Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)

Evolutionary oddities: giant flightless ducks roamed Maui, grazing like buffalo and spreading seeds

Posted on by

As tall as a toddler, the flightless moa-nalo lived in Hawaiʻi for over 3 million years.

For millennia, before humans ever set foot on Hawaiʻi, birds ruled the islands. From mountain top to shoreline, the feathered filled the forests, grasslands, wetlands, and shorelines. As the predominant animal of islands that lacked the land-dwelling reptiles (only sea turtles) and mammals (only bats) found elsewhere, birds adapted to fill a range of ecological roles. They were pollinators, predators and scavengers, seed dispersers, fertilizers, and even the grazers on the landscape shaping the ecology and being shaped by geography and isolation.

Take the moa-nalo or “lost fowl,” named as they are only known from fossils found in caves and dunes. Moa-nalo are a group of flightless birds that lived in Hawaiʻi for over 3 million years until humans arrived. They had large massive turtle-like beaks, complete with teeth. Some species were as tall as a toddler and weighed up to 15 pounds. Forest dwellers, they were the grazers of the landscape, like the buffalo or deer of the mainland, they used their oversized beaks to tear at leaves and spent their lives munching the understory plants and ferns. 

Moa-nalo wandered the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui Nui but are not known from Hawaiʻi Island. On Maui, there are two species known from fossils found in caves: the Maui-Nui moa-nalo, the largest species in the Islands, and the Stumbling moa-nalo, a species that lived in the mountains

The ancestors of the moa-nalo were dabbling ducks (ducks that feed on the surface of freshwater) that colonized the islands around 3.6 million years ago. At that time, the island of Oʻahu was the youngest in the chain, with Maui Nui and Hawaiʻi Island yet to be formed. As the Pacific Plate moved northwest, Maui Nui – first Molokai, then Lanaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, and then Maui began forming. Exactly when and how giant flightless ducks reached Maui Nui, or whether they evolved to be flightless after they arrived is unknown. At that time, sea level was lower and wetlands were prominent on the landscape of Maui Nui, attracting birds as they do today. Flightlessness could have been an advantage for the ancient birds, transferring energy reserves from powering wings to walking to take advantage of a plentiful plant resource, underutilized as there were no other grazing animals around.

Though most plants in Hawaiʻi do not have thorns, many species of Cyanea (hāhā) like this Cyanea duvalliorum from Makawao Forest Reserve bear formidable-looking defenses. Scientists suspect that the presence of moa-nalo influenced the evolution of these plants’ defenses. Birds have been a critical force in shaping the ecology of the Hawaiian Islands. Photo courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr

Many of the plants that are endemic to Hawaiʻi (found here and nowhere else) lack the chemicals and thorns that their ancestors may have had to deter grazing animals – take for example the ʻākala, the Hawaiian raspberry, with only hair-like thorns when compared to a related invasive blackberry. But giant grazing ducks may have spurred some plants to defend themselves. Thirteen of the 20 species of hāhā (Cyanea) native to the islands have prickly fern-like leaves, though only when the plants are young and within about four feet of the ground – the reach of the moa-nalo. As the plants grow taller and out of the reach of the grazers, the leaves are full and spineless.

Though plants may have evolved defenses from moa-nalo, these oversized flightless, ground-nesting birds were one of the first species to disappear when humans reached the islands – likely as meals for humans and the animals that came with them—rats, pigs, and dogs. The moa-nalo are among 77 species of Hawaiian birds that have become extinct in the last 700 years, thanks to invasive species, disease, and habitat loss.

There are still rare and unique bird species left in Hawaiʻi – forest birds, shorebirds, and seabirds that are both amazing in their own right and serve critical roles in ecosystem processes. Heroic efforts protect the remaining species. Here on Maui, many projects work to protect bird populations and nesting habitat through research and restoration. Among them are the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project, Maui Bird Conservation Center, Kanahā Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. If you would like to learn more about birds in Hawaiʻi and efforts to protect them, consider volunteering with one of these organizations.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on January 11, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Earthworms: an invasive species underfoot in Hawai’i

Posted on by

Invasive earthworms support other invasive species: As pigs dig for roots and grubs, they rototill the soil. Disturbance and bare soil creates gaps in the forest floor opening it up for invasive plants and water that pools in these pits supports mosquito populations that spread diseases to native birds. Photo courtesy of East Maui Watershed Partnership

If you garden, you’ve gained an appreciation for the relationship between soil and plant health. From soil pH to mineral content or drainage there are countless indicators of soil quality and one size doesn’t fit all; the right soil for a cactus won’t support a lily. As with climate, rainfall, and temperature, soil type and composition plays a key role in determining what grows where and if it will thrive.

