsh, Waipahu Oÿahu. Designated as a “Weed and Seed” area, Waipahu is in the midst of taking back its community from crime and degradation. DLNR, along with numerous partners, is helping to fulfill the environmental aspect of the community clean up by heading the restoration of Pouhala Marsh. Results from this multi-year project include significant on-the-ground wetland restoration accomplishments including the removal of invasive species and the development of an educational program for local students. Community volunteers, organized through the Hawaiÿi Nature Center, have collected over several tons of debris from the marsh to date. Ecological results from this project have included the re- establishment of endangered waterbird populations throughout the marsh along with increased breeding success each year. This project has generated positive environmental stewardship by involving community members in the restoration and management process. The Pouhala Marsh Project demonstrates that there is substantial opportunity to engage, inform, and involve the community during all phases of the restoration process. Through community involvement conservation mangers can establish a working conduit that will ensure the success of any habitat conservation project.
David G. Smith (Symposium Participant)
Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 2135 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822
RAT ERADICATION ON MOKOLIÿI ISLET, OÿAHU, HAWAIÿI. Annual seabird surveys conducted on Mokoliÿi Islet off Oÿahu’s windward coast indicated a struggling population of wedge-tailed shearwaters apparently beset by rat predation. But it was not until members of the local Kahaluÿu community chased down and killed a black rat, and then notified the Division of Forestry and Wildlife and requested assistance with eradicating rats from the island, that the state was able to act. With assistance from local community volunteers and students at the University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, traps and registered toxicants were deployed on the island, rats were eradicated, and the wedge-tailed shearwater population flourished.
Bill D. Sparklin,¹ Chris N. Brosius,¹ John P. Vetter,¹ and Kirsty J. Swinnerton¹
¹Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, 2465 Olinda Road, Makawao, HI 96768
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RAT CONTROL MEASURES WITHIN PORTIONS OF HANAWÏ NATURAL AREA RESERVE, MAUI, HAWAIÿI. Since 1997, non-native mammalian predators have been aggressively controlled within the three home ranges of the poÿouli, a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper. Rats are primarily controlled using rodenticide (0.005% diphacinone) distributed inside bait stations. Since August of 2001, we have monitored the effectiveness of these rat control efforts. Relative rat abundances were measured in each of five snap-trapping grids (three treatment, two control). Initial results indicated that rat densities were significantly lower inside the treatment areas on average, but treatment effectiveness varied with site, session, and rat species. We compared our data to accepted standards of control (80%), and found that target levels were achieved in only one of the treatment areas consistently. Because of this inconsistency, rodent control grids failing to maintain acceptable levels of control were redesigned. Since redesigning the treatment grids, we have consistently achieved target control levels for black rats (Rattus rattus) in all three treatment areas. However, we still are unable to consistently achieve target levels of control for Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans). These findings indicate the need for continued improvement of
44 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference rat control mechanisms. Monitoring the results for black and Polynesian rats should occur individually. It also suggests that managers may need to design future rodent control operations targeting specific Rattus spp. independently to achieve the best results. This type of adaptive management is critical to effectively and consistently control these two rat species in Hawaiian forests.
Bill D. Sparklin,¹ Chris N. Brosius,¹ John P. Vetter,¹ and Kirsty J. Swinnerton¹
¹Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, 2465 Olinda Road, Makawao, HI 96768.
EFFECTS OF PREDATOR CONTROL MEASURES AND NESTING SUBSTRATE ON NEST PREDATION, EAST MAUI, HAWAIÿI. Between January and July of 2003, we monitored the success of natural and artificial nests during two studies on East Maui, Hawaiÿi. At the conclusion of nest monitoring, snap trapping was conducted in the study plots to determine relative density of Rattus spp. The purpose of the first study was to determine the effects of predator control on nest predation within portions of the Hanawï Natural Area Reserve. Predation rates were very low and no significant differences in predation of artificial nests between treatment and control areas were observed. Snap trapping showed that predator control did effectively reduce rat density in treatment areas. The second study examined the effect of nesting substrate on nest predation within the Makawao Forest Reserve. We chose fruiting and non-fruiting nest substrates for artificial nests in two habitat types. Overall, predation rates were low, but nests in fruiting substrates had significantly higher rates of predation. Neither study showed any relationship between rat density and nest predation of artificial nests. These findings suggest nesting substrate and food availability may influence nest predation by Rattus rattus more than rat density in Hawaiian forests. Due to the high cost and labor intensive nature of current predator control methods in Hawaiÿi, only small key areas within the state receive treatment. This information may help land managers prioritize areas for future control until more efficient large-scale methods are available.
