Check out the MISC Summer 2012 Newsletter: Kia’i i Na Moku o Maui Nui

Posted on May 25, 2012 by MISC

Click this link for a PDF version of the newsletter: 2012 MISC Newsletter Kia’i i na Moku o Maui Nui

In this issue:

Moeana Besa and her family live in a part of Tahiti plagued by little fire ants. Photo by Masako Cordray

Moeana’s Message―What Tahiti Can Teach us about Little Fire Ants
“This place used to be paradise” said Moeana Besa. Find out what happened.
On Page 1

Fire at the Farm
How Christina Chang helped stop the establishment of the little fire ant on Maui.
On Page 3

On the Job
Where can you find a snake handler, exploratory entomologist, educator, advocate, law enforcer, pesticide applicator examiner, irrigation specialist, and ant wrangler? Try the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
On Page 5

New Science
Paintball guns, scuba tanks, and spacklers—the promising new techniques for treating little fire ants.
On Page 6 (check out the video of the spackler in action!)

Tiny Ants, Huge Nuisance
Learn more about the little fire ant and why this wee creature is such a big problem
On Page 6

Education Saves the Day!
How a class visit led to the detection of the little fire ant on Maui.
On Page 9

MISC field crew leader Darrell Aquino is up for any challenge

Dauntless Darrell

The keen eye of Darrell Aquino, pig hunter and dedicated MISC employee.
On Page 10

PLUS:

MISCommunication-The Comics of Brooke Mahnken
Managers Corner
Is that fire ant Little? Tropical? or Red Imported? Dr. MISCellaneous knows the difference!

The Big Drip: Possible Water and Soil Impacts of the Miconia Invasion in Hawai‘i

Posted on May 10, 2012 by MISC 1 Comment

By Thomas Giambelluca

Anecdotal evidence suggests that, besides impacting biodiversity, the invasive tree Miconia calvescens is causing landslides and other soil erosion problems in Tahiti, where it has displaced native forest. As miconia takes hold in Hawai‘i, local scientists and environmental organizations have voiced concerns about its potential hydrological impacts: increased flooding, diminished groundwater supply, loss of topsoil, and siltation of coral reefs.

Miconia invasions lead to dense, monotypic stands with little or no ground-covering vegetation. Miconia’s large, dark leaves reduce light levels beneath the canopy, thereby inhibiting the germination and growth of other plant species. Large leaves also produce relatively large throughfall drops during and after rain events.

“Throughfall” refers to rainwater that reaches the forest floor. Some throughfall consists of raindrops that fall through the forest canopy without hitting any leaves or branches. The rest comes from drops that splash or drip from wetted vegetation. Water that drips from the leaves of tree canopies can be much larger than raindrops. If falling from a great enough height, these large drops can reach kinetic energy levels that exceed that of natural rainfall in open areas. Because these large drops hit the ground with greater force, they can result in greater impacts to the soil.

The soil surface, exposed due to the lack of ground cover, is vulnerable to higher rates of “detachment,” the breakup of clumps of soil into small particles. Mobilized by large, high-energy throughfall drops, these particles can clog soil pores and reduce rates of infiltration. This leads to overland flow during rainfall events, a process unlikely to occur on undisturbed soils of native forests on Pacific Islands.

In a pilot study funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service we were able to verify that light levels under miconia stands in Onomea on Hawai‘i Island are very low.* Based on a limited survey, we also observed ground cover to be very sparse under miconia, with very little live vegetation and meager leaf litter. Most studies have shown that runoff and soil erosion become severe as ground cover declines below fifty percent, as was the case for the Onomea miconia stands.

Using laser disdrometers, Japanese researcher Dr. Kazuki Nanko helped us measure the size and velocity of throughfall drops under miconia and other tree canopies at Onomea and nearby field sites. Dr. Nanko found that miconiaproduced throughfall drops up to seven millimeters in diameter, much larger than typical two-millimeter diameter rainfall drops and significantly larger than throughfall drops under native trees.