Gardeners look to earthworms as an indicator of soil aeration and they’re often thought of as a beneficial critter, but earthworms, introduced to Hawaiʻi, don’t necessarily benefit the plants that evolved in Hawaiʻi.

Earthworms were among the first living creatures on earth, predating dinosaurs. Until relatively recently – when people began moving plants and soil great distances—worms remained in the warmer regions of the continents where they had been for billions of years, breaking down organic matter, aerating the soil, and living their fossil-like existence, engineering the soil to support the surrounding ecosystem.

The Hawaiian Islands have an entirely different, and earthworm-less, evolutionary history: the islands are geologically young, arriving in the middle of the Pacific long after dinosaurs had come and gone. The plants that evolved for life in Hawaiʻi are adapted to grow in iron-rich volcanic soils free of worms; for millions of years, the work of decomposition was done, slowly, by leaf-shredding insects, springtails, fungi, bacteria, and the native kāhuli snails.  

So, when earthworms arrived, thanks to people, they started to change the soil. We don’t know when they arrived, but the first earthworms in Hawaiʻi were collected in 1896. They’ve nonetheless successfully spread throughout Hawaiʻi, both with the help of humans and gradually moving from gardens and homes thought the soil. Stephanie Joe, Alien Invertebrate Research Specialist with the Oʻahu Army Natural Resource Program wanted to research the impacts of earthworms in Hawaiʻi but couldn’t find any forested areas that lacked earthworms, from the summit of Puu Kukui on West Maui to isolated kipukas (pockets of vegetated land surrounded by newer lava flows) on Hawaiʻi Island.”

“Given that we don’t have a place without earthworms in Hawaiʻi, it’s hard to quantify the impacts, but it’s not good–earthworms are definitely changing the forest floor,” says Joe.

Earthworms are not native to the parts of the continental mainland that were covered in glaciers. Researchers look at the earthworm invasion front in temperate forests in Canada and the northern United States comparing areas that do not have earthworms to those that do. They have found a correlation between invasive worms and invasive plants – in particular, grasses, suggesting that worms – known ecosystem engineers – are creating conditions that favor invasive plants.

Earthworms, introduced to sections of North America as well, have dramatic impacts on forests. Earthworms are present in the soil on the right side of the picture, but not the left. Photo courtesy of Great Lakes Worm Watch

The little research on earthworms in Hawaiʻi has found that they alter nutrient cycling, increasing nitrogen content in the soil by breaking down plant matter. In other experiments, researchers have shown that additional nitrogen increases the growth of invasive plants in Hawaiʻi.

There is also evidence that earthworms support feral pigs in Hawaiʻi.

Earthworms are food for wild pigs and in search of dinner, pigs will dig up acres of the rain forest. For his graduate research, Nathaniel Wehr, looked at the relationship between soil macroinvertebrates (animals lack a backbone) and pigs. He compared pig-free sections of rainforest in Volcanoes National Park to sites where pigs were still present. There are more worms where pigs are present, and he detected particularly high numbers of worms where pigs had been rooting in the dirt. Wehr suspects the reason is not necessarily because pigs are good at finding worms, but because pigs aerate the soil and press organic material into it – conditions that worms favor. The pigs then cycle back to find more worms. “It’s termed invasional meltdown,” he explains. “Pigs and worms interact to create a constant cycle, ultimately benefiting each other.”

  • Feral pigs knock over tree ferns, opening up gaps in the forest structure that allow for invasive plants to find a foothold.
  • Pigs are fenced out of the section on the left but are visibly present on the right-hand side. There are more worms where pigs are present
Nathaniel Wehr studied the relationship between soil invertebrates and feral pigs in Hawai’i. “Pigs and worms interact to create a constant cycle, ultimately benfiting each other,” says Wehr. Photos courtesy of Nathaniel Wehr.