Bryon Stevens
Department of Land and Natural Resources, DOFAW, Maui Branch, Natural Area Reserves System, 54 South High Street #101, Wailuku, HI 96793
SLINKY FENCE. Managers seeking to exclude feral ungulates from native ecosystems and watershed areas in Hawaiÿi are often hampered by steep terrain that makes construction of fences difficult and dangerous. Feral pigs and cattle might be deterred by vertical cliffs, but agile critters such as goats and deer can easily cross topography too steep to block with standard “hog-wire” type fences. In February of 2004, a trial installation was made of a fencing material designed for steep topography. Four hundred linear feet (122 m) of “Slinky Fence” was placed in Kamalö valley, on the island of Moloka‘i. This short segment was used to close a gap where the watershed protection fence crossed a steep canyon. “Slinky Fence” is similar to the concertina razor-wire used for military and security applications, but without the razor blades. The light weight, and stainless steel construction make it ideal for quick deployment in steep country and in high corrosion environments. The Molokaÿi test provided an opportunity to develop techniques for deploying and anchoring the fence. Despite some initial difficulties, it appears that the “Slinky Fence” can be an effective means of building animal-proof blockades across otherwise impossible terrain.
Catherine E. Swift1 and Michael M. Matsukawa2 (Symposium Speakers)
1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96780 2Hawaiÿi Department of Agriculture, 1428 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96814
BAIT STATIONS FOR DUMMIES: AN UPDATE AND REVIEW OF RODENT CONTROL IN CONSERVATION AREAS. Government conservation agencies in Hawaiÿi, primarily the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State Division of Forestry and Wildlife, maintain rodenticide labels in cooperation with the product manufacturers, the State Department of Agriculture and the U.S. EPA, that allow three rodenticide products to be used in bait stations for the protection of native species from rat, mouse, and mongoose predation. These labels, which represent State and federal pesticide regulations, have been carefully written to ensure that the rodenticides are used safely and effectively. Recent revisions to the labels now
45 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference require all users to submit a protocol describing the baiting program to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review to ensure that each program is following the letter and intent of the label, and will achieve its stated conservation goals. Guidelines for the protocols will be presented and explained, along with some fundamentals of pesticide regulations as they relate to these rodenticide uses.
*Kimberly J. Uyehara,1 Terrell Erickson,2 and Michael Robotham3
1Department of Natural Resources, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 (mailing address: 73-1270 Awakea Street, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740) 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Prince Kühiö Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 4-118, PO Box 50004, Honolulu, HI 96850 3U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tropical Technology Consortium, Sherman Laboratory, Room 240, 1910 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
INVASION IN TARO LOÿI: ISSUES FOR FARMERS AND ENDANGERED WILDLIFE. Wetland taro (Colocasia esculenta) is cultivated in flooded terraces or loÿi typically carved from rich alluvial floodplain soils. The shallow open water in this productive zone attracts a variety of wildlife. Five endangered and at least 25 species of migratory waterbirds inhabit taro farms. The listed koloa (Anas wyvilliana) and Hawaiian moorhen (Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis) forage and breed on taro farms. Associated waterways are habitat for striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), hïhïwai (Neritina granosa), and mountain ÿöpae (Atyoida bisulcata). Five Hawaiian goby species are found in Hanalei Valley and Waipiÿo Valley, the largest taro cultivation areas in the state. Our objective is to develop conservation practices to enhance wildlife habitat. We conducted a literature review and interviewed wildlife, wetlands, and agriculture specialists, researchers, and farmers. Surprisingly, little is published on wildlife in taro. Interviews were valuable at identifying major issues. There are several invasive species that concern both wildlife and farm production: Feral ungulates and other mammalian predators, apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata), domestic and feral ducks (A. platyrhynchos domesticus), hydrophytes, and taro pathogens such as Pythium root rot are harmful or potentially harmful to taro culture, wildlife, and watershed functions. We are developing conservation practices that are mutually beneficial and ecologically sound to address wildlife, invasive species, and other resource concerns that can be included in taro management systems. We also identify funding sources, including Farm Bill programs that may be available to assist farmers in the implementation of these practices.
