National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring U.S. Department of the Interior Pacific Island Network News

Newsletter of the Pacific Island Network Inventory & Monitoring Program July-Sept 2005, Issue no. 01

2 Coordina- 4 Notes from 6 Featured Re- Inventories...3 tor's Columns the Field source - Ha- Data Management…3 Monitoring...4 The Inventory and Monitoring Program The herpetological inventory (reptiles waiian Hoary invites you to enjoy our inaugural and amphibians) in Hawaii parks was Network Staff...4 developed in order to determine which Bat quarterly newsletter. As we complete Games Corner…5 an ambitious program of 52 inventory species of amphibians and reptiles The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semo- projects, we are both grateful for and have established populations on park Program Update & Calendar...5 tus) is the only terrestrial mammal boggled by the diversity of nature's properties in Hawaii, and if any of the native to Hawaii. Ancient Hawaiians presence in the Pacific. By communi- species present pose a marked threat ......

Green Sand Beach along the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, island of Hawai'i. About this Newsletter

Hello. Aloha. Talofa. Hafa adai. Konichiwa. natural areas to historic sites and war memori- grammatic updates of the general administra- als. With this newsletter we aim to share with tion of the Inventory and Monitoring Program These are just some of the many greetings from you a brief glimpse of the work that we do in and the PACN. Specific information will be in- the Park Service's farthest flung network span- and for America's National Park's in the Pacific. cluded in each issue for the three main thrusts ning a large swath of the the Pacific Ocean. of the program: inventories, monitoring, and This publication is for everyone. However, is data management. Additional materials will be Welcome to the Inventory and Monitoring Pro- intended for a broad audience including the added based upon your feedback. gram (I&M), Pacific Island Network's (PACN) PACN Board of Directors, Technical Com- inaugural newsletter. We hope you enjoy this mittee, Park Service staff, and program coop- We welcome your contributions and encourage scintillating news and commentary about the erators such as those involved in conducting your feedback! If you have items to contrib- PACN I&M program and our findings. Our inventories, preparing monitoring protocols, ute, including a brief article, or a resource you parks range in focus from nationally protected or collaborating on numerous projects. Be would like to see featured, please let us know. sure not to miss the last page which highlights You can contribute to this a 'featured resource' intended to provide an A hardcopy of this quarterly newsletter is integrated and concise overview of one of the mailed to each Park Superintendent in the newsletter! Please let us know many resources the NPS strives to preserve and network, and an email distribution list is also in of topics you think we should protect – in part through inventory and moni- use. Past issues will be available on our website. include, or if you have material toring. If you would like to modify the way you receive to contribute. this newsletter, please let us know. We hope The content of the newsletter includes pro- you enjoy our first newsletter!

