HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF INTRODUCED TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI„I AT MĀNOA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY) DECEMBER 2012 By Cheryl Anne Lohr Dissertation Committee: Christopher Lepczyk, Chairperson Linda Cox Steven Gray Rebecca Christoffel Robert Cowie Keywords: cats, decision theory, game animals, human-wildlife conflict, social carrying capacity i Copyright Page © 2012, Cheryl Lohr ii Acknowledgements There are many people whom I would like to thank for supporting me during the time I dedicated to my education. First and foremost I would like to thank my husband Mike and my daughter Heidi for supporting me emotionally, financially and intellectually through the four years I dedicated to this dissertation. I would also like to thank my parents, my in-laws, and my siblings for being the best family anyone could ask for. I would like to thank my adviser and Dissertation Committee Chairperson Dr. Christopher Lepczyk for funding this research, providing academic guidance, and providing the resources necessary for me to attend professional development opportunities. I would also like to thank Dr. Lepczyk and his family for the warm welcome they extended to my family while we lived in the Hawaiian Islands. I would like to thank Dr. Linda Cox, Edwin Johnson, Dr. Mark Ridgley and my other dissertation committee members for contributing intellectually to my research. I want to extend special thanks to the numerous students and environmental professionals that contributed to the decision theory models, vetted my survey instrument, and volunteered their time to stuffing envelopes and licking stamps. Your help was invaluable. Finally, I would like to thank the hundreds of individuals that responded to my survey. This research could not have been done without your contribution. The funding for this research has been provided by a USDA CSREES Hatch grant (HAW00110-H), and the Hawai„i Department of Forestry and Wildlife to Christopher Lepczyk. All of the surveys and procedures presented here were fully evaluated and approved by the University of Hawai„i Committee on Human Subjects (CHS# 18144). iii Abstract The Hawaiian Archipelago is a remote, unique and fragile island system. There are at least 100 introduced terrestrial vertebrates with established wild populations in the Hawaiian Islands. The presence and impacts of introduced wildlife has caused several cases of human-wildlife conflict in the islands. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to understand the human dimensions of introduced terrestrial vertebrates in the Hawaiian Islands and to identify methods of managing these animals that optimize the priorities and values of the public, and the costs and benefits associated with managing wildlife. The three objectives of this research were to: identify stakeholders‟ future desired abundance for several species of introduced wildlife; identify the attitudes and beliefs that are influencing stakeholders‟ desired abundance for wildlife; and design models that may be used to identify optimal techniques for managing introduced wildlife. In 2011, I disseminated a state-wide survey to 5,407 residents of Hawai„i. Approximately, 20% of the general public, identified through a randomized mailing list, and 46% of pre-identified stakeholders responded to the survey. Results of a non-response telephone survey indicated that survey respondents did not differ significantly from non-respondents in terms of interest in wildlife, age, or education. Survey results for feral cats were unanticipated in that they revealed that the vast majority (~85%) of respondent‟s would like the abundance of feral cats to be reduced. These results are supplemented with research into two decision theory models (consensus convergence models and the analytical hierarchy process) that may be used to identify optimal management technique/s for reducing the abundance of feral cats. I also found that the desired abundance for game species (wild pigs, goats, mouflon, axis deer, wild turkeys, and zebra doves) varied among the six main Hawaiian Islands (Kaua„i, O„ahu, Moloka„i, Maui, Lana„i, and Hawai„i) as did the explanatory variables for that desire. The results of this dissertation have considerable implications for the future management of introduced terrestrial vertebrates in the Hawaiian Islands and will aid the development of comprehensive management plans that are more acceptable to the people of Hawai„i. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... ii Abstract........................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................ ix Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 When, how and why were terrestrial vertebrates introduced to the Hawaiian Islands? 1 Human-wildlife conflict in the Hawaiian Islands ............................................................ 7 Case study 1: Resolution of the Pig Wars ................................................................ 8 Case study 2: Human-wildlife conflict and Maui axis deer ...................................... 12 Case study 3: Palila v DLNR .................................................................................. 14 Case study 4: Nuisance peafowl euthanized .......................................................... 16 Human dimensions of wildlife .................................................................................... 17 Wildlife stakeholder acceptance capacity models ................................................... 18 Potential for conflict index ...................................................................................... 19 Consensus convergence models ........................................................................... 19 Analytical hierarchy process .................................................................................. 21 Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................ 22 Chapter 2 Methods ....................................................................................................... 23 Survey Design and Implementation ........................................................................... 23 Wildlife Stakeholder Groups in Hawai„i ...................................................................... 30 Chapter 3 The islands are different: Human perceptions of game species in Hawai„i .... 38 Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 38 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 39 Methods .................................................................................................................... 41 Results ...................................................................................................................... 46 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 58 Management implications .......................................................................................... 62 Chapter 4 Who wants feral cats in the Hawaiian Islands and why? ............................... 63 Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 63 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 64 Methods .................................................................................................................... 66 v Results .......................................................................................................................73 Discussion .................................................................................................................93 Management implications ..........................................................................................96 Chapter 5 Patterns of hypothetical wildlife management priorities as generated by consensus convergence models with ordinal ranked data .............................................98 Abstract .....................................................................................................................98 Introduction ................................................................................................................99 Material and Methods .............................................................................................. 104 Results ..................................................................................................................... 107 Discussion ..............................................................................................................