Large miconia leaves act as umbrellas, shading out sunlight

The next step in this research is to observe runoff and erosion processes at miconia plots and control sites. Due in part to the effectiveness of miconiaeradication efforts in Hawai‘i, we have not been able to find stands large enough and in proximity to appropriate control sites to do the research in Hawai‘i. It is therefore likely that further study of hydrological impacts of miconia will be based in French Polynesia, where the miconia invasion is much more advanced.

Thus far, our studies indicate that in areas invaded by miconia, the effects of sparse ground cover, high-impact throughfall, and overland flow could combine to produce excessively high rates of soil erosion. Accelerated soil erosion removes topsoil, depriving native plants of access to nutrients and water and leading to siltation of streams and the near-shore marine environment.

Thomas Giambelluca is a professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where he has been conducting research on the climate and hydrology of Hawai‘i and other tropical areas for nearly 30 years.

*Dr. Ross Sutherland, professor and chair of the Geography Department at the University of Hawai‘i (UHM); Ryan Mudd, UHM graduate assistant; and Dr. Alan Ziegler, Singapore National University, contributed to this study.

Originally published in the Summer 2010 edition of the Maui Invasive Species Committee’s newsletter Kia‘i i Nā Moku o Maui Nui. The full newsletter is posted at hear.org/misc/newsletter/

What you need to know to recognize BBTV-the 97 second video

Posted on April 21, 2012 by MISC Leave a Comment

In Maui County contact the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 573-6472 to confirm and control infested plants. Always get banana plants locally (like from your neighbor!) to minimize risk of spreading BBTV to an uninfested area.

Moving on from the Mongoose: the Success of Biological Control in Hawai‘i

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Lissa Strohecker 2 Comments

Achieving balance–in your workplace, at home, on your surfboard, or with your checkbook—makes life manageable. Natural environments depend upon balance as well.

Invasive pests have been disturbing the natural balance of Hawaiian ecosystems for centuries, ever since the arrival of the rat with early Polynesian explorers. Bringing invasive species into better balance with the environment is nothing new here in Hawai‘i. An effective biological control, or natural predator, can transform a devastating invasive species into a mild pest.

The invasive Erythrina gall wasp that threatened the native wiliwili trees, such ans this one, was brought into balance by a parasatoid wasp.

The vast majority of biological control efforts in Hawaii have been successful: pānini cactus that once choked pasture land is now checked by three predatory insects and a plant fungus; white loosestrife or pāmakani is continually attacked by two insects and another plant fungus; and recently, the Erythrina gall wasp, that wiped out ornamental coral trees and threatened the native wiliwili with extinction, was leveled by a parasitoid wasp.

Yet, just as impulsive actions sabotage balance in our own lives—think diet fads and over-exercising–the same kind of recklessness results in greater instability in our environment.

Such is the case with the small Indian mongoose, Herpestus javanicus. In 1872, a sugar planter released nine mongoose on Jamaica with the hope it would control rats in cane fields. The planter considered it successful and published a paper about it. Mongoose populations grew and offspring were sold to plantations throughout the Caribbean, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. In 1883, Hawai‘i plantation owners jumped on the mongoose bandwagon. With little regard for potential impacts, the now defunct Hilo Planters Association released seventy-two mongoose from Jamaica in Hilo. Another batch of mongoose from eastern India was brought to the Hāmākua coast in 1885. Subsequent offspring were released on Maui, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i. For an unknown reason the crate delivered on Kaua‘i was kicked off the dock. To date mongoose have not established on Kaua‘i, though a single female was found killed by a car in 1972.

The mongoose is an opportunistic predator, introduced to Hawaii in 1883 with little regard to potential impacts on species other than the rat. Today, a potential biological control goes through years of testing to ensure it will have no unanticipated impacts.

Mongoose do eat rats, in Hawai‘i and elsewhere, but mongoose are opportunistic predators eating primarily insects, with birds, eggs, and a handful of plants mixed in. Additionally, mongooses are active during the day, rats at night. The introduction of the mongoose further tipped the balance of the environment in the wrong direction: now both mongoose and rats threaten populations of native birds, particularly ground-nesting species like nēnē and petrels.

The mongoose introduction was not an example of classical biological control; it was an impulsive, untested whim. Today, when researchers look for biological controls for a particular pest, they survey the pest’s native habitat for species that counteract the pest’s invasive characteristics. Before any new organisms are introduced in Hawai‘i, they are subjected to intensive testing in quarantine to determine potential impacts on any other species.