Given how widespread they are, nothing can be done on a landscape scale to address earthworms in Hawaiʻi. They may be good in gardens and compost piles, but the presence of worms in Hawaiʻi has altered the ecosystem forever. Preventing impacts from species yet to arrive and spread in the state is critical. Find out more about efforts to increase biosecurity by looking at the Hawaiʻi Interagency Biosecurity Plan: dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/plans/hibp/. The Great Lakes Worm Watch website is a good resource for information about the impacts of invasive earthworms.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on February 8, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Protect Hawai’i’s reefs by keeping boats clean

Posted on by

Near-shore reefs contain species found no where else in the world. Photo: DLNR-DAR

Over 1,000 ships enter Hawaiʻi’s ports and harbors every year. Coming from throughout the Pacific and Oceania, bringing cargo and vacationers to the islands. Below deck, they risk carrying stowaways – fragments of algae and other marine critters – on their hulls and in the ballast water. Moving throughout the world and between islands, boats inadvertently carry marine organisms from place to place. Some of these become invasive in their new habitat.

“Hawaiʻi has the most non-native aquatic species of any place in the United States,” says Jules Kuo, the Hawaiʻi Ballast Water and Hull Fouling Coordinator with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. She works with boat owners and captains of all types of boats from large shipping companies and cruise lines that move globally to recreational and fishing boats hopping between islands to keep new non-native species out and limit the spread within the state.

Hawaiʻi’s marine environment, like the terrestrial environment, evolved in relative isolation. The near-shore reefs glitter with colorful coral, fish, seahorses, urchins, and other creatures, some of which live nowhere else in the world.

Hawaiʻi has the highest rates of endemic marine species: 18% coral and roughly 20% of fish are found here and nowhere else. Important for tourism and residents alike, these reefs are threatened by an onslaught of species arriving from around the world. Once here, marine species can’t be fenced out or weeded.

New marine organisms can make it to Hawaiʻi either by clinging to the hull of a boat or carried in ballast water, seawater stored in tanks to provide stability. Warm temperatures and a lack of predators increases the likelihood that some species will grow unchecked and threaten reefs and human health. Researchers suspect at least one species of box jellyfish made it to Hawaiʻi as an undetected hitchhiker.

A 2014 study identified dirty hulls as the main pathway for non-native marine organisms arriving in Hawaiʻi. According to Kuo, within hours of being in the water, ship hulls begin to develop a slime layer as bacteria build up on the hull. The longer a ship sits, the more slime it will develop. Slime is a drag, literally; it increases friction and fuel costs. But from the perspective of invasive species risk, slime is a foothold for other marine life: algae, sponges, barnacles, clams, and more.

  • Microfouling – a build up of bacterial slime – begins to accumulate within hours. Slime increases fuel costs and acts as a foothold for other marine life. Photo: DLNR-DAR
  • Macrofouling on vessels can contain hundreds of organisms and create drag which increases fuel costs and be incredibly difficult and costly to clean. Photo: DLNR-DAR

One person for 1,000 ships means Kuo can’t personally inspect every boat bottom and ballast tank so she’s developed a priority setting matrix combining information about the ship’s port of origin, how long it was in port, and if species have been detected before to determine which boats to visit. She collects samples of ballast water and checks the hull for fouling, but most of her effort is spent working with captains and owners on the steps they can take to proactively prevent hull fouling and ballast water contamination: regularly cleaning the hull, using anti-fouling paint, and exchanging ballast water in the open sea, far from where algae and critters can be taken up.  

  • A diver checks a reef monitoring structures in Kahului Harbor.
  • Invasive stinging hydroids growing on the hull of a boat.
  • Biofouling, the build up of marine organisms on boat parts underwater, can affect any part of the vessel, including intakes and propellers shown in this photo. The orange-colored growth is not rust; it’s a marine animal called bryozoan (Watersipora subtorquata) that can develop colonies
  • These monitoring structures are checked regularly to see if aquatic alien species have colonized them.
  • Divers survey a hull for biofouling.
  • A seasquirt attached itself to the hull of a boat. Biofouling is the primary way marine invasive species reach the state.
All photos courtesy of Photo DLNR -DAR

“Initial introductions most often happen with commercial vessels but recreational boats carry species throughout the state,” says Kuo For example, the Mycale armata sponge, a conspicuously bright orange sponge from Australia in a Kāneʻohe Bay and other harbors on Oʻahu has spread to Kahului Harbor. Kuo is trying to better understand what species are were introduced by installing autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) in harbors statewide. The ARMS are PVC pipe attached to a plate that mimics coral habitat, Kuo then checks the stations every year to see what has shown up. She is also working with other states along the Pacific Ocean to provide education on simple steps recreational boaters can take to protect Hawaiʻi’s marine environment. These include:

  1. Coat your boat: use an appropriate anti-fouling coating for your boat.
  2. Clean before you go: removing any biofouling and slime layer before traveling will increase fuel efficiency and reduce the accidental spread of marine organisms. Include the hull, propellers, rudders, and intake.
  3. Keep a logbook: this will help you maintain biofouling paint and maintenance schedules.

