Distribution of ants and their effects on endemic biota of Haleakala and Hawaii Volcanoes National Parks: A preliminary assessment

Western Region, National Park Servic

The ecological role of fire in the Jackson Hole area, northwestern Wyoming

Fire-history investigations in the Jackson Hole area of northwestern Wyoming reveal that most current stands of aspen and lodgepole pine regenerated following extensive fires between 1840 and 1890 and that widespread fires occurred in the 1600s and 1700s. White man’s major effect on the fire incidence has been the successful suppression during the past 39-80 yr. Successional changes in the absence of fire include the deterioration of aspen stands, massive invasions of subalpine fir in lodgepole pine stands, great increase in conifer cover, heavy fuel buildups in lodgepole pine and Douglas fir stands, and increase in sagebrush and other shrubs. Steps are being taken, starting in 1972, to allow fire to play a more natural role in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Teton National Forest plans experimental prescribed burning to determine whether fire can stimulate successful aspen regeneration in the presence of large numbers of wintering elk

Remnant native vegetation at a lowland site near Kihei, Maui

Western Region, National Park Servic

Flowering plants and gymnosperms of Haleakala National Park

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.This report attempts to synopsize current and past information for all flowering plant and gymnosperm species currently and formerly occurring within the boundaries of Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaiian Islands. Encompassing the eroded summit and a slice of the eastern rain forest flank of Haleakala volcano, the Park, 11,400 hectares (27,800 acres) in size ranges from sea level to 3055 m (10,023 ft) elevation. Despite its relative small size, the Park includes native alpine and subalpine herb and shrubland, grassland, and rain forest, providing literally over a few miles, the climatic variability usually associated with landscapes on the scale of thousands of miles. Descriptive information contained within this and other papers may be crucial for detecting changes in distribution and abundance of species and for guiding management strategies

Ka'uhako Crater botanical resource and threat monitoring, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Island of Moloka'i, Hawai'i

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.Botanical monitoring of the remnant dryland forest of Ka'uhako Crater on July 11 - July 14, 1995 grew out of a desire to provide baseline data on the vegetation components of the crater prior to fencing and removal of feral ungulates, primarily axis deer (Axis axis) and feral pigs (Sus scrofa). The exclusion of ungulates, identified as damaging to the crater's native flora in the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Resource Management Plan (NHPRMP) (1994), was proposed in a Draft Environmental Assessment prepared by Larry Katahira (1995) through the construction of two miles of feral animal proof fence outside the crater's rim. Ka'uhako Crater, designated as a Special Ecological Area in the Kalaupapa NHPRMP (1994), contains one of the finest examples of low elevation windward dryland forest remaining on the island of Moloka'i and the entire state of Hawai'i. Although previous botanical surveys have examined the flora of Ka'uhako Crater (Linney 1987; Asherman et al. 1990), none had established any permanent monitoring plots to document the inevitable changes which will follow the removal of browsing herbivores. This system of permanent monitoring was established in 1995 by utilizing the three key native trees of Ka'uhako Crater, Wiliwili (Erythrina), 'Ohe makai (Reynoldsia), and Hala pepe (Pleomele), as the centers of circular cover plots that document every plant taxa on both the ground and in the canopy. Future monitoring and data acquisition in these plots will not only record the transitions in cover composition, but will also help identify potentially damaging alien plants that threaten the recovery of the native components. In addition, vital statistics recorded for a representative sample of each of the three key native trees will provide an overall picture of the health and status of the remnant dryland forest and will help steer management decisions necessary in implementing future restoration processes for these trees and the associated native flora. As part of the monitoring protocol, other threats and potential problems in the preservation of the crater's native flora, from the detrimental effects of the two-spotted leafhopper (Sophonia rufofascia) on native taxa to the lack of seedling recruitment for many of the native species, have been identified, and their implications to the long term survival of the dryland ecosystem have been addressed. Furthermore, future management concerns, such as the increased threat of wildland fire associated with an accumulation in fuel biomass following exclusion of feral ungulates, are predicted to become a greater priority with the passage of time, and, depending upon the future establishment and spread of certain alien grasses, may supersede all other management considerations. Early identification of these and other problems may help managers to address the situations at a stage when response efforts are still practical and feasible.National Park Service Cooperative Agreement NPS CA 8023 2 900

Status of native flowering plant species on the south slope of Haleakala, East Maui, Hawaii

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.In an attempt to provide a basis for conservation measures for the remaining leeward native vegetation of East Maui, an assessment was made of the past and present status of all flowering plant species known from the area. The unpublished 1920 field notes of C. N. Forbes provided a major source of information on past status. Present status was determined by field exploration. A total of 237 native species in 70 families and 139 genera once occurred in the study area, which extends from sea level to 3000m (10,000 ft). Of the native flowering plants of the study area 86% are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands; 28% are endemic or have infraspecific taxa endemic to the island of Maui. Fourty-six (19%) of the species once present in the study area have neither been encountered by this survey nor recently noted by others and are considered extirpated. Of these, 23 species have surviving populations elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands, though in some cases the study area populations represent endemic subspecific taxa. The remaining 23 species (10%) are apparently extinct. Of these extinct species, 20 species were endemic to East Maui. Extinct endemic species of the study area include: Canavalia forbesii, Cladocarpa hispida, Cyanea arborea, C. comata, Cyrtandra begoniaefolia, Gouania lydgatei, G. pilata, Hedyotis foliosa, Hibiscadelphus wilderianus, Pelea tomentosa, Phyllostegia hillebrandii, Schiedea implexa, Sicyos hillebrandii, Solanum haleakalaense, Stenogyne cinerea, S. glabrata, S . haliakalae, and S. vagans. Major factors currently contributing to the continuing serious decline of native vegetation and flora of leeward East Maui include : browsing and grazing by feral goats and feral and domestic cattle; feeding and digging by feral pigs; and displacement of reproduction of native plant species by introduced plant species - especially Pennisetum clandestinum, Holcus lanatus, and Bidens pilosa. Although most native species consistently produce flowers and fruits, this survey found little or no evidence of successful reproduction of most woody species. Dodonaea eriocama and Wikstroemia monticola are the only native species which appear to be maintaining vigorous, abundantly reproducing populations in spite of habitat degradation. Although Haleakala National Park appears to provide a relatively secure "refuge" for many species of the study area, the park by no means includes a representative sample of the vegetation and flora of leeward East Maui. Of the 237 species of native flowering plants recorded in the study area by this survey, only 108 species (46%) have also been recorded as naturally occurring within the park. However, in spite of the advanced deterioration of East Maui's native leeward vegetation, sites containing significant remnants of the former vegetation still exist outside the park and provide opportunities for preservation.U.S. National Park Service, Western Regio

Deliberate introductions of species: Research needs. Benefits can be reaped, but risks are high

The silent invasion of Hawaii by insects, disease organisms, snakes, weeds and other pests is the single greatest threat to Hawaii’s economy and natural environment.... Even one new pest-like the brown tree snake--could forever change the character of our islands. (Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species 1996, P. 1). Reforestation in the tropics is so vastly behind deforestation that we cannot wait to fully appraise all the potential negative elements of domestication. Weediness is of consequence perhaps in Honolulu, but not in Addis or Delhi. (James Brewbaker, quoted by Hughes 1994, p. 244 )