PACIFIC COOPERATIVE STUDIES UNIT UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I AT MĀNOA Dr. David C. Duffy, Unit Leader Department of Botany 3190 Maile Way, St. John #408 Honolulu, Hawai’i 96822 Technical Report 174 Rare plant stabilization projects at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, 1998-2008 July 2011 Thomas Belfield1, Tim Tunison1, Jonathan Chase2, 3 and Sierra McDaniel 1 Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Resources Management Division, PO Box 52, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718 2NPS, Assateague Island National Seashore, Resource Management Division, PO Box 611, Berlin, MD 21811 3NPS, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Resources Management Division, PO Box 52, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718 PCSU is a cooperative program between the University of Hawai`i and U.S. National Park Service, Cooperative Ecological Studies Unit. Organization Contact Information: National Park Service, PO Box 52, Hawai`i National Park, HI 96718; phone: 808-985-6098; fax: 808-985- 6029 Recommended Citation: Belfield, T., T. Tunison, J. Chase, and S. McDaniel. 2011. Rare Plant stabilization projects at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, 1998-2008. Technical Report No. 174. Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu, Hawai`i. 121 pp. Key words: Endangered plant species, species of concern, rare plant species, stabilization, recovery, restoration, coastal strand Place key words: Hawai`i, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Editor: Clifford W. Morden, PCSU Deputy Director (e-mail: [email protected]) TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................ iv LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................. vi SUMMARY .................................................................................................. vii INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 METHODS .................................................................................................. 3 COASTAL STRAND ................................................................................... 9 Study Area and Methods ................................................................. 9 Results by Species .......................................................................... 13 Discussion ....................................................................................... 28 LOWLAND DRY-MESIC FOREST ............................................................. 31 Study Area and Methods ................................................................. 31 Results by Species .......................................................................... 33 Discussion ....................................................................................... 44 MID-ELEVATION WOODLAND .................................................................. 47 Study Area and Methods ................................................................. 47 Results by Species .......................................................................... 50 Discussion ....................................................................................... 59 MONTANE RAIN FOREST ......................................................................... 64 Study Area and Methods ................................................................. 64 Results by Species .......................................................................... 66 Discussion ....................................................................................... 74 MONTANE MESIC FOREST ...................................................................... 77 Study Area and Methods ................................................................. 77 Results by Species .......................................................................... 80 Discussion ....................................................................................... 94 UPPER MONTANE SUBALPINE WOODLAND/SCRUB ............................ 96 Study Area and Methods ................................................................. 96 Results by Species .......................................................................... 99 Discussion ....................................................................................... 104 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................. 106 Achieving Stabilization .................................................................... 106 Future Plantings .............................................................................. 107 iii Mortality Patterns Over Time .......................................................... 108 Planting and Monitoring Protocols .................................................. 110 Propagation and Outplanting Success ............................................ 111 Stabilization and Recovery .............................................................. 111 Stabilization, Recovery, and Research Needs ................................ 112 Beyond Stabilization ........................................................................ 113 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................. 116 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Survival of Coastal Strand Plantings ........................................... 13 Table 2. Survival of Plantings in Lowland Dry-mesic Forest ..................... 33 Table 3. Survival of Plantings in Mid-elevation Woodland ......................... 50 Table 4. Survival of Plantings in Montane Rain Forest .............................. 66 Table 5. Survival of Plantings in Montane Mesic Forest ............................ 80 Table 6. Survival of Plantings in Upper Montane/Subalpine Woodland/Scrub .............................................................................. 99 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. General locations within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities ......................................................... 7 Figure 2. Specific planting locations within Hawai Volcanoes National Park ................................................................................................. 8 Figure 3. Planting of Ischaemum bryone (Hilo Ischaemum) at Hōlei Sea Arch ......................................................................................... 18 Figure 4. Low-growing viney planting of Myoporum sandwicense (naio papa) in the coastal strand ..................................................... 21 Figure 5. Patches of spreading Scaevola taccada (naupaka kahakai) plantings in the coastal strand at Hōlei Sea Arch ............................ 25 Figure 6. Vigna marina (beach pea) at Hōlei Sea Arch ............................. 27 iv Figure 7. A planting of Erythrina sandwicensis (wiliwili) in dry-mesic lowland forest on the face of Hōlei Pali ........................................... 37 Figure 8. Three successful plantings of Pleomele hawaiiensis (hala pepe) beneath a lama tree canopy in lowland dry-mesic forest ................ 40 Figure 9. A planting of Reynoldsia sandwicensis (`ohe makai) in lowland dry-mesic forest ................................................................. 42 Figure 10. Bidens hawaiensis (ko`oko`olau) (mid-foreground) in mid-elevation woodland .................................................................. 52 Figure 11. Planting of Myrsine lanaiensis (kōlea) (center of photo) in mid-elevation woodland ............................................................... 55 Figure 12. Forest floor of the planting habitat in `Ōla`a Forest with closed canopy of tree ferns and an understory of ferns and shrubs ...................................................................................... 65 Figure 13. Planting of Cyanea tritomantha (`akū) in `Ōla`a Forest ............ 69 Figure 14. Eurya sandwicensis (`ānini) planted in montane rain forest at Small Tract Unit, `Ōla`a Forest ................................................... 70 Figure 15. A thriving planting of Pittosporum hosmeri (hō‘awa) in Kīpuka Kī in a stand of Sapindus saponaria (mānele)/ Acacia koa (koa) ............................................................................. 89 Figure 16. Planting of Zanthoxylum dipetalum var. dipetalum (a`e) (foreground) in Sapindus saponaria (māmele)/Acacia koa (koa) stand in Kīpuka Kī, montane mesic forest ............................. 93 Figure 17. Typical subalpine woodland planting site .................................. 97 Figure 18. Natural indivduals of Exocarpos menziesii in subalpine woodland ......................................................................................... 100 Figure 19. Planted Phyllostegia cf. stachyoides within Kīpuka Kulalio in a mixed stand of Acacia koa, Dodonaea viscosa, and Sophora chrysophylla ...................................................................... 102 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors express our thanks for the dedication and botanical/GPS skills of Resource Management volunteers Carol and Mark Johnson who joined us in re- monitoring 19 of the 31 planting sites in 2010. This final monitored gave us a more realistic assessment of long-term survival and the effectiveness of the stabilization program. Carol also provided photographs for Figs. 3-8 and 13. We also want to thank Allison Janson, an intern for Resource Management, who monitored all the rain forest plantings in