Invasive Species

Risk to native marine macroalgae from land-use and climate change-related modification to groundwater discharge in Hawai’i December 17, 2021 Dr. Henrietta Dulai in collaboration with UHERO and the Department of Life Sciences, sheds light on the links between submarine groundwater discharge and the health of coastal ecosystems. See press on Hawaiʻi Public Radio and UH News. Access Publication Read More

Positive net benefits for an agricultural import rule designed to protect native Hawaiian forests May 12, 2020 Photo by Forest & Kim Starr By Kimberly Burnett and Christopher Wada Since its first documented introduction to Hawai‘i in 2005, the rust fungus Puccinia psidii has already severely damaged Syzygium jambos (Indian rose apple) trees and the federally endangered Eugenia koolauensis (nioi). Fortunately, the particular strain has yet to cause serious damage to Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a), which comprises roughly 80% of the… Read More

2019 Paper of the Year in Invasive Plant Science and Management March 9, 2020 Congratulations to UHERO researchers Kimberly Burnett and Christopher Wada who were part of the team awarded the 2019 Paper of the Year in Invasive Plant Science and Management. Read More

Evaluating Protection Strategies for an Invasive Plant Species: Miconia calvescens February 28, 2020 RESEARCH PAPERS ARE PRELIMINARY MATERIALS CIRCULATED TO STIMULATE DISCUSSION AND CRITICAL COMMENT. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS. WHILE RESEARCH PAPERS BENEFIT FROM ACTIVE UHERO DISCUSSION, THEY HAVE NOT UNDERGONE FORMAL ACADEMIC PEER REVIEW. The choice to shift among invasive species management strategies depends on ecological, biological, and economic conditions that vary… Read More

Interpreting Life-History Traits of Miconia (Miconia calvescens) through Management over Space and Time in the East Maui Watershed, Hawaii (USA) January 4, 2019 Miconia (Miconia calvescens DC) was introduced to the East Maui Watershed (EMW) a half-century ago with more than 25 years of management recorded. Using a historical spatiotemporal data set, we constructed a dispersal kernel for miconia in the EMW. Seedbank persistence, based on postdated recruitment, displayed an exponential decay projecting extinction beyond 20 years. In… Read More

Economic Valuation of The Nature Conservancy’s Watershed Conservation Activities in Waikamoi Preserve, Maui April 3, 2018 The objective of this research was to estimate the value of ecosystem services protected by watershed conservation activities at The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve on the island of Maui. Projections of monetized benefits, together with trajectories of conservation costs, were used to calculate net present value, payback period, and return on investment. UHERO Report Read More

Joint Management of an Interconnected Coastal Aquifer and Invasive Tree April 1, 2018 Kiawe (Prosopis pallida), a mesquite tree considered invasive in many parts of the world including Hawai'i, has been shown to reduce regional groundwater levels via deep taproots. In areas where aquifers are primary sources of fresh water, kiawe control has the potential to be an integral component of water management planning. We develop an analytical… Read More

Joint Management of an Interconnected Coastal Aquifer and Invasive Tree October 5, 2017 Kiawe (Prosopis pallida), a mesquite tree considered invasive in many parts of the world including Hawai‘i, has been shown to reduce regional groundwater levels via deep taproots. In areas where aquifers are primary sources of fresh water, kiawe control has the potential to be an integral component of water management planning. We develop an analytical… Read More

Cost-Effectiveness of Herbicide Ballistic Technology to Control Miconia in Hawaii June 5, 2017 By James Leary, Kimberly Burnett and Christopher Wada UHERO is working with Dr. James Leary (CTAHR) to assess cost effectiveness of Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) operations to control invasive miconia (Miconia calvescens) plants before reaching maturity. Based on studies in Costa Rica, Tahiti and Australia, we can interpret spatial and temporal implications of management driven… Read More

Benefit-cost analysis of watershed conservation on Hawai‘i Island January 1, 2017 In landscapes around the world, growing attention is being paid to the link between forest structure and water resources. More clarity is vital for informed decision making, especially as water scarcity continues to increase in many regions across the globe. The objective of this study is to estimate the volume of freshwater yield saved per… Read More

Assessing the Costs of Priority HISC Species in Hawaii July 5, 2016 Over the past decade, funding for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC) has ranged from less than $2 million per year in the three years following the recent economic downturn, up to almost $6 million in FY2015. The HISC website provides total award amounts for past projects, but it is difficult to attribute exact dollar… Read More

Cost-Effectiveness of Controlling Invasive Miconia via Herbicide Ballistic Technology April 13, 2016 By Kimberly Burnett and Christopher Wada Miconia calvescens is an invasive tree native to South and Central America that grows up to 50 feet with shallow root systems that promote erosion. The trees form thick monotypic stands, shading out native plants and threatening the watershed function of Hawaii’s forests. The quick growing miconia can mature… Read More

Expensive Exotics: Snakes in Hawaii June 19, 2013 Last month a juvenile ornate tree snake (Chrysopelea ornate) was captured by military personnel near the airfield at Hickam Air Force Base. Inspectors from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture were notified and took custody of the foot-long snake. Ornate tree snakes are mildly venomous and are related to the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis), which… Read More

An economic approach to assessing import policies designed to prevent the arrival of invasive species: the case of Puccinia psidii in Hawai‘i May 1, 2012 Since its first documented introduction to Hawai‘i in 2005, the rust fungus Puccinia psidii has already severely damaged Syzygium jambos (Indian rose apple) trees and the federally endangered Eugenia koolauensis (nioi). Fortunately, the particular strain has yet to cause serious damage to Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a). However, the introduction of more virulent strains and the genetic… Read More

Economic Analysis of the Proposed Rule to Prevent Arrival of New Genetic Strains of the Rust Fungus Puccinia psidii in Hawai‘i February 8, 2012 Since its first documented introduction to Hawai‘i in 2005, the rust fungus P. psidii has already severely damaged Syzygium jambos (Indian rose apple) trees and the federallyendangered Eugenia koolauensis (nioi). Fortunately, the particular strain has yet to cause serious damage to ‘ōhi‘a, which comprises roughly 80% of the state’s native forests and covers 400,000 ha. Although the rust has affected less… Read More