The official newsletter of the Pacific Island Network • July-Sept. 2005, Issue 01 Greetings from Leslie Coordinator's Column — Aloha and Welcome to the Pacific Island Net- work! —The PACN spans from Kïlauea’s summit Introduction to Program to the limestone forests of Guam, and finally to the coral reef lagoons of American Samoa. We Hafa adai (Aloha in Chamorro)! The Inventory conservation and management of the unique encompass 11 crown jewel Pacific Island Nation- and Monitoring program invites you to enjoy flora, fauna, and the landscape of our Islands. al Parks (see map). These Parks are part of the our inaugural quarterly Newsletter. As we Whether it be in the newly annexed Kahuku National Park System that is intended to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources for complete an ambitious program of 52 inventory ranch (HAVO) with old growth Koa and rare and by the American people. The I&M Program projects, we are both grateful and boggled by pit craters, or standing on the edge of the tragic is privileged to help with the preservation and the diversity of nature’s presence in the Pacific. WWII landing beaches on Guam and Saipan protection in our 11 Parks through studying and By communicating through this newsletter, our (AMME and WAPA), or perhaps snorkeling in documenting the plants, animals, and natural Pacific Island collaborators and partners can the aquarium-like coral reef at Kaloko-Hon- processes that make the Parks a living laboratory remain apprised of the I&M Program activities, oköhau, we work together toward a common for scientists and the public. We invite you to visit and explore our National Parks. schedules, and plans for monitoring natural goal to preserve the natural wonders in our resources in our 11 National Parks. care. We face our glory and our challenge: Ä Hui Hou, our joy in the song of an 'äkepa, and pure grit The charge of our Program is to help preserve required to study and eradicate the agents of Leslie HaySmith, Ecologist & PACN Coordinator and protect the unique features of the National the 'äkepa’s demise (e.g., mosquitoes, exotic Parks in Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, and American pests, invasive plants). So with much gratitude, National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Samoa. Planning for long-term monitoring in I want to thank the many dedicated people these National Parks is underway. It will span that work with I&M including: Network/Park Pacific Island Network a diverse array of Park features such as: caves, staff, CESU/PCSU Cooperators, USGS, Bishop P.O. Box 52 native and invasive plants, coral reefs, seabirds, Musuem, and many others who overcome 1 Crater Rim Drive - Qtrs 22 Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 marine fish, anchialine pool fauna, flying foxes, obstacles as we wind our way to a better un- erosion, water quality, climate, forest birds, land derstanding of Pacific Island ecosystems and Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative use, and viewscapes. We are enthusiastic as its spectacular biota and land and sea scapes Ecosystem Studies Unit University of Hawaii at Manoa we chart our course for this huge monitoring through the nebulous efforts known as moni- 3190 Maile Way, St.John Hall #408 endeavor over numerous ecosystems and span- toring. It takes vision to persevere, as Henry Honolulu, HI 96822-2279 ning the Pacific. David Thoreau said: “In wildness is the preser- vation of the world." The National Park Service has implemented As the I&M Network Coordinator, I have natural resource inventory and monitoring on a servicewide basis to ensure all park units possess the privilege of working with many highly With aloha, Leslie. the resource information needed for effective, dedicated folks, who are deeply committed to science-based management, decision-making, and resource protection.

Network Coordinator Leslie HaySmith

Contributors Pacific Island Network Staff Hawaii-Pacific Islands CESU Cooperators

Comments? Write to: Cory Nash Pacific Island Network P.O. Box 52 Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 Phone: 808-985-6185 Fax: 808-985-6111 Email: [email protected] web: http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/pacn

Mailing List Please pass this newsletter on to interested parties. To be added to or removed from this mailing list, please contact Cory Nash at corbett_ [email protected].

The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage. Map of the Pacific Island Network and its 11 NPS units.

2 Pacific Island Network News Inventories Biological Inven-

The I&M program has identified core inven- tory by Type HAVO PUHE PUHO KAHO KALA HALE ALKA WAPA AMME NPSA USAR tory information that is needed to effectively Plants Vascular plants X X X address park planning and management needs. Ethnobotanical inventory X This information falls into the following cat- Native plant mapping X X Moss (bryophytes) X egories: Vertebrates  Air Quality Seabirds/Shorebirds X X X X X X* X  Climate Information Passerine birds X X X X* Bats X X X X X X X*  Base Cartography Reptiles and amphibians X X X X X X X*  Geological Information Alien mammals X X Nearshore vertebrates X X X X X*  Water Resources Information Historic vertebrate pest data X  Soil Resources Inventory Invertebrates Shrubland Invertebrates X  Vegetation Mapping Target taxa X  Natural Resource Bibliography Invertebrate Species of Concern X Habitat/multiple species  Biological Inventories Incipient Invasives X Anchialine pools X X X X X* Biological inventories provide baseline data for Streams/Lakes X X future comparisons, and aid in creating species Biological inventories conducted in the PACN 2000-2005. X* for ALKA indicates inventories were conducted in lists of the biota found within park boundaries. parks connected by this trail. Priority biota groups include: 4) species of special concern collected and maintained in accordance with 1) vascular plants clearly defined protocols and quality-assurance 2) vertebrates The objective is to document at least 90% standards. The data are being entered into Ser- 3) federally and state listed threatened and of species within the targeted groups, and to vice-wide NPS data bases (e.g. NPSpecies and endangered species provide as much information as possible on NatureBib) and reports will be made available distribution and abundance. Inventory data are to the public in the near future...... Data Management