Successful candidates for biological control have evolved over millennia alongside their target; some are dependent solely on the target species for survival. For example, the Eurytoma wasp that saved the wiliwili will die without access to Erythina gall wasps. Consequently, Eurytoma populations will stop short of entirely eliminating the Erythrina gall wasp. Rather it will restore balance, keeping the pest wasp in check.

When mongoose were brought to Hawai‘i, there were no restrictions on plant and animal imports. Impacts on other species were an afterthought, if considered at all. It wasn’t until King David Kalākaua enacted the “Laws of the Hawaiian Islands” that any regulation existed to limit the introduction of new species to Hawai‘i.

Government-led pest management didn’t begin until ten years after sugar growers introduced the mongoose. The provisional government appointed Albert Koebele as the chief entomologist, the first of many tasked with preventing new and controlling existing pest populations

Biological control has a long and successful history in Hawai‘i. In fact, California and Hawai‘i lead the world in successful releases of natural predators. Ever since testing of biological controls began, there have been no incidences of “host-jumping” or biological controls attacking other species. Yes, the infamous mongoose ran amok, but it arrived during an “anything goes” era in Hawaiian history. The mongoose–or any opportunistic predator–would never be considered suitable for introduction by today’s standards. Biological controls are an important tool—sometimes the only tool—that can restore balance in Hawaiian ecosystems.

Originally published in the Maui News, April 8th, 2012 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.
You can find all the articles in the Kia‘i Moku series http://www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Grow bananas? Guard against BBTV.

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Lissa Strohecker 2 Comments

Check for “J-hooks” along the midrib of the of the banana leaf. This is a symptom of BBTV infection. Photo Courtesy of Scott Nelson, UH-CTAHR.

In the spring of 2009, Angela Kepler found a diseased banana plant on her neighbor’s property. “It really freaked us out! As soon as we found out we ran next door and sprayed for aphids.” The neighbor’s banana plant was infected with banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). “BBTV is the worst,” Kepler explains. “Now we help check everyone in the neighborhood.”

Angela Kepler and Frank Rust study bananas. Of the 32 different kinds on their property, most are rare Polynesian bananas collected from the wild or someone’s backyard. They photograph and observe each plant from keiki to fruiting to learn the key characters that make each type unique. Kepler and Rust are writing a book on how to identify different types of bananas. They know what BBTV can do.

The plant on the left is infested with BBTV. Note how the new growth is bunched together, a symptom that gives the disease its name. Photo courtesy of Scott Nelson, UH-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

BBTV is the most serious known disease of bananas. Infected plants produce shrunken, malformed leaves and distorted fruit—if they fruit at all. BBTV eventually kills all plants in an infected mat (root mass)there is no cure for the disease. Removing infected plants and preventing spread is the only control for BBTV—a necessary precaution if bananas are to continue being grown in Hawaii. BBTV threatens the banana industry, backyard farmers, and rare, culturally significant banana varieties, such as those grown and collected by Kepler and Rust. “We’ve seen a tremendous demise in the last 10 years,” says Kepler.

BBTV is spread between plants by banana aphids. The virus is passed from an infected plant to the aphid and transmitted when the aphid feeds on a healthy plant. People then spread BBTV great distances when they transport infected plants. Anyone who moves or harbors infected plants puts their neighbors’ plants at risk.

Banana bunchy top virus is widespread in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Taiwan, the South Pacific, and in parts of India and Africa. It was first discovered in Hawaii in 1989. BBTV is widely established on O‘ahu and has been detected on Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i, Maui, and Moloka‘i. “We haven’t been able to collect bananas from other islands, or share ours due to BBTV,” says Kepler.

On Maui, backyards in Kīhei and Pukalani suffer the densest infestations of the disease. Banana farms in Kula and, most recently, central Maui have been wiped out. Not surprisingly, BBTV thrives in Lahaina as well; drier climates are better aphid habitat. Scattered infestations of BBTV have been found in Ha‘ikū and Huelo as infested material has been brought into the area. To date, Hāna, Ke‘anae, and Kipahulū are free of BBTV.