Erica Von Allmen,1,2 Nellie Sugii,3 Tamara Sherrill,4 Anna Palamino,5 Art Medeiros1
1U.S. Geological Survey, BRD, PIERC, Haleakalä Field Station, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 2Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (UH), 3190 Maile Way, Rm. 408, Honolulu, HI 96822 3Harold Lyon Arboretum, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3860 Mänoa Rd. Honolulu, HI 96822 4Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, PO Box 6040, Kahului, HI 96733 5Hoÿolawa Farm, PO Box 731, Haÿikü, HI 96708
RESTORATION AT PUÿUOKALI LAVA FLOWS, SOUTHWESTERN HALEAKALÄ, MAUI WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO Kokia cookei OUTPLANTINGS. Wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) forests on lava flows of Puÿuokali, near Kïhei, Maui are the best example of lowland dry forest on Maui and among the finest in the archipelago. Introduced to leeward Haleakalä in 1955, axis deer (Axis axis) have increased their numbers and begun to progressively damage native vegetation. In 2001, a ten-year conservation lease was granted for a 95.5 ha area of diverse wiliwili forest by the landowner, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). Contractors fenced the area in 2003 with funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The interagency restoration effort, coordinated by one of the authors (ACM) (U.S. Geological Survey), includes DHHL, USFWS, Harold Lyon Arboretum, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, Hoÿolawa Farms, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and Haleakalä National Park. Outplantings in Spring 2003 and Fall 2004 re-established the formerly extinct Haleakalä form of the maÿo hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei). After field testing the suitability of Kokia cookei, perhaps the world’s rarest tree, by planting a grafted individual on Kokia drynarioides rootstock, we outplanted two seedlings donated by Keith Robinson with others being prepared by one of the authors (NS) at Harold Lyon Arboretum. Other outplanted species include Gouania hillebandii (West Maui genetic material) and Vigna o-wahuensis (Kanaio material). After an especially rainy
46 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference winter, outplanted seedlings are thriving. With restoration, Puÿuokali can become one of the finest low elevation forest reserves in the State.
Lauren Weisenberger, Alvin Yoshinaga
Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, 3860 Mänoa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
IDENTIFYING STORAGE POTENTIAL FOR SEEDS OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN PLANT SPECIES. Invasive species have posed a major threat to native habitats in Hawaiÿi, especially to many native plant species. The Seed Conservation Lab (SCL) addresses this crisis from the perspective of preserving native plants by studying germination and storage characteristics of their seeds. SCL gathers data on seeds of many native species, from common to endangered plants, to provide a seed storage facility and useful information, such as storage longevity and viability, to assist in management plans of native habitats. SCL also continually tries to increase the number of species in its seed bank for genetic conservation purposes. Data from storage studies of some species have been summarized in graphs to depict storage trends. Seeds are stored at various combinations of moisture levels and temperatures over time and germination is tested at set intervals. A very wide range of results are described, from species that cannot tolerate any storage treatment, to species that can be stored for over five years at any storage condition other than outside/natural conditions. Similar past studies typically describe mainly agricultural species as storing best at the lowest moisture level and temperature tested, while recent trends may eventually indicate that the majority of native seeds store better at temperatures above freezing and at a range of moisture levels. Results are limited mostly by the inability to receive large numbers of seeds to test all storage treatments for a long period of time.
Patti Welton, Kevin D. Anderson, Casey Del Real, Beth Eisenberg, Ann Erickson, Bill Haus, Matthew Schultz, Regan Ritchie, Rick Parry and Michael Vacek
Haleakalä National Park, Vegetation Management, Resources Management Division, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768
DEFOLIATION OF KOA (Acacia koa) AT HALEAKALÄ NATIONAL PARK, MAUI, DUE TO THE VASCULAR WILT FUNGUS Fusarium oxysporum f.sp koae AND/OR THE ENDEMIC MOTH, Scotorythra paludicola? Charles Lamoureux regarded Haleakalä National Park as having the finest remaining koa (Acacia koa) stands in the Hawaiian Islands. This magnificent co-dominant canopy tree is distributed over 1700 ha in Haleakalä National Park from the wet forests of Kaumakani, Kïpahulu and Kaÿäpahu from 1200-4100 feet to the mesic forests of Manawainui and Kaupö from 4000-5800 feet. In 2003, koa trees of all size classes lost the majority of their phyllodes in 2600 acres within the Park. More than 50% of the koa trees monitored above 2200 feet in the wet forests lost more than 75% of their phyllodes (78% of which were 95% or completely defoliated). Prior to defoliation, phyllodes on trees were either predated by caterpillars of the native endemic moth, Scotorythra paludicola (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), or showed yellowing symptoms of a vascular wilt disease caused by the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp koae. Scotorythra paludicola has defoliated koa in five previous events since the 1900s, four on Maui and one on the Big Island. Moths of this species were reared from caterpillars predating koa phyllodes. The form F. oxysporum f.sp koae is implicated in “Koa Dieback” at Hawaiÿi Volcanoes National Park and is a serious disease in koa plantations. F. oxysporum was isolated from stem samples yet confirmation of pathogenicity is not complete. This phenomenon has serious statewide ecosystem and management implications.