Find more information about Hawaiʻi’s Ballast Water and Biofouling program, check the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s website: dlnr.hawaii.gov/ais/ballastwaterbiofouling/biofouling/

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on March 14, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Backyard efforts help protect Hawai’i

Posted on by

With stay-at-home orders in place, many of us are stretching our legs with a walk around the yard or neighborhood, perhaps seeing things with different eyes. Even if you are only in the backyard or on the lanai, now is an ideal time to explore and ask questions about the plants and animals that surround you.

Investigating surrounding sights and sounds can enhance your connection to the amazing place we call home. The simple exercise of paying attention to the call of a bird or identifying the plant growing at the edge of the yard or along the road can provide a respite from current stresses and anxieties. And it helps our environment. 

Early detection – finding a plant or animal before it becomes widespread – is a key step in addressing invasive species. You don’t have to be a degree-holding botanist or entomologist to find these pests. Noticing what is different and asking questions can turn you into a backyard sleuth.

Many online resources can guide your inquiry. These activities can also become outdoor lessons if you happen to be sequestered with keiki. Some suggestions: 

  • Do an ant survey. Early detection of little fire ants is critical to preventing our islands from becoming overrun with this pest. All you need is 45 minutes (mostly spent waiting for the ants to arrive) and (not much) peanut butter. Samples can be sent through the mail. Find a video online at more information at stoptheant.org.
  • Send the kids outside. If you have keiki, send them on a scavenger hunt to find plants and animals using Seek, an app by the website iNaturalist. Suitable for beginners young and old, Seek has image recognition software that can suggest species identifications.
  • Start with what interests you most. iNaturalist is a good overall resource. Accessible online (inaturlist.org) and as an app, this online community of citizen scientists and naturalists collaborates on species identifications for plants, animals, mushrooms, spiders, and more.
  • Get to know your backyard birds.  If feathered friends fascinate you, check out eBird online (ebird.org) and the affiliated Merlin Bird ID app.  You can find out what species are in your area. This citizen-science website is run by the experts at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and illustrated checklists and bird song recordings help you learn the birds of your backyard. Another Hawaiʻi-specific resource for bird song recordings is soundshawaiian.com
  • Turn over rocks. The Hawaiian Entomological Society has an excellent Facebook page where experts help the less entomologically oriented identify the strange 6-legged, 8-legged, and occasionally legless critters of our islands. Pay close attention to requirements about posting.
  • Test your plant knowledge. If you have some existing knowledge of plants, check your identifications against the Starr Environmental website (starrenvironmental.com). Organized by plant family, genus, and species, their thousands of photos can help you compare plant families and verify species identifications. The Hawaiʻi Plant ID group on Flickr allows you to submit a photo if you are still stumped.
  • Report pests: For observations from anywhere in the state, you can report plants or animals you suspect may be invasive. Find the pest reporting platform online and as an app: 643PEST.org
  • Backyard birders can find support online. Photo of a Red-billed leiothrix by Forest and Kim Starr
  • Professional entomologists help identify insects through Facebook Groups. Photo of a Kamehameha butterfly by Forest and Kim Starr
  • Collecting ants from your backyard helps resource professionals find pests early. Photo by Masako Cordray
Learn more about the plants and animals in your backyard without leaving home. If you see something suspicious, report it through 643PEST.org

Becoming knowledgeable about the plants and animals in your own backyard or neighborhood is an important first step. Ask questions, seek advice, and test for questionable species. These actions can make a huge difference in slowing or stopping the spread of invasive species.

Even in these uncertain times, you can stay safe, stay home, and help protect the world around you.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on April 11, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Safe biological controls rely on specialized species

Posted on by

Living creatures can be grouped as specialists or generalists based on their strategies for finding food and habitat:  generalists thrive in a variety of conditions and eat a range of foods; specialists rely on a particular environmental condition or a food type. For example, specialist species like koalas only eat eucalyptus leaves, Kamehameha caterpillars rely on māmaki, and our iconic ʻāhinahina (silverswords) are found only in high-elevation alpine environments in Hawaiʻi.  