The PACN Data Management Plan is under- PACN data management also emphasizes the upload to the on-line NPSpecies database. To way and it describes the network’s overall data certification of NPSpecies records. NPSpe- date, NPSpecies has been available only as a management strategy. The plan will include cies is a species information database for all password-protected version, but release of the Standard Operating Procedures for tasks such National Park Service units. It is a product of public version is forthcoming. Only certified as use of GPS units, upload of GPS data to GIS the I&M program’s Biological Inventory, which records will be viewable to the public. software, document scanning, data verification/ aims to document 90% of the vascular plant validation methods, database documentation and vertebrate species found in network parks. guidance, and metadata creation standards. For each species, NPSpecies shows taxonomic Database Products The plan will be submitted for program review details, common names, and information on its Databases completed and in use: ♦ WAPA Reef Sedimentation Monitoring data- by December 2005. status in each park including abundance, resi- base dency, nativity, and cultivation history. Because ♦ KAHO Sea Turtle Monitoring database The PACN will continue to utilize the na- we received Biological Inventory funds only for ♦ Species Observation database tional I&M program’s on-line data servers for the Hawaiian island parks, we only included ♦ Image database (with ThumbsPlus! software) distributing data and information, including the eight Hawaii parks for current NPSpecies ♦ HALE Small Mammal Trapping database the Pacific Island Network webpages. Data certification. Certification for parks outside of ♦ NPSA Fish Survey database ♦ KALA Small Mammal Survey database products from periodic PACN monitoring data Hawaii and for other taxa groups (non-vascular ♦ Various inventory databases (amphibians/ summaries will be available to the parks via our plants and non-vertebrates) has begun, and we reptiles, bats, seabirds, lowland birds) wide-area computer network. Additionally, hope to complete them in 2006. Databases in progress: associated metadata will be available to both ♦ HALE-HAVO Petrel Monitoring database the parks and the public via the national I&M NPSpecies certification is a quality assurance ♦ HALE-HAVO Nënë Monitoring database program’s on-line data stores. Built-in database process undertaken by taxa group (vascular ♦ HAVO Cave Cultural/Natural Resource data- tools allow sensitive records to be flagged, and plants, mammals, fish, birds, etc.). After review base ♦ Voucher Specimen database (import collect- only non-sensitive data will be made available by a taxa group expert, each batch of records ion records to both NPSpecies and ANCS) to the public. is submitted to the national I&M program for