Mark L White, Audrey Newman, Carnet Williams, Alenka Remec
The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiÿi, 923 Nuÿuanu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817
PACIFIC ISLAND INVASIVES LEARNING NETWORK. Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in Pacific Island ecosystems. When invasive plants and animals spread unchecked, they can disrupt natural cycles and engender high damage and control costs. The Nature Conservancy recently joined with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Cooperative Island Initiative on Invasive Species, the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group, the National Park Service of American
47 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference Sämoa, Conservation International, the Palau Office of Environmental Response and Coordination, and others to establish the Pacific Island Invasives Learning Network (PIILN). PIILN will serve teams of Pacific Island agencies responsible for invasives management. PIILN’s mission is to empower effective invasive species management through a participant-driven network that meets priority needs, rapidly shares skills and resources, provides links to technical expertise, increases information exchange, and accelerates on- the-ground action. Peer learning networks are a proven strategy for improving conservation skills and building cooperation between conservation managers and scientists. Multi-disciplinary project teams work together on strategies with critical input from other teams and experts, resulting in a common vision and plan for effective conservation action. The first set of PIILN teams will come from Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and Hawaiÿi, with each team representing a single nation, state, or archipelago. Examples of potential projects include: 1) developing a national invasives strategy; 2) implementing a pest risk assessment process; 3) adapting international health standards to regulate imports; and, 4) eradicating rats or invasive plants from offshore islands. The first meeting is proposed for early 2005.
*A. Nämaka Whitehead, Hö‘ala Fraiola, and Tamara Ticktin
Botany Department, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 3190 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822
E NIHI KA HELENA: CONSERVATION, ECOLOGY, AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF WILD-PLANT GATHERING AND ASSOCIATED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. There exists rising pressure to recognize the rights of aboriginal peoples and a growing environmental movement searching for alternative and complementary approaches to Western science and technology. A significant focus of natural resource conservation in the Hawaiian Islands should be towards understanding the ecologically sound practices that were observed by native Hawaiian kupuna and ways that this wisdom can be successfully integrated with Western scientific resource management. Utilizing a combination of indigenous scientific knowledge, experimental ecology, and population modeling, the objective of this project is to quantify some of the ecological implications of traditional Hawaiian wild-plant gathering practices. Four native plant species essential to hula kahiko practice and reported to be declining were selected, including pala‘ö (Sphenomeris chinensis), palapalai (Microlepia strigosa), maile (Alyxia oliviformis), and mokihana (Melicope anisata). Sites were established on three islands to assess the effects of different gathering practices, as well as the variation in growth between harvested and non-harvested populations. Certain types of pala‘ö and palapalai harvest did not have significant effects on individual and population growth and actually decreased the cover of invasives. Mokihana harvest may exacerbate regeneration problems caused by understory invasives, although potential solutions are presented in the traditional wisdom of local kupuna. Further results of this ongoing study will be used to identify some of the ecological conditions and management protocols under which traditional Hawaiian wild-plant gathering practices are consistent with conservation values.