When researchers look for a biological control agent – another living species that can be used to reduce a pest – they look for specialist species. This is part of an approach that began over 40 years ago with the goal of reducing unintended impacts. It works. Since 1975, over 50 different biological control agents have been brought into Hawaiʻi.  “There have been no unpredicted non-target impacts in that time,” says Darcy Oishi, the Biological Control Section Chief at the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture. He oversees the efforts to find, test, and release biological control in Hawaiʻi.

“We worry most about specificity,” says Oishi. Host-specificity, the relationship between the pest and the natural enemy, is the creed of modern biological control. By seeking out species that have evolved to be dependent on the target host, there is less risk that the natural enemy will have unintended consequences.

  • Wiliwili are endemic to the Hawaii Islands and are a keystone species in the dryland forest. Photo courtesy of Forest and Kim Starr
  • A tiny wasp hitchhiked to Hawai’i and found a home in Hawai’i’s wiliwili. The wasp caused the tree to form galls on the leaves and eventually fall off. Without leaves, trees begin to die. MISC file photo.
  • Entomologists traveled to the pest wasps’ home range in search of a natural enemy that relied exclusively on the species. They found an even smaller Eurytomid wasp that parasitized the pest. MISC file photo.
  • Darcy Oishi, HDOA, releases the Eurytomid wasp in Pu’u o Kali. After extensive testing to ensure its safety, the Eurytomid wasp was cleared for release in Hawai’i as a biological control. It’s proven effective at keeping the pest wasp in check, saving wiliwili. MISC file photo.

As new pests arrive in Hawaiʻi (and sometimes even before), the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture compiles lists of possible natural enemies, specialist species that could act to lessen the invasiveness and impacts of the pest in Hawaiʻi. Scientists comb through the scientific literature, call and visit natural history museums, and consult with entomologists and researchers worldwide, learning what species live in close association with the pest in its native habitat.

Exploratory entomologists then travel to the pest’s native range to collect candidates. Each potential natural enemy is studied further in its host range. After ruling out potential candidates, entomologists collect several species for additional testing. 

Back in Hawaiʻi, the biological control agents are quarantined, raised and tested again for host specificity. In a process called no-choice testing, a potential agent is evaluated throughout its life stages to see if It will eat species it is likely to encounter in Hawaiʻi. For example, in introducing a biocontrol for a plant, the agent is isolated with other non-target plants to find out whether any unintended plants could be affected.

Researchers evaluate host specificity by looking at genetically related species as well as unrelated species that evolved similar characteristics to the target. For example, pasture-invading fireweed is in the aster family, but the phytoalkaloid – the toxic chemical that sickens animals – is what attracts one natural enemy, a caterpillar, to the plant. The caterpillar is tested to see if it can feed on related plants in the Aster family as well as those containing a similar toxic chemical.

  • Fireweed, Senecio madagascarensis, is a pasture invading pest that contains a chemical poisonous to horses and cattle. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.
  • The Senecio extensa caterpillar is attracted to the toxic chemical found in the invasive fireweed plant. To ensure host specificity, entomologists tested to see if the caterpillar would eat related Asters and other toxic plants. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

Until the 1970s, biocontrol agents were selected primarily based on the impact they would have on the pest, an approach that has unfortunately biased people against biological control today. Since then, though, rigorous selection and testing has gone into preventing unintended consequence. Another challenge is caused by misinformation; some invasive pests are inaccurately equated with biological control. For example, ʻōhiʻa rust, a leaf fungus that threatens our native ʻōhiʻa, decimated populations of rose apple, leading some to inaccurately assume it was an intentional introduction; instead, it was another of the thousands of unwanted pests that arrive in Hawaiʻi accidentally.

Modern biological control provides long-term, cost-effective, environmentally safe control of invasive species. It’s an essential tool in protecting Hawaiʻi from the impacts of widespread invasive species. Biological control does not eradicate a pest; it balances the equation to lessen the harm. The biological control for prickly pear cactus hasn’t eradicated it; the plant is still here, but instead of blanketing upcountry pastures it occurs in patches. Biological control saved the wiliwili trees of Hawaiʻi from decimation by a leaf gall wasp. The problem-causing wasp is still here but does less damage with the biological controls working to keep it contained.

Take time to learn more about biological control in Hawaiʻi and contribute to the decision-making process. Visit the Department of Land and Natural Resources biological control page at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/biocontrol/

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on May 9, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Stopping both global pandemics and biological invasions requires flattening curves.