Pacific Island Network News 3 Monitoring

As the influence of human activities on our ecosystems. The I&M Program is emphasizing and take advantage of our experience to de- planet’s natural resources increases, we have two important points in developing standard velop long-term monitoring methods. begun to recognize that natural resource moni- monitoring protocols for these vital signs: 1) the toring is critically important to properly man- protocols must be scientifically rigorous and With assistance from our cooperators, part- age complex natural systems. be able to provide useful information in the ners, and NPS employees, the Pacific Island long term, and 2) information collected during Network’s Monitoring Plan synthesizes three In 1999, a major program to improve the scien- monitoring must be managed and reported in levels of monitoring: pre-existing monitoring, tific management of National Park resources order to provide access to the widest possible I&M funded vital signs, and unfunded needs. called the Natural Resource Challenge (NRC) audience. Our complete Monitoring Plan will outline the was launched. With funding from the NRC and entire monitoring program; from study design the Park Service, the I&M Program is designed The I&M Program has also identified other and data collection methods, to data storage to monitor natural resources consistently high-priority vital signs not currently sched- and cross-compatibility, and finally to strate- across multiple parks over many years, as well uled to be monitored. These indicators are gies to report monitoring results to federal, as integrate information gained from pre-exist- important for understanding the condition of state, and territorial agencies and the general ing monitoring programs. park ecosystems, but are beyond our program’s public. We believe that this program has the funding ability at the moment. We hope that potential to provide an effective and long-term The I&M Program focus is on monitoring "vital by identifying these priorities we will encour- framework for scientifically informed natural signs", key natual resources or processes that age parks or external agencies to seek out other resource management for the NPS and other provide important information about park sources of funding to monitor these resources, agencies for decades to come...... The blind snake usually goes Notes from the unnoticed due to its burrow- Network Staff ing lifestyle and its superficial Field resemblance to worms. Before Featured Staff: Leslie HaySmith, ph. (808) 985-6180 working at PUHE my only en- NPS Pacific Island Network I&M Coordinator The herpetological inventory (reptiles and amphib- counter with a blind snake was Dr. HaySmith has been working with PACN Inventory and Monitor- ians) in Hawai'i parks was developed in order to the unexpected emergence of an ing for over one year. She came to the Park Service from the Forest determine which species of amphibians and reptiles individual through a crack in the Service where she worked as Wildlife Biologist, Environmental Ed. have established populations on park properties tile of my bathroom floor. Due and Outreach/Partnership Liasion. Leslie received a PhD from the in Hawaii, and if any of the species present pose a to the scarcity of tile floors at University of Idaho and MS from the University of Florida where she marked threat to native Hawaiian ecosystems. So PUHE, I decided to venture into nourished her life-long committment to conservation and environ- far we have surveyed three national parks on the habitats slightly less anthropo- mental education work in the US, Belize, and Costa Rica. She lives west side of the Big Island – Pu'uhonua o Hönau- genic. Within the unfamiliar en- on the Big Island of Hawai'i with her husband and three children. nau, Kaloko-Honoköhau, and Pu'ukoholä Heiau. vironment of PUHE I was forced Other Staff: Ph. (808) 985-*plus number below (HAVO) While the majority of the herps that we encountered to base my search strategy on Fritz Klasner — NPS Ecologist, *6181 during the surveys are familiar to most Hawaiian secondhand accounts more rel- Gordon Dicus — NPS Data Manager, *6182 residents, I noticed that one particularly seldom-seen evant to my surroundings. Based Allison Cocke — NPS Database Programmer, *6186 species was found often at PUHE: a blind snake on these accounts I expected to Viet Doan — Ecological Monitoring Spatial Data Associate, *6184 (Ramphotyphlops braminus), usually located low on find blindsnakes beneath potted Corbett Nash — Program Facilitator/Support Assistant, *6185 the trunks of kiawe trees. plants in wet, shaded gardens Jean Franklin — Landscape/Vegetation Research Facilitator, *6187 — so to find the snakes climbing Kelly Kozar — Inventory Coordinator, *6183 The blind snake is one of two species of snakes trees in dry, dusty soil was a real Karin Schlappa — Inventory Coordinator, *6183 found in Hawaii, the other being the yellow-bel- surprise. Gail Ackerman — Vertebrate Fauna Research Facilitator, *6189 lied sea snake, a rare visitor to Hawaiian waters. Charlotte Forbes Perry — Ecological Monitoring Database Facilitator This pan-Asian fossorial spe- *6188 cies of snake was introduced to Page Else — W. Hawaii Ecological Monitoring Database Facilitator Hawaii around 1930 from the ph. (808) 882-7218 (PUHE) Philippines. An unusual charac- Kimber DeVerse — Water Quality Research Facilitator teristic of the blind snake is that ph. (808) 392-6881 ext. 210 (KAHO) it is the only known species of Raychelle Daniel — Marine Research Facilitator snake to be parthenogenic; that ph. (808) 541-2693 ext. 732 (PWRO) is, all members of this species are Sonia Stephens — Natural Resource Monitoring Specialist female. ph. (808) 541-2693 ext. 731 (PWRO) Rise Hart — Ecological Monitoring Database Specialist —Submitted by Jason Bazzano ph. (684) 633-7082 (NPSA) A juvenile blind snake found at night in Pu'ukoholä NPS Ecologist and PWR Science Advisor: Heiau National Historic Site. Darcy Hu *6092 ......