Another indication of BBTV infection is a sporadic dark green streaking, as if in a Morse-code pattern along the leaf sheath. MISC file photo.

Controlling and preventing the spread of BBTV is everybody’s business. If you have banana plants check them regularly for symptoms of the disease. Initial signs of infection are: 1) dark “Morse code” streaks along the leaf stem named for the irregular pattern of dashes and dots along the veins, 2) “J-hooks’ where the leaf veins along the blade of the leaf curve into the midrib. As the infection becomes established, new leaves emerge with difficulty, giving the plant the appearance of having the “bunchy top” that the disease is named for. New leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, often with yellowing around the leaf edges. Plants will stop producing fruit after infected and any keiki from the infected mat are severely stunted.

Check for “J-hooks” along the midrib of the of the banana leaf. This is a symptom of BBTV infection. Photo Courtesy of Scott Nelson, UH-CTAHR.

Controlling the spread of BBTV requires control of the vectors: aphids and movement of infected plants. Regularly spraying your plants with soapy water controls the banana aphid and can help prevent infection. The Maui Invasive Species Committee can help you identify infected plants and will control them for you. Infected plants should be killed on site and left standing until completely dead, typically within six months of treatment. Removing infected plants reduces spread of BBTV; aphids won’t feed on infested plants. Healthy bananas can be replanted in the same place after the mat has completely died.

If you suspect your banana plants are infected with BBTV and live in Maui County, call the Maui Invasive Species Committee at 573-6472. Due to the risk of BBTV, banana plants should not be moved between communities. “We all want to share bananas. People want to give each other plants, but don’t bring bananas from O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, or Kaua‘i,” cautions Kepler. “And whatever you do, don’t take bananas to the Hāna and Kipahulu area.”

Article by Lissa Fox Strohecker

Originally published in the Maui News, February 13th, 2011 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.
You can find all the articles in the Kia‘i Moku series http://www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Native plant growers throughout Hawai‘i replace IHOP’s “The Lorax” themed seed bookmarks with native plants

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

From March 9th, 2012 press release

HONOLULU — Hawai‘i theater goers enjoying the new movie, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” and its theme of protecting local tree species can help honor that message by supporting the use of native Hawaiian plants rather than non-native species.

To that end, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) worked with local IHOP managers and the IHOP corporate headquarters in California last week to voluntarily discontinue the distribution of promotional bookmarks embedded with seeds at Hawai‘i IHOP locations.

‘A‘ali‘i, or Dodonaea viscosa, is one of the Hawaiian plants being offered in exchange for pine-seed laced bookmarks. ‘A‘ali‘i range in size from shrubs to small trees such as this one at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

“Thanks to the quick action of DLNR and others involved, we have turned a potentially negative situation into a positive one by expanding on the movie’s underlying message of being better stewards of our natural environment,” said Governor Neil Abercrombie. “The collaborative effort to discontinue the distribution of spruce seeds engages those who may not be aware of the importance of the ‘right plant in the right place.’ Our forests will thrive with more native flora and that benefits all of us.”

The bookmarks are part of a promotional campaign for Universal Pictures’ new movie release, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax,” in which IHOP customers are being encouraged to help the Lorax by planting trees. The bookmarks are embedded with Engelmann spruce seeds, which are native to parts of the U.S. mainland but not to Hawai‘i.

IHOP in Hawai‘i has voluntarily discontinued distribution of seeds, and the DLNR and the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species have partnered with native Hawaiian plant nurseries to create an exchange program so that any Hawai‘i resident IHOP customers who may already have received a seed-laden bookmark can exchange their spruce seed bookmark for a free native Hawaiian plant.

While the specific species included in the bookmark may not pose a high risk to Hawai‘i’s native plants, other species of spruce trees have been observed to be invasive in parts of the Pacific, where they replace native plants and the animals that depend on them.

IHOP’s corporate office demonstrated its commitment to protecting the environment by also discontinuing this promotion in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Engelmann spruce is also a nonnative species.

“We want to be responsible caretakers of our environment. When we learned that the trees in question would not be the best choice for Hawai‘i, we responded quickly. We hope our guests will take advantage of this exchange opportunity,” stated Patrick Lenow, spokesman for IHOP Restaurants.

