Agroforestry

Puʻulani: Biocultural restoration of agroforestry in Heʻeia, Oʻahu March 13, 2023 By Leah Bremer, Zoe Hastings, Maile Wong, and Tamara Ticktin Puʻulani (heavenly ridge) sits above the loʻi kalo (taro patches) that Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi, a community-based organization in Heʻeia, Oʻahu, has been actively restoring since 2010. Just five years ago, in 2018, 100% of the trees at Puʻulani were non-native species. Since then, a partnership between… Read More

Non-native fallows hold high potential for restoration through agroforestry in a Pacific Island ecosystem November 3, 2022 Abstract: Agricultural land abandonment affects millions of hectares of cultivated lands globally. While ending cultivation can lead to spontaneous reforestation and ecological benefits, the resulting landscapes often have lower social and agricultural benefits than the native forests and agricultural systems they replace, especially when non-native species dominate successional pathways. This is the case in many… Read More

Restoring Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity through Cost-Effective and Resilient Agroforestry Systems May 12, 2022 Since September 2018, our project team, composed of University of Hawai‘i faculty and students, Kāko‘o ‘Ōiwi staff, and other partners have worked together to: 1) design, implement, and monitor 10 agroforestry demonstration plots and buffer areas in He‘eia, O‘ahu (objective 1); 2) publish peer-review and practitioner-oriented material on agroforestry, functional traits, and ecosystem services (objective… Read More

The Agricultural Economic Landscape in Hawai‘i and the Potential for Future Economic Viability June 11, 2021 By Sarah Rehkamp, Michael J. Roberts, and James M. MacDonald In a recent UHERO policy brief, Reviving Agriculture to Diversify Hawai‘i’s Economy, authors pointed to trends in Hawai‘i agriculture and state policies surrounding agricultural land management (La Croix & Mak, 2021). Hawai‘i’s agricultural history has centered around the pineapple and sugar plantations and these are… Read More

New UHERO publication on agroforestry restoration in Hawaiʻi February 25, 2021 Congratulations to former UHERO graduate student Angel Melone and team on publication of her article: "Assessing Baseline Carbon Stocks for Forest Transitions: A Case Study of Agroforestry Restoration from Hawaiʻi." This publication presents a comprehensive study of carbon stocks as part of a broader collaborative research effort on agroforestry restoration that includes UHERO, UH Botany,… Read More

Project Description: Spatial Planning to Inform Expansion of Agroforestry for Cultural, Ecological & Economic Benefits October 12, 2020 Agroforestry systems, along with loʻi kalo and other systems, were abundant in traditional Hawaiʻi, and there is great interest in their restoration today. This project aims to improve understanding of current agroforestry systems and evaluate the costs and benefits of expanding restoration. Brief Read More

Biocultural Restoration Workday Draws Community Together to Plant an Agroforest March 5, 2019 By Zoe Hastings, Mahealani Botelho, and Leah Bremer 1 Mahealani Botelho of Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi shares the vision for biocultural restoration of agroforestry in Puʻulani in an opening ceremony (photo by Randy Fish). “I ola ʽoe, i ola mākou nei.” A community member recites the pule (blessing), “my life is dependent on yours, your life is… Read More

Restoring to the future: Environmental, cultural, and management trade-offs in historical versus hybrid restoration of a highly modified ecosystem September 19, 2018 With growing calls to scale up reforestation efforts worldwide, conservation managers increasingly must decide whether and how to restore highly altered ecosystems. However, empirical research on potential trade-offs remains scarce. We use a Hawai'i watershed to demonstrate a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to identifying synergies and trade-offs associated with maintaining an unrestored forest, versus restoration to… Read More

Linking land and sea to inform ahupua‘a (ridge-to-reef) management in Hawai‘i – NSF Coastal SEES March 19, 2018 By Jade Delevaux A community member from Haʻēna, located on the windward side of Kauaʻi (see Fig 1A), said “come” as she offered her hand inviting me in. I stepped into the forming circle of the pule (prayer), and we stood together silently listening to an oli chanted by a local kupuna (elder) (see Photo… Read More

Sustainable Agriculture Irrigation Management: The Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Pajaro Valley, California April 5, 2016 The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is quickly becoming one of the most critical global environmental challenges of the twenty first century. However, WEF systems are inherently complex; they typically are dynamic and span multiple land or agro-ecosystems at a regional or global scale. Addressing this challenge requires a systems approach to optimal and sustainable resource management… Read More

Understanding the Links Between Local Ecological Knowledge, Ecosystem Services, and Resilience September 16, 2014 By Kim Burnett and Cheryl Geslani UHERO’s Project Environment has received funding from the National Science Foundation to participate in an interdisciplinary, international project that spans the natural and social sciences as well as the terrestrial and marine spheres. UHERO is partnering with scientists, resource managers, cultural practitioners and private landowners in Hawaii and Fiji.… Read More