4 Pacific Island Network News Program Update Games Corner PACN staff met with the Technical Committee budgets for protocol development. The Princi- "Wrasse Wrestling" and National Program Leader, Steve Fancy, to pal Investigators are now working on the study At one time it was thought that adult and juvenile, strategize for the protocol development phase plans and Protocol Development Summaries, as well as male and female wrasses were separate species. Match the "terminal / adult" phase wrasse of the Monitoring Plan. Steve discussed how with assistance from our hard-working CESU along the right column with the "initial / juvenile" and why vital signs monitoring and the net- facilitators. The network wants to extend a phase wrasse along the left column. works have become the “poster child” for the note of thanks for all the Principal Investiga- Natural Resource Challenge and future budget tors and NPS staff facilitators who have made Did you know that terminal phase wrasses are always initiatives. Steve also introduced some per- time in their busy schedules to work on these male? spective on how monitoring results will be used demanding projects. Answers are below: by the parks for performance management, the new Department of Interior Land Health The PACN is working with statisticians to assist Goals, development of Desired Future Condi- with the challenging process of coordinating tions, and Resource Stewardship Planning. the network sampling scheme and the sample designs for the 25 protocols to be developed. The Principal Investigators for protocols left We will hold a workshop at the end of August 1 with a better understanding of the steps re- with both statisticians and Principal Investiga- A quired in the planning process and timelines tors to jump-start this task (see the Calendar for the I&M Program needs. After the meeting, below). The statisticians’ assistance will be the Principal Investigators did an excellent job invaluable in helping us move forward with this of working on draft study plans for all the pro- crucial phase of developing our Monitoring 2 tocols, which allowed PACN staff to complete Plan. B task agreements and finalize schedules and Calendar — July-December July 11-12 Hawaii Ecosystems Project meeting, Kea'au 3 C July 28-29 Hawaii Conservation Conference, Honolulu

Aug. 8-12 Pacific West Region Network Coordinators meeting, Seattle

Aug. 18 First draft: Monitoring Plan, Chapters 5-8. Submitted to Pacific West Regional office 4 D

Aug. 22-26 Sample design meeting workshop, Hilo

Aug. 31 Reporting by Principal Investigators for Administrative Annual Report and Workplan (AARWP)

Sept. 8 Complete Draft of Phase 3 report (Monitoring Plan) due to Pacific West Regional E office 5

Sept. 14 I & M 'After Dark in the Park" program at Pu'uhonua o Hönaunau / Kaloko- Honoköhau NHPs

Oct. 8 Administrative Annual Report & Workplan (AARWP) due to Pacific West Regional F office 6

Oct. 11 I & M "After Dark in the Park': program at Hawai'i Volcanoes NP

Oct. 28 Complete draft Phase 3 report (Monitoring Plan) to peer reviewers with budget

Oct. 31 Complete draft Phase 3 report (Monitoting Plan) internal review G 7

Dec. 13 Entire Phase 3 report (Monitoring Plan) due to Washington, DC office Psychedelic Wrasse 4 - C - 4 Wrasse Psychedelic

Yellowtail Coris 7 - E - 7 Coris Yellowtail -G 3 Wrasse Pearl

Yellowstripe Coris 6 - B - 6 Coris Yellowstripe

Dec. 31 First protocol submitted for peer review -F 2 Wrasse Coris Lined

Rockmover Wrasse 5 - A - 5 Wrasse Rockmover D - 1 Wrasse Sunset

Pacific Island Network News 5 Pacific Island Network — Featured Resource Hawaiian Hoary Bat — 'Ope'ape'a

