Recovery of Native Species following Rat Eradication on Mokoli‘i Island, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i.

v. ill. 23 cm.QuarterlyRats were eradicated from Mokoli‘i, a 1.6-ha island off the east shore of O‘ahu, using snap traps, cage traps, and diphacinone bait stations. A total of 18 black rats (Rattus rattus) were caught, and 354 bait blocks were used. There was no sign of rats on the island after 27 May 2002. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) nest on Mokoli‘i, but only a single chick survived during 1999–2001; the number of surviving chicks increased to 126 in 2002 and 185 in 2003. The number of intertidal invertebrates and native plants, including the endangered Carter’s panic grass (Panicum fauriei var. carteri ), also appeared to increase after rat eradication. Rats had a devastating impact on the flora and fauna of Mokoli‘i, and their eradication has allowed a dramatic recovery of native species. The majority of the labor for the eradication effort was provided by the local community, demonstrating what can be achieved with dedicated volunteers and community support

The Use of Predator Proof Fencing as a Management Tool in the Hawaiian Islands: A Case Study of Ka`ena Point Natural Area Reserve

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.The Ka`ena Point Ecosystem Restoration Project was the result of a partnership between the Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife and State Parks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Hawai`i Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Ka`ena Point Natural Area Reserve (NAR) hosts one of the largest seabird colonies in the main Hawaiian islands, three species of endangered plants, and is a pupping ground for the endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Prior to fence construction, nesting seabirds and native plants were under constant threat from predatory animals; up to 15% of seabird chicks were killed each year prior to fledging and many endangered plants were unable to reproduce as a result of seed predation. The project involved the construction of predator-proof fencing (2m tall) to prevent feral predators such as dogs, cats, mongoose, rats and mice from entering into 20ha of coastal habitat within Ka`ena Point, followed by removal of these species

First observations of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) eggs and other breeding observations on the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i

The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) commonly breeds along coastal beaches and major interior rivers of North America and the Caribbean. Least Terns have been observed in Hawai‘i since the 1970s; however, few breeding attempts have been documented. Nests have been discovered on the northwestern Hawaiian island of Midway Atoll and the southeastern Hawaiian island of Hawai‘i. While nesting is thought to also occur on the islands of O‘ahu and French Frigate Shoals based on observations of juvenile Least Terns, no observations of nests had been recorded for these islands prior to this study. In this paper we describe 2 accounts of discovering Least Tern eggs in the Ki‘i Unit of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on O‘ahu, as well as several observations of breeding behavior in wetlands within the Pearl Harbor region of O‘ahu

The Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project: A case study in predator exclusion fencing, ecosystem restoration, and seabird translocation