First published in 1971, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is a fictional story of a pristine environment where truffula trees provide food, clean air, and habitat for a community of unique animals. As they are overharvested to extinction, the Lorax tries to point out the environmental importance of the trees, but to no avail. The animals leave and the environment is left in ruins. However, the end of the story is one of hope: replant the truffula trees to restore the environment.

A close-up of ‘a‘ali‘i fruit showing their distinctive shape and color. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

“Updating the message of The Lorax to include the value of native species is key for the next generation of conservationists to understand the problems facing our environment,” said Joshua Atwood, coordinator for the interagency Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council housed at the DLNR.

“An important part of The Lorax story is that the truffula trees grow nowhere else, and the Lorax is there to protect that limited resource. Similarly, many of Hawai‘i’s native plants and animals only exist on these islands, and we need to do what we can to protect them. That includes planting native, rather than nonnative, species whenever possible.”

One of the nurseries providing plants for the exchange is Hui Ku Maoli Ola, the largest native Hawaiian plant nursery in the state. “We believe in the importance of perpetuating our native flora as a part of our unique culture and environment,” said Matt Kapaliku Schirman, Hui Ku Maoli Ola co-founder. “This is a great opportunity to help protect and restore the Hawaiian environment.”

DLNR also thanks the Native Nursery and Big Island Plants or Ku ‘Oh‘ia Laka, whose exchange agreements were facilitated by the Maui and Big Island Invasive Species Committees.

IHOP customers who received a Lorax bookmark can exchange the seed-embedded bookmark for a native Hawaiian plant free of charge through the end of April, 2012 at the following participating nurseries:

O‘ahu:
Hui Ku Maoli Ola Native Plant Nursery
46-403 Haiku Rd, Kane‘ohe, HI, 96744
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. – noon, closed Sunday
Contact: (808) 235-6165, www.hawaiiannativeplants.com

Maui:
Native Nursery and Ho‘olawa Farms, exchange facilitated by the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
Contact MISC at (808) 573-6472

Hawai‘i Island:
Big Island Plants or Ku ‘Oh‘ia Laka, exchange facilitated by the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC)
Contact: BIISC at (808) 933-3345

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” —the Once-ler from “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss

Posted on February 29, 2012 by MISC Leave a Comment

In anticipation of “The Lorax” movie opening March 2, a national restaurant chain has been giving away bookmarks with seeds of blue-spruce and Canadian white pine.

A press release dated February 21^st 2012 explains the program: “In keeping with the animated adventure’s theme that one person can make a difference, IHOP is distributing three million limited-edition bookmarks embedded with seed paper that can be planted to flourish across a range of climates and forest condition.”

It’s great to encourage kids to plant trees. Unfortunately these aren’t the Truffula trees that the Lorax fought to protect. Planting alien trees in Hawai‘i can be tricky. The characteristics of the bookmark trees that allow them flourish across a range of climates and forest conditions can also help them invade and outcompete native species. In Hawai‘i pines have a reputation of escaping cultivation into high-elevation ecosystems. Think twice before planting these pines in our forests. As the voiceover from the movie trailer says when the boy receives the last seed of the Truffula tree, “It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”

After concerns were raised, distribution of the seeds was discontinued in Hawaii.

Make the Lorax proud and plant a tree that is regionally appropriate to the area. Find suggestions of native Hawaiian plants here: www.nativeplants.hawaii.edu

And on a final note: ever notice how a lehua blossom on an ‘ōh‘ia looks a bit like a Truffula tree?

A Truffula tree for Hawai‘i (‘ōh‘ia photos by Forest & Kim Starr).

Make National Invasive Species Week Last All Year

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

National Invasive Species Week is February 26 to March 3 of 2012. While it’s great to pay attention for the week, here are a few simple actions, one for each month, to help make a difference on the invasive species front:

*Note: This list was originally published in the January 8th edition of the Maui News.

Start by removing invasive species in your own back yard, like this ornamental pampas grass.