Shannon Wianecki,1 Jeff Bagshaw,2 Elizabeth Anderson,3 and Elizabeth Speith4
1Höi’ke o Haleakala¯ Curriculum, PO Box 790666, Päÿia, HI 96779 2Haleakala¯ National Park, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 3Maui Invasive Species Committee, PO Box 983, Makawao, Maui, HI 96768 4U.S. Geological Survey, Box 196, 310 West Ka'ahumanu Ave., Kahului (Maui), HI 96732
THE HÖ’IKE O HALEAKALÄ CURRICULUM: A MODEL FOR STATEWIDE EDUCATION ON INVASIVE SPECIES ISSUES? Unless major prevention and response actions are taken – actions which will require solid public support – biological invasions will continue to erode the biological integrity of our island ecosystems, eventually even the last strongholds. The Hö’ike o Haleakala¯ curriculum has been developed over the past eight years by a partnership on the island of Maui, comprised of teachers from public and private high schools, members of interested community organizations, and staff from the Hawaiÿi Natural History Association, Haleakala¯ National Park, and The Nature Conservancy. The partnership has worked with a highly qualified curriculum writing and development team to produce the beginnings of a comprehensive environmental education curriculum specific to Maui to promote understanding of island ecosystems, a feeling of shared ownership, and a commitment to active stewardship. The target group is primarily high school level, though testing will occur in the local community college and in intermediate schools, as well. Ecosystem-based modules
48 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference have recently been completed for Haleakala¯ volcano’s aeolian zone, rainforest, and the coastal/marine zone (www.hear.org/hoike). We are now involved in taking this material into the schools, actively involving teachers and students. Though having much broader educational objectives, Hö’ike o Haleakala¯ can be thought of as an innovative effort at educating local students to understand the overwhelming effects of invasive species on biodiversity, agriculture, health, economy, and quality-of-life of an oceanic island ecosystem, and to obtain long-term public support of and participation in such efforts. Each ecosystem- based module has units on the effects and/or future threats of invasive species.
*Amber Wright1 and Mindy Wilkinson2
1Center for Population Biology, Section of Evolution and Ecology, University of California at Davis, CA 95616 2Hawaiÿi Department of Land and Natural Resources, DOFAW, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
POTENTIAL HABITAT OF THE COQUI FROG (Eleutherodactylus coqui) IN HAWAIÿI. Predictions about the potential range of an invader can be useful for setting management priorities, assessing risks, and identifying pathways of invasion. Introduced coqui frogs have been recognized as having potential ecological and economic impacts that are related to the location and density of coqui populations. The range of coqui in Hawaiÿi is continuing to expand. Given enough time and opportunity, what is the potential extent of the coqui invasion? GIS was used to create time-series maps of the known spread of coqui in Hawaiÿi. Ecological information about habitat use of coqui in its native Puerto Rico was used to select habitat variables that are potentially important at a landscape scale such as elevation, canopy cover, temperature, rainfall, and vegetation type. Combinations of these factors were overlaid with existing GIS layers to create a range of predictions regarding the potential extent of habitat suitable for coqui in Hawaiÿi. These maps can be used to infer patterns and pathways of invasion, identify areas of high conservation value at risk of coqui invasion, identify areas of high economic value at risk of coqui invasion, and highlight the potential extent of the problem under different management scenarios. Results show that the elevational range of coqui in Hawaiÿi already surpasses that seen in the native range, potential coqui habitat overlaps with known native bird habitat on at least Maui and the Big Island, and there is considerable habitat available for further colonization by coqui.
John D. Zardus and Michael G. Hadfield
Kewalo Marine Lab, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa, 41 ÿÄhui Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
GENETIC TRACKS OF THE INVASION OF HAWAIÿI BY AN ATLANTIC BARNACLE. The Atlantic barnacle (Chthamalus proteus) is a recent invader of Hawaiÿi, probably transported here as adults on ship hulls or as larvae in ballast water. Judging from its absence in faunal surveys prior to 1974 and its first record in 1993, it became established in Hawaiÿi between 10 to 30 years ago. Herein, we report on its geographic distribution and genetic variation among the major Hawaiian Islands. Genetic comparisons were also made with potential source populations in the Atlantic and the Caribbean and with possible stepping- stone populations elsewhere in the Pacific. Sequencing a portion of the mitochondrial COI gene, we applied phylogenetic analyses to determine 1) levels of genetic variation among Hawaiian populations, 2) the number of introduction events, 3) matches for source populations, and 4) the predominant mode of dispersal within Hawaiÿi. We found C. proteus on nearly every major Hawaiian island, mostly in harbors, bays and ancient fishponds. Haplotypes were not evenly distributed among localities, yet no island was completely distinct genetically. Similarities with several different genetic stocks point to multiple introductions from both the Atlantic and the Caribbean. The presence of unique haplotypes indicates that other source populations remain to be found. A disjunct distribution of haplotypes, as opposed to an even spread, argues for boat traffic as a more important agent of dissemination among the islands than larval dispersal in the plankton. Results imply that management efforts need to consider both inter-island and transoceanic transportation.