Description: The Hawaiian hoary bat (La- in order to complete a monitoring protocol accurate knowledge of distribution, relative siurus cinereus semotus) is the only terrestrial in 2007. Monitoring objectives will focus on abundance, and habitat needs will be required. mammal native to Hawaii . Ancient Hawaiians assessing presence and distribution of bats in called this solitary and elusive bat 'Ope'ape'a, the Hawaiian National Parks, relative levels of Management: Due to limited and conflict- as its wings reminded them of the half-leaf bat activity and occurrence, and general habitat ing information regarding Hawaiian hoary bats, remaining on a taro stalk after the top half has associations. critical habitat for this subspecies has not yet been removed for cooking. Although pres- been designated. As a result, even the most ba- ent in Hawaii for many centuries, the earliest Data: The 'Ope'ape'a has been documented sic management strategies are difficult to imple- recorded sighting was December 8, 1816, when in NPSpecies for most of Hawaii’s National ment. Threats to this species remain unclear, one was shot near Pearl Harbor, O'ahu. It is Parks. A Hawaiian hoary bat recovery plan but habitat loss, pesticide use, predation, and believed the Hawaiian hoary bat is a relative of was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife roost disturbance are primary concerns. Fu- the North American hoary bat, which originally Service, which seeks to downlist this species ture research is needed to identify and protect migrated at least 2000 miles from the mainland. after selected populations have remained stable critical roosting and foraging habitat, control or increasing for 5 consecutive years. The State predators, and assess other threats. This Hawaiian subspecies is distinctly small Department of Land and Natural Resources at 12-20g. They are typically a mixture of dark maintains a Hawaiian Hoary Bat Research For Questions or Comments Contact: browns and grays, tinged with silvery-white, Cooperative in partnership with the US Geo- Heather Fraser at: (808) 985-6188 which produces a grizzled or “hoary” effect. logical Survey, non-profit organizations, and This bat may also exhibit reddish hues. Similar private landowners. Where to see bats: to other Lasiurine species, the Hawaiian hoary During summer months, visitors to the Big Island bat is covered in thick fur over its entire body Status & Trends: The Hawaiian hoary bat can observe hoary bats foraging over the ocean and dorsal surface of the tail membrane. was listed as an endangered species in 1970 and at sunset at Pu'uhonua o Hönaunau NHP. In is presently protected by both federal and state Hawai'i Volcanoes NP, bats can be seen at The hoary bat has been observed in essentially laws. Population estimates have ranged from Waldron Ledge overlook and along Mauna Loa every habitat type in the Hawaiian Islands, several hundred to a few thousand individuals, Strip Road. Hotspots in Maui’s Haleakalä NP include Hosmer’s Grove and 'Ohe'o Gulch, while making it difficult to associate them with par- but these numbers are based on anecdotal and those trekking to the top of Kalaupapa NHP’s ticular habitats. It is presumed to be a solitary incomplete data. To date, research addressing Pali Trail may get a glimpse of them. If acoustic foliage rooster, but some bats have been ob- real population numbers has not been con- bat detectors are available, tune the device to served using man-made structures, lava tubes, ducted. Before this subspecies can be consid- ~30kHz to eavesdrop on the bats' "echolocation and rock cracks and crevices. Hawaiian hoary ered for downlisting to threatened status, more conversations"...... bats use echolocation to locate insect prey. They will consume both native and non-native insects, including beetles and moths.

Inventories: Hawaiian hoary bats were historically found on all main islands, but today The Hawaiian Hoary Bat has the largest populations are believed to occur on been described the islands of Hawai'i and Kaua'i. Currently, by some as the teddy researchers are using MiniBat-III acoustic bear of North detectors to determine presence of bats in American bats. Hawaiian National Parks. This includes Hale- This one is chomping on a akalä NP, Maui, and Kalaupapa NP, Moloka'i, mealworm. as well as the Big Island’s Hawai'i Volcanoes NP, Pu'uhonua o Hönaunau NHP, Kaloko-Ho- noköhau NHP, and Pu'ukohola Heiau NHS.

Monitoring: Development of a monitor- ing protocol for this subspecies is currently in progress. Monitoring techniques will be researched and tested during the next year, Photograph courtesy of the Honolulu Zoo, with permission.

6 Pacific Island Network News • July-Sept. 2005, Issue 01