Posted on by

In 2002, an unusually large and strange-looking chameleon turned up in a remote area of West Maui. The resulting media attention led to the detection of a population of the same species in Makawao. These lizards weren’t the familiar Jackson’s chameleons but a new and different species: veiled chameleons. These invaders, illegally introduced to Hawaiʻi posed a threat to our endemic forest birds and snails. Staff from the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC), Hawai’i Department of Agriculture and Department of Land and Natural Resources launched nighttime surveys, scouring the vegetation in the backyards of Makawao looking for these cryptic reptiles.

Veiled chameleons pose a risk to native birds in Hawaii. Thanks to community reports, these tree-dwelling arboreal predators were detected early and have efforts to eradicate them have proven effective. “Veileds” can be recognized by the shark-fin shaped casque on their head. MISC file photo.

During initial searches, the teams found chameleons quickly: they were distinctive, larger than their horned cousins and sporting a “shark fin” head, and clung to tree branches as they slept. The community helped by allowing searchers into their backyards and finding and turning in chameleons themselves.

In 2003, search crews and residents captured a total of 102 lizards, but over time, the numbers steadily declined. From multiple chameleons per night, searchers started to find only one or two per week. Then came months when crews came back from a week of searching without seeing a single chameleon. Searchers counted Jackson’s chameleons to stay focused on their task. As numbers continued to drop, the time between searches increased. The last capture was in 2008. In 2012, after a final search and outreach to the community, the agencies agreed: veiled chameleons had been eradicated from all known locations on Maui. Addressing the threat early, with community cooperation, prevented this species’ spread into new areas, including higher-elevation rainforests, the last habitat for our native birds and snails.

Both the language and processes used to stop an invasive species before it becomes widespread mirror the terms used to address a contagious and serious disease outbreak. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread worldwide and governments implemented social distancing measures, Jane Mangold, an invasive plant specialist at Montana State University, considered the similarities: 

“One of the most obvious parallels is the importance of prevention, early detection, and rapid response. ‘Flattening the curve’ has been stated repeatedly by experts keeping us informed about the pandemic; the rationale behind this phrase is that by slowing the spread of the disease, medical providers will have more time and resources to treat those in need, and ultimately save more lives,” Mangold said.

Initially, reducing the spread of the chameleons was costly: routinely searching every few weeks to find chameleons faster than they could spread. So too for COVID-19, after months of social distancing and substantial economic impacts, the number of new cases has dropped and the curve has flattened. There are other parallels between controlling the spread of human disease and pests.

Addressing biological invasions early prevents later impacts.

Those last few chameleons were likely the most time-consuming and expensive to remove, but if crews hadn’t captured them, the population could have rebounded. Working past the frustration and searcher fatigue to find the few remaining individuals was critical to achieving eradication. While eliminating a small population of lizards is not readily comparable to addressing and suppressing a global health pandemic, similar elements lead to success: widespread cooperation, diligence, and commitment to seeing the effort through the long tail of the curve a resolution. And, of course, for both the chameleon and COVID-19, local reintroduction remains a possibility.

We can all do our part to maintain vigilance. And if you happen to see a strange chameleon with a shark-fin on its head while you are at home, report it to MISC at 573-6472 or through 643PEST.org. Anyone can turn in veiled chameleons and other illegally owned reptiles through the state Department of Agriculture’s amnesty program.

Learn more about the veiled chameleon at dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/veiled-chameleon/.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on June 13, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Native plant firebreaks may be a tool to control wildfires

Posted on by

  • ʻAukuʻu
  • ʻAlae keʻokeʻo
  • Aeʻo
  • Kealia Pond National Wildlife refuge is home to endangered plants and animals, but wildfire threatened the refuge in 2019. Trees in the background were burned in the flames.
Photos of birds and Kealia Pond by Forest and Kim Starr.

A few hundred feet from the traffic of North Kīhei road, native dragonflies swoop and dive, snatching their food mid-flight. The endangered aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt) and ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot) probe the mud and vegetation for small shrimp while an ʻaukuʻu (black-crowned night heron) stalks fish for dinner. The coastal strand, salt marsh, and wetlands at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge are thriving, thanks to the hard work of dedicated staff and volunteers who remove invasive plants, fence out feral animals, and plant native species in this 700-acre refuge. But decades of protection and restoration efforts almost disappeared in a puff of smoke.