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.Newell’s Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli; NESH) and Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis; HAPE) are both listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and are declining due to collisions with power lines and structures, light attraction, predation by feral cats, pigs, rats, and introduced Barn Owls, habitat degradation by feral ungulates (pigs, goats) and invasive exotic plants. Protection of NESH and HAPE on their nesting grounds and reduction of collision and lighting hazards are high priority recovery actions for these species. Given the challenges in protecting nesting birds in their rugged montane habitats, it has long been desirable to also create breeding colonies of both species in more accessible locations that offer a higher level of protection. Translocation of birds to breeding sites within predator exclusion fences was ranked as priority 1 in the interagency 5-year Action Plan for Newell’s Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel. In 2012, funding became available through several programs to undertake this action at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (KPNWR), which is home to one of the largest seabird colonies in the main Hawaiian Islands. The project was named the “Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project” after the area on the Refuge where the placement of the future colony was planned. The Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project is a result of a large partnership between multiple government agencies and non-profit groups who have come together to help preserve the native species of Hawaii. There were four stages to this multi-faceted project: permitting and biological monitoring, fence construction, restoration and predator eradication, followed by translocation of the birds to the newly secured habitat. The translocation component is expected to last five years and involve up to 90 individuals each of NESH and HAPE. Prior to fence construction, baseline monitoring data were collected in order to provide a record of initial site conditions and species diversity. Surveys were conducted quarterly from 2012-2014, investigating diversity and richness of plant, invertebrate, mammalian, and avian species. A 650 m (2130 ft) long predator proof fence was completed at Nihoku in September 2014, enclosing 2.5 ha (6.2 ac), and all mammalian predators were eradicated by March 2015. From 2015-2017, approximately 40% of the fenced area (~1 ha) was cleared of non-native vegetation using heavy machinery and herbicide application. A water catchment and irrigation system was installed, and over 18,000 native plants representing 37 native species were outplanted in the restoration area. The plant species selected are low-in-stature, making burrow excavation easier for seabirds while simultaneously providing forage for Nene (Branta sandvicensis). Habitat restoration was done in phases (10-15% of the project per year) and will be continued until the majority of the area has been restored. In addition to habitat restoration, 50 artificial burrows were installed in the restoration to facilitate translocation activities. From 2012-2017 potential source colonies of NESH and HAPE were located by the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP) with visual, auditory, and ground searching methods at locations around Kauai. The sites that were selected as source colonies for both species were Upper Limahuli Preserve (owned by the National Tropical Botanical Garden; NTBG) and several sites within the Hono o Na Pali Natural Area Reserve system. These sites had high call rates, high burrow densities to provide an adequate source of chicks for the translocation, and had active predator control operations in place to offset any potential impacts of the monitoring. Translocation protocols were developed based on previous methods developed in New Zealand; on the ground training was done by the translocation team by visiting active projects in New Zealand. In year one, 10 HAPE and eight NESH were translocated, and the goal is to translocate up to 20 in subsequent years for a cohort size of 90 birds of each species over a five year period. Post-translocation monitoring has been initiated to gauge the level of success, and social attraction has been implemented in an attempt to attract adults to the area. It is anticipated that the chicks raised during this project will return to breed at Nihoku when they are 65-6 years old; for the first cohort released in 2015 this would be starting in 2020. Once this occurs, Nihoku will be the first predator-free breeding area of both species in Hawaii.This project and manuscript are part of a large collaboration that spans beyond the agencies mentioned. Many individuals were consulted for advice and input along the way. For botanical and invertebrate advice, we thank: David Burney, Lida Burney, Natalia Tangalin, Emory Griffin‐Noyes, Kawika Winter, Kim Starr, Forest Starr, Sheldon Plentovich and Keren Gunderson. For assistance with translocation training and predator exclusion fence technical advice we thank Helen Gummer, John McLennan, Lindsay Wilson, and Darren Peters. For reviewing documents related to this project, and for feedback on techniques we thank the seabird hui, particularly Fern Duvall, Jay Penniman, Megan Laut, Darcy Hu and Cathleen Bailey. For their on the ground assistance at KPNWR, we thank: Shannon Smith, Chadd Smith, Warren Madeira, Rob Petersen, Jennifer Waipa, Padraic Gallagher, Carolyn Rushforth, Kristina Macaulay, Jimmy Macaulay, and Jillian Cosgrove. We would also like to thank Chris Mottley, Kyle Pias and the entire predator control team in Hono o Na Pali NAR and Kawika Winter, Chiemi Nagle, Merlin Edmonds and the entire predator control team in Upper Limahuli Preserve. We would also like to thank the Kaua‘i Island Utility Co‐operative (KIUC) for the funding that they provide – through a Habitat Conservation Plan – to provide predator control and seabird monitoring at several of the sites used for translocation. Lastly, we would like to thank all of the endangered seabird technicians within the Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project for all of their hard work in montane colonies. Mahalo

Two-Component Elements Mediate Interactions between Cytokinin and Salicylic Acid in Plant Immunity

Recent studies have revealed an important role for hormones in plant immunity. We are now beginning to understand the contribution of crosstalk among different hormone signaling networks to the outcome of plant–pathogen interactions. Cytokinins are plant hormones that regulate development and responses to the environment. Cytokinin signaling involves a phosphorelay circuitry similar to two-component systems used by bacteria and fungi to perceive and react to various environmental stimuli. In this study, we asked whether cytokinin and components of cytokinin signaling contribute to plant immunity. We demonstrate that cytokinin levels in Arabidopsis are important in determining the amplitude of immune responses, ultimately influencing the outcome of plant–pathogen interactions. We show that high concentrations of cytokinin lead to increased defense responses to a virulent oomycete pathogen, through a process that is dependent on salicylic acid (SA) accumulation and activation of defense gene expression. Surprisingly, treatment with lower concentrations of cytokinin results in increased susceptibility. These functions for cytokinin in plant immunity require a host phosphorelay system and are mediated in part by type-A response regulators, which act as negative regulators of basal and pathogen-induced SA–dependent gene expression. Our results support a model in which cytokinin up-regulates plant immunity via an elevation of SA–dependent defense responses and in which SA in turn feedback-inhibits cytokinin signaling. The crosstalk between cytokinin and SA signaling networks may help plants fine-tune defense responses against pathogens