Naupaka Zimmerman,1 R. Flint Hughes,2 Susan Cordell,2 Patrick Hart,3 Heather Chang,4 David Perez5
1Harvard University, 464 Mather Mail Center, Cambridge, MA 02138
49 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference 2U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, 23 E. Käwili St., Hilo, HI 96720 3U.S. Geological Survey- Biological Resources Division, PO Box 44, Hawaiÿi National Park, HI 96718 4University of Hawaiÿi at Hilo, 11 Kupono St., Hilo, HI 96720 5 Appalachian State University,1212 Fallsmead Way, Potomac, MD 20854
THE STATE OF LOWLAND WET FORESTS IN HAWAIÿI: VARIATION IN ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS AND IMPACTS OF INVASIVE SPECIES. Hawaii’s lowland wet forests are in critical condition, with few remaining isolated patches primarily limited to eastern Hawaiÿi. To better understand these native systems, we quantified basal area (BA) and densities of woody species at seven sites in the Puna district on the Big Island representing age gradients of native stand development on both ‘aÿä and pähoehoe lava flows. On both flow types, BA of native species generally increased (from five to 50 m2 ha-1), and stem densities decreased (from 3700 to 2600 stems ha-1) with increasing stand/flow age, primarily as a function of the stand dynamics of ÿöhiÿa (Metrosideros polymorpha), the dominant overstory tree. Native stand development was more rapid on ‘aÿä compared to pähoehoe flows. We found that lowland wet native forests remain at least partially intact in several locations, but their functional and compositional integrity is increasingly compromised by invasion of non-native species, such as strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) and Asian melastome (Melastoma candidum). Compared to native species, BA of non-native species was relatively low in each stand, but on older flows in particular non-native stem densities swamped those of their native counterparts, with values as high as 18,000 stems ha-1. We provide this information concerning lowland wet forest remnants as a framework to better understand succession patterns in these dwindling native forests, with hope that such information will induce and support efforts to preserve what is left.
50 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference
Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance
The Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance (HCA) is an innovative partnership, formed in 1986, guided and funded by the eleven organizations most actively involved in natural resource management, research and education programs in Hawaiÿi. The HCA is a unit within the UH Center for Conservation Research and Training which meets quarterly to determine the HCA agenda and guide its activities.
HCA Partner Organizations and Advisory Group Members
• University of Hawaiÿi - Center for Conservation Research and Training Ken Kaneshiro, Rob Cowie • The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiÿi Sam Gon, Karen Poiani • DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife Randy Kennedy, Paul Conry • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Steve Miller, Earl Campbell • USDA Forest Service Boone Kauffman, Kathy Ewel • USGS Biological Resources Discipline Bill Steiner, Jim Jacobi • National Park Service Bryan Harry, Don Reeser • Bishop Museum Allen Allison, Chris Puttock • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Larry Yamamoto, Kathleen Dobler, Terrell Erickson • Kamehameha Schools Peter Simmons • Ducks Unlimited Tom Dwyer, Sharon Reilly
Mission
To achieve effective conservation of Hawaii’s natural resources through collaborative research, training and outreach.
Goals
• Ensure that Hawaii’s leaders understand the conservation issues of statewide significance, and encourage them to focus their resources on solving the highest priority problems. • Achieve effective management on 90% of Hawaii’s native ecosystems existing in the year 2000. • Support restoration of rare and endangered species. • Increase support for high priority, management-oriented, conservation research. • Strengthen the skills of conservation professionals. • Increase public awareness and involvement in conserving and managing Hawaii’s ecosystems.
Activities
• Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference • Hawaiÿi Conservation Forum • Pacific-wide Conservation Exchange Program • Training Workshops for Conservation Professionals • Conservation Science Information on the Internet • Natural Resource Economic Valuation Initiative • Public Awareness Partnership and Campaign Strategy • Workshops Illustrating Marine Issues and Strategies for Positive Resolution • White Papers and Briefings for Decision-makers
For more information, contact: Claudia Hamblin-Katnik, Ph.D. Hawaiÿi Conservation Alliance Phone: (808) 956-6894 3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 409 Email: [email protected] Revised: Honolulu, HI 96822 Web: www.hawaiiconservationalliance.org 5/27/04
51 2004 Hawaiÿi Conservation Conference