In July 2019, 25,000 acres of central Maui burned in a series of brushfires that shut down roads and isolated communities as firefighters and helicopters worked through the night to put out the blaze. The flames burned right up to the edge of the Refuge, singeing trees.

Fire poses one of the greatest threats to restoration projects, particularly in dry, arid environments like South Maui. Hawaiian ecosystems and native flora are not adapted to fires – which are mostly human-caused. Invasive plants, such as fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceum), can fuel fire cycles by growing quickly and leaving behind piles of dry biomass, then germinating rapidly after a wildfire. Nonnative buffel grass and red top natal grass serve as kindling on Maui. With global warming, drought periods are predicted to become more common, fostering the conditions in which fires start and spread.

Fountain grass, a fire-adapted invader, fuels wildfires. Planting bands of native species that are resistant to a fountain grass invasion can help mitigate wildfires. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.

Researchers are testing strategies in Hawaiʻi to limit the spread of wildfires in areas dominated by fire-promoting grasses. Green fire breaks – strategically planted strips of vegetation — have been effectively used in the continental U.S. as a complement to traditional firefighting methods. Water-rich and inflammable plants can help deprive wildfires of fuel, while also serving as habitat for other native species and a seed source for restoration projects.

“Greenstrips planted with natives can give added value to conservation areas,” explains Susan Cordell, a research ecologist with the US Forest Service and director of the Pacific Fire Exchange, is exploring how this technique can be used in Hawaiʻi with some of the native plant species used in dryland restoration. She evaluated several different species for their flammability and resistance to invasion – looking for ones that won’t allow fire-promoting grasses like fountain grass to take over. Her findings are offering restoration programs a host of options for the use of green fire-breaks.

ʻĀweoweo (Chenopodium oahuensis), a low-growing shrubby plant with a high-water content, stood out for its lack of flammability and resistance to invasion from fountain grass. The small glossy-leaved naio (Myoporum sandwicense) was also a contender due to its inflammability

“This isn’t a silver bullet,” cautions Cordell. “It’s just one tool in the tool-box.” 

Bands of native shrubs could add a protective ring around the birds and their habitat at Keālia Ponds.

  • On Hawaii Island, Cordell and her team evaluated native plants’ suitability for use as a firebreak based on their resistance to invasion and lack of flammability. Photo courtesy of Susan Cordell.
  • ʻAweoweo is a drought-tolerant native that could be a good plant for firebreaks. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr
  • Naio was resistant to burning, indicating it may also be a good planting option. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

Expand your knowledge about wildfires in the Hawaiian Islands: www.pacificfireexchange.org/hawaii. Learn more about Keālia Ponds National Wildlife Refuge: www.fws.gov/refuge/Kealia_Pond/.

Explore volunteer opportunities on the Refuge by contacting Keālia Pond NWR Visitor Services Manager, Courtney Brown at courtney_brown@fws.gov.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on July 11, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Rats triggered changes in the environment of Hawai’i prior to humans settlement

Posted on by

  • Lo’ulu palms, like these pictured in the Kahanu Garden in Hāna, Maui, once lined the coast and sheltered understory plants in arid, windswept plains. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr
  • Rats arrived in Hawaiʻi to find a tasty protein-rich meal in the palm seeds of the palms. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

Palm trees and Hawaiʻi go together like fish and poi, right?  Kind of.  The coconut palms that line the beaches throughout the state are iconic, but are actually relative newcomers to the islands – one of the “canoe plants” brought to the islands by Polynesians. The only palms native to Hawaiʻi belong to the genus Pritcharidia. They won the sea-current lottery, arriving from the eastern Pacific near the Cook Islands and Tonga some 3.5 to 8 million years ago.  Over time, the extreme isolation of the island chain led to the evolution of 23 to 27 endemic species, found only in the islands.

The first Polynesian voyagers arrived to find loʻulu groves lining the coastlines. These palms grew farther inland as well – in the wet rain forests, across wind-swept plains, and on arid leeward slopes. But within a single generation of the first humans, the loʻulu were mostly gone. To better understand when and why they vanished, scientists have peered underfoot, analyzing what was once wind-borne pollen.

The distinctive shape of a grain of pollen gives clues to its ancestry. The hard walls of pollen help preserve it in the fossil record. By examining layers of pollen deposited over time, scientists can better understand what plants formerly grew in an area.

