Environment
Mountain to sea resource management to protect groundwater dependent ecosystems
By Christopher Wada, Kimberly Burnett, and Sittidaj Ponkijvorasin In Hawai‘i and other parts of the world, native forest and valuable linked natural resources are being threatened by forces including land use change, invasive species, and climate change. Management strategies for protecting these resources are commonly divided into two categories: (1) active restoration where interventions such as […]
Read MorePositive net benefits for an agricultural import rule designed to protect native Hawaiian forests
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 MoreWho are we measuring and modeling for? Supporting real-world watershed management
By Leah Bremer and Kate Brauman (In Press at the Global Water Forum) Watershed management programs that promote land management like reforestation, conservation, and lower-intensity grazing to enhance clean and ample water supplies downstream are becoming more common around the world. To achieve their water goals, they often need hydrologic information, usually generated through field measurements and hydrologic models. However, hard work by the hydrologic community […]
Read More2019 Paper of the Year in Invasive Plant Science and Management
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 MoreCan demand-side management replicate a size limit in a small-scale fishery?
We tested whether it is possible to replicate the effects of a size limit with a voluntary mechanism – a price premium for larger fish. We randomly offered fishers in Indonesia a bonus for catching certain species of fish above certain sizes. We observe clear differences in catch as a result. Instead of inducing fishers to […]
Read MoreEvaluating Protection Strategies for an Invasive Plant Species: Miconia calvescens
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 MoreOpportunities for agent-based modelling in human dimensions of fisheries
Models of human dimensions of fisheries are important to understanding and predicting how fishing industries respond to changes in marine ecosystems and management institutions. Advances in computation have made it possible to construct agent-based models (ABMs)—which explicitly describe the behaviour of individual people, firms or vessels in order to understand and predict their aggregate behaviours. ABMs are […]
Read MoreIdentifying priority watershed management areas for groundwater recharge protection on Hawai‘i Island
This report provides an analysis of the relative effectiveness of watershed conservation and restoration efforts in terms of groundwater recharge benefits in Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply (DWS) priority aquifers and recharge areas. In Kohala, Kona, and Kaʻū. With financial support from DWS and the National Science Foundation, EPSCoR ʻIke Wai project, this study […]
Read MoreMountain-to-sea ecological-resource management: forested watersheds, coastal aquifers, and groundwater dependent ecosystems
Improving the understanding of connections spanning from mountain to sea and integrating those connections into decision models have been increasingly recognized as key to effective coastal resource management. In this paper, we aim to improve our understanding of the relative importance of linkages between a forested watershed, a coastal groundwater aquifer, and a nearshore marine […]
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