January—check backyard first. Take a look in your own yard to see what invasive species you might be harboring– then remove ‘em! Backyards are often the source for plants and animals that escape to wreak havoc in our environment. If the plant or animal is a target for the Maui Invasive Species Committee, such as pampas grass or coqui frogs, call us and we’ll give you a hand.

February—be pest-savvy. The last week of February is National Invasive Species Awareness week. Take part by learning about a new invasive plant or animal and how to control or report it. Start at mauiisc.org, mauiinvasive.org, reportapest.org, or check for monthly editions of this column, then share what you know.

March—buy local—Maui local. Many pests are limited to just one island, but they spread when potted plants, cut flowers, equipment, even produce is moved between islands. Support Maui’s economy and protect our island by bringing home locally grown products. Avoid ordering seeds on the Internet as some plants may be invasive in Hawaii.

Clean your gear-boots, fins, packs, and cars-regularly to prevent the spread of hithchiking invasive species.

April—clean your gear. Headed out diving, snorkeling or hiking? Give your gear a thorough rinse or scrub to remove any hitchhiking seeds (check the tongue of your boots), algae, or insect eggs before you head out. And don’t neglect to check your car periodically, both the underside as well as the inside.

May—volunteer. You will meet interesting people and learn more about Maui. Many groups have weekend volunteer trips where you can lend a hand removing invasive species or planting native species. Find an organization at hear.org/volunteer/maui/

June—survey your yard for the little fire ant. This tiny ant often arrives unnoticed, but it can become a huge problem. Currently no known infestations exist on Maui, but there is a high likelihood they will arrive again. Surveying is as easy as peanut butter and a chopstick. Learn more at lfa-hawaii.org

July—travel smart. Check twice before you bring something interisland. Plants and plant cuttings must be inspected by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture before being taken interisland to ensure there are no unwanted pests or diseases riding along.

August—take a hike, but with new eyes. Public reports are one of the best ways we learn about new invasive species. So cruise around the neighborhood, or go for a walk in the forest. See a bird you’ve never seen before or a new plant that looks like it’s taking over? Take a photo and let someone know.

September—be neighborly. Some invasive species problems are too big to tackle alone, but left unchecked will become everyone’s problem. Offer to help out your neighbors with an invasive species in their yard.

Landscaping with native species, like this ālula, will also help save water. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

October—go native in your yard. Hawaiian plants have never been more available for landscaping. In addition to being a unique addition to your landscape, these species won’t be invasive and offer habitat for native animals. Another plus – these plants evolved to survive on rainfall, so when selected to match your climate, they can help you save water.

November—eat an invasive. The season of eating offers plenty of edible invasive species, from axis deer to pigs to. Make a meal, or part of a meal, in the spirit of removing invasive species. For more information (and recipes) check out invasivore.org.

December—celebrate in holiday style with an invasive pine tree. Each year Friends of Haleakala National Park and The Nature Conservancy lead December trips to remove invasive pines from areas in and near Haleakala National Park. Find details for the Friends trip at fhnp.org and for the TNC trip by calling 572-7849. Other trips may be listed in the newspaper.

This year make a resolution to help address invasive species— just one simple activity a month can add up to make a big difference in our community.

Article by Lissa Fox Strohecker

Originally published in the Maui News, January 8th, 2012 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column.
You can find all the articles in the Kia‘i Moku series http://www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

Asking albizia to go-Moloka‘i style

Posted on December 17, 2011 by MISC Leave a Comment

Tackling a giant albizia

How does a two-person team control 850 invasive trees? If you’re MoMISC, you ask for permission first—from the landowner, the ancestors, and the trees themselves.

When Lori Buchanan of the Moloka‘i/Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC) learned that albizia trees were invading a steep gulch in Nā‘iwa, she started strategizing. Native to the Indonesian archipelago, albizia rapidly monopolizes disturbed mesic and wet forests in Hawai‘i, and can rise to over 120 feet tall with wide, interlocking canopies. Because albizia trees fix nitrogen in the soil, they alter Hawaiian forests to favor non-native plants.

The Nā‘iwa discovery was the only albizia population on Moloka‘i—making it a good candidate for eradication. But controlling the trees would be a huge project, requiring the cooperation of many stakeholders.

These giants reach over 120 feet tall.