Framework for assessing and mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy development on marine birds

Offshore wind energy development (OWED) is rapidly expanding globally and has the potential to contribute significantly to renewable energy portfolios. However, development of infrastructure in the marine environment presents risks to wildlife. Marine birds in particular have life history traits that amplify population impacts from displacement and collision with offshore wind infrastructure. Here, we present a broadly applicable framework to assess and mitigate the impacts of OWED on marine birds. We outline existing techniques to quantify impact via monitoring and modeling (e.g., collision risk models, population viability analysis), and present a robust mitigation framework to avoid, minimize, or compensate for OWED impacts. Our framework addresses impacts within the context of multiple stressors across multiple wind energy developments. We also present technological and methodological approaches that can improve impact estimation and mitigation. We highlight compensatory mitigation as a tool that can be incorporated into regulatory frameworks to mitigate impacts that cannot be avoided or minimized via siting decisions or alterations to OWED infrastructure or operation. Our framework is intended as a globally-relevant approach for assessing and mitigating OWED impacts on marine birds that may be adapted to existing regulatory frameworks in regions with existing or planned OWED

Comparison of Managed and Unmanaged Wedge-Tailed Shearwater Colonies on O'ahu: Effects of Predation

On O'ahu, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacifieus) and other seabirds nest primarily on small offshore islets, but fossil evidence shows that many seabirds formerly bred on O'ahu itself. Predation by introduced mammals is suspected to be the primary factor preventing shearwaters and other seabirds from reestablishing large nesting colonies on O'ahu. We investigated the effects of predation on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters by comparing three small unmanaged colonies at Malaekahana State Recreation Area on O'ahu, where feral cats are fed by the public, with a large managed colony at nearby Moku'auia Island State Seabird Sanctuary, where predators are absent. During three visits on 19 April, 16 June, and 23 October 2000, we located 69 occupied burrows in three colonies at Malaekahana and 85 occupied burrows in four monitoring plots at Moku'auia. Many more nests produced chicks at Moku'auia (62 %) than at Malaekahana (20%). Among plots at Malaekahana, reproductive success was lowest (zero) at the colony closest to the cat feeding site. In addition, 44 adult shearwater carcasses were found at Malaekahana near the cat feeding site. Predation, most likely by cats attracted to supplemental food, had a devastating impact on shearwaters at Malaekahana. At one colony there was complete reproductive failure and almost all adults were killed. Populations of long-lived species like seabirds are sensitive to adult mortality, and Malaekahana may act as a sink, draining birds away from other areas

Current Distribution and Abundance of O‘ahu ‘Elepaio (Chasiempisibidis) in the Wai‘anae Mountains

v. ill. 23 cm.Also available through BioOne: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.2984/65.3.311QuarterlyThe O‘ahu ‘Elepaio (Chasiempis ibidis) is an endangered forest bird endemic to O‘ahu and has declined steadily during the past century. Current information on distribution and abundance is needed to help assess the species status and identify areas where recovery efforts can be focused. We used spotmapping methods to census O‘ahu ‘Elepaio in all suitable forest habitat in the Wai‘anae Mountains from 2006 to 2010 and compared results with previous surveys from the 1990s. We detected a total of 300 O‘ahu ‘Elepaio, including 108 breeding pairs and 84 single males. The sex ratio was strongly male biased due to nest predation on females. Their distribution was extremely fragmented, and the only concentrations were in ‘Ëkahanui (38 pairs), Schofield Barracks West Range (40 pairs), and Pälehua (15 pairs). We failed to detect ‘Elepaio in many areas where they were observed in the 1990s. ‘Elepaio have become more sparse in other areas, indicating that they are continuing to decline. Nest predation by alien black rats (Rattus rattus) and mosquito-borne diseases are the greatest threats. Rat control programs have helped reduce nest predation and stop declines in several areas, but only a fraction of remaining ‘Elepaio benefit from active management and further declines can be expected unless rats are controlled on a larger scale. Alternative methods of rat control should be explored, and restoration of native trees that are less attractive to rats might provide safer nest sites and reduce the need for rat control