In the late 1990s, researchers collected and analyzed soil samples from Oʻahu’s ʻEwa Plain, west of Pearl Harbor, to better understand the ecological history of the area. The ʻEwa Plain is arid and isolated from stream flow, providing a stable environment in which dirt and debris, including pollen and bones, accumulated over millions of years. The researchers were especially focused on evaporate ponds — areas where water collects after rainfall, then evaporates – and a sinkhole. Both are places with little disturbance that offer excellent conditions for soil sampling; sinkholes act as vaults for the bones of animals that fall in.  

Huelo Islet off the coast of Molokaʻi is one of the few places in Hawaiʻi free of invasive rats. Loulu palms thrive there as they once did when humans first arrived in Hawaii. — FOREST and KIM STARR photo

From these collections of soil, pollen, and animal bones, the researchers read the story of the ʻEwa Plain. At one time, loʻulu stood tall, shrubby ʻaʻaliʻi and other plants formed the subcanopy. Huge, flightless moa nalo – goose-like ducks – and other land and seabirds had populated the area. The layers then reveal a plot twist – a sudden and dramatic decline in the loʻulu populations and the coincident arrival of a new character – the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) – their bones making a timestamp in the sinkholes. Other flowering plants, such as the low-growing ʻāweoweo, became dominant around the same time and bird populations plummeted. Only after the loʻulu population had collapsed do humans arrive in the area – as shown by deposits of charcoal. Rats, initially brought by people, spread across the landscape faster than the humans that introduced them.  Early habitat alteration – the use of fire to encourage growth of grasslands for example – likely impacted loʻulu and native animals, but research findings from the ʻEwa Plain has led researchers to conclude that invasive rats likely catalyzed changes in vegetation that led to the initial decline in bird populations.

Today, loʻulu are still present but scattered, found in very low numbers. A mature loʻulu, one of the taller species, stands out – a distinctive marker in the forest. Cultivating palms in landscape settings may be possible by protecting protein-rich seeds from rats, but in the wild, species of loʻulu are increasingly rare and even endangered. The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources has designated seven palm species for protection through the Plant Extinction Prevention Program. Placement on the list means fewer than 50 individual plants remain in the wild. Offshore islets such as Huelo Islet on the North shore of Molokai offer a glimpse into the past, where loʻulu palms thrive on rodent-free islands.   Conservation efforts in other countries have successfully eradicated invasive rats from islands to protect the native species that live there. New Zealand has set a goal of removing rodent predators entirely by 2050. There are efforts in Hawai’i to protect offshore islets and their rare plants and animals. Learn more about them at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/removerats/

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on August 8, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles


Quantifying miconia’s impacts; big leaves mean big water drops and high levels of erosion

Posted on by

Miconia escaped cultivation to spread throughout East Maui. Containment rather than eradication is the goal for this invasive species on Maui and crews protect upper elevation watersheds by removing plants they find as they hike through the forest. MISC file photo.

On most weekdays, on the slopes and gulches above and below the Hāna Highway, a crew is hacking its way through the forest, spread out in a sweep line. They make slow progress through a mix of non-native and invasive plants:  bamboo, inkberry, guava, and white ginger proliferate in this low-elevation forest. Somewhere in the midst of these forests is miconia, another non-native invader. The Hāna-based crew from the Maui Invasive Species Committee is here to find miconia and pull it from the ground.  

Miconia may be found across a broad swath of the East Maui Watershed, from Kīpahulu to Huelo, but not as a continuous infestation. Dense pockets occur, especially in the area above Hāna town and in parts of Nāhiku, but elsewhere it’s patchy, thanks to decades of work to suppress and contain the infestation.  

  • Large miconia leaves act as umbrellas, shading out sunlight. MISC file photo
  • The forest floor under a miconia invasion is bare, often with exposed roots. Not a good sign for water collection. MISC file photo
  • Miconia can be identified by the “leaf within a leaf” vein pattern of the leaves. Also, the purple underside. MISC file photo

Miconia should be an understory plant, as it is in the dark subcanopy of South Central American jungles of its native range. But in Hawaiʻi, open-canopy forests and the absence of significant “natural enemies” allow miconia to become the dominant plant. Invasive plants don’t just crowd out native plants and diminish habitat for native animals; they also can alter the landscape and ecosystem processes. A 2013 study on Hawaiʻi Island, by Kazuki Nanko of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan and University of Hawaiʻi professor Thomas Giambelluca, set out to dig a bit deeper into how miconia affects