First Buchanan approached the landowner, who granted access to the site. Land and air surveys revealed a fifteen-acre patch of mature trees, some with trunks measuring seven feet in circumference. Before rounding up extra hands to help with control work, Buchanan consulted kumu Mikiala Pescaia, who has genealogical ties to the area.

“It’s a good idea to ask permission before you do anything,” says Buchanan. “Every place is sacred, or has some history, and so it’s always a good idea to consult the indigenous culture.

“Nā‘iwa is makahiki and hula grounds. The crew needed to know why it’s special before working there.”
Pescaia agreed to ask her ancestors to bless the project and to share the importance of the site’s numerous platforms and heiau with the crew. She explained how killing during the makahiki season would be inappropriate, since it was a time of peace and rest.

: Kumu Mikiala Pescaia and the crew at the edge of Kalaupapa.

“She took us to the edge of Kalaupapa and said, ‘This is where the spirits leap off,’” says Buchanan. “After that, the crew was hyped. We knew we were going to sweat and work our butts off, but people would appreciate what we were trying to do. It put our work in a whole new light.

“Mikiala sees all her cultural sites being taken over by invasive species. Our work is important to her, to her ancestors, and to future generations. It’s a step in restoring a whole genealogy.”

Mikiala Pescaia asked her ancestors for permission before entering the work site. She outlined appropriate behavior for the crew to observe while working: no swearing, negative thoughts, smoking, or removing anything from the area.

Kumu Mikiala Pescaia and the crew at the edge of Kalaupapa.

Then, says Buchanan, “She went to the edge of the gulch and said to the trees, ‘You guys have to go. Thank you for what you’ve provided—oxygen, shade, etcetera, but you have to go. Lori and MoMISC are going to come and take you out.’”

Actually, it was Lori, MoMISC, and a small army. Kamalani Pali, the other half of MoMISC, helped organize crews from The Nature Conservancy, Maui Invasive Species Committee, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. John Neizman from the Department of Land and Natural Resources assisted with clearing the access road. Two retired foresters volunteered to cut and treat trees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Materials Center donated ninety pounds of native kāwelu, ‘a‘ali‘i, and ‘āweoweo seed mix. Before controlling the trees, Pescaia and the crew spread the seeds throughout the site, to repopulate the forest with native plants and suppress albizia regrowth.

Scientists and cultural advisors agreed that the best time to start work was the first week of March, after makahiki had passed. The crew girdled massive trunks, scraping the bark off with chainsaws to get to the heartwood and swabbing the cuts with small amounts of herbicide. Despite the heavy labor—three days of wielding chainsaws and rappelling to reach cliff-side trees—no one was injured.

Local businesses pitched in, too. Moloka‘i Community Federal Credit Union and Ron Kimball of Kamehameha Schools helped feed the workers. Mac Poepoe and Kanohowailuku Helm, local fishermen who have published a Hawaiian moon calendar, gave a pau hana workshop on how to be a pono fisherman. Realtors Diane and Larry Swenson accommodated visiting crews in their roomy warehouse.

A year later, only four of 850 albizia trees required re-treatment. The project brought together community members, field staff, and cultural practitioners. Work crews valued the opportunity to practice traditional protocols while working to free the island’s native forests from invasive pests. There’s no arguing that involving the community and asking for permission resulted in resounding success. The lessons learned during the albizia project will be applied to future control efforts on Moloka‘i and Maui.

“So many components had to come together. Everybody had to be on board,” says Buchanan. “But that’s our job: to make it easy for people to help us.” •

By Shannon Wianecki
MISC Editor and Curriculum Writer

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2010 edition of Kia‘i i Nā Moku o Maui Nui, the newsletter of the Maui Invasive Species. Find the full newsletter at www.hear.org/misc/newsletter/.

Help Hawai‘i–harvest a Christmas tree

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Lissa Strohecker Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season, and tradition calls for pine trees to decorate Maui residents’ homes, although there are many palms decorated in Christmas lights as well. Most Christmas trees are shipped in, but there’s a history of growing pines in Hawai‘i. Ralph Hosmer, Hawai‘i’s first forester, came on the job in 1904. At the time, forests throughout Hawai‘i were in a sorry state. Since Polynesian times, people have greatly altered lowland forests, initially for settlement and taro cultivation, then for sugar cane and pastureland. Feral pigs, goats and cattle escaped into intact forests, trampling shallow-rooted plants and browsing slow-growing plants. Honolulu, prospering from the sugar boom, was exceeding existing water supplies by the 1870s. Recognizing the need to protect and restore vital watersheds, everyone from sugar cane barons to King Kalākaua began fencing out animals and planting trees, some of which were pines.

Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula) creeps into the native forest of the Waikamoi preserve. Forrest and Kim Starr photo

Hosmer helped turn sentiments about forest protection into cohesive action. He established the first forest reserves in Hawai‘i, beginning in 1906 when Alexander & Baldwin ceded management of acreage on Maui to the territorial government. With newly acquired land, Hosmer accelerated efforts to fence out cattle and goats and planted fast-growing hardy trees. The goals were three-fold: to stop erosion, restore the watershed and provide for Hawai‘i’s timber needs. Hosmer’s experimental plantation high on the slopes of Haleakalā now bears his name, “Hosmer’s Grove.” He planted species familiar from his Mainland forestry background: redwood, ash and pines. For years to come, foresters continued planting non-native species. These trees did prevent erosion on overgrazed lands, but some escaped cultivation to invade nearby ecosystems and crowd out native species.

Three species – Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), Mexican weeping pine (Pinus patula) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) – are particularly invasive. They persistently threaten Haleakalā National Park and The Nature Conservancy’s Waikamoi Preserve, transforming native stands into pine forests. Pines grow fast, up to one foot per year and reach maturity quickly, producing seeds within six to eight years. A massive amount of tiny seeds spread easily on the wind, help these pines colonize new areas. Removing pines has proven essential to maintaining the shrub-land and alpine habitat of Haleakalā.

Over the years, crews at Haleakalā National Park have stopped a veritable woodland of pines. Bill Haus and the crew he works with have removed 87,920 pines from the park and surrounding areas since 1982. According to Natural Resource Program Manager Steve Anderson, “Without control, the slopes of the subalpine shrub land would be a pine forest.” Subalpine shrub land is critical habitat for a native plants and animals; conversion to a pine forest would turn this rare Hawaiian ecosystem into a biological desert – no native plants like māmane, pūkiawe, ‘ōhelo or ‘a‘ali‘i; no native birds like the ‘i‘iwi and ‘amakihi.

Monteray pine (Pinus radiata) growing inside Haleakalā crater alongside silverswords. There have been a flush of pine seedlings inside the crater in the last few years. Forrest and Kim Starr photo.

Pines threaten the crater as well. Haus and his crew have removed more than 1,500 pines from inside the crater, with a peak of 778 in 2010.

Anderson said: “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible (for the crater to become a pine forest) several years ago, but it’s clear that potential exists now.”

The recent flush of pine could be the result of the 2007 Polipoli fire. Pines, including those invading Haleakalā Crater, are serotinous, meaning certain pine cones are coated with a waxy substance. These cones stay closed until the heat of a fire melts the coating to release seeds. As an ecological adaptation, it helps pines take advantage of the ash-fertile conditions following a fire. But in Hawai‘i, this adaptation may offer a unique seed-scattering advantage. The Polipoli fire possibly spurred a huge seed release and associated winds carried the seeds into the crater. Pine seedlings are even growing alongside silverswords.

You can help protect the crater from pines, and take home a pine tree! Several organizations will be working with volunteers to remove pines in time for the holidays. Friends of Haleakalā National Park leads efforts to remove pine trees from the crater. Check out their website at fhnp.org for more information.

The Nature Conservancy will be working below Hosmer’s Grove on Dec. 17. Call or email Pat Bily at 856-7665 or pbily@tnc.org for details and to confirm attendance. Both trips are free and open to the public. Dress for wintery weather and bring rain gear, water, tools and rope to bring home your tree or wreath making supplies. Participants also may bring food. Eggnog is optional.

By Lissa Fox Strohecker
Originally published in the Maui News, December 11, 2011 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column. Check out all of the MISC articles in the Kia`i Moku series at: www.hear.org/misc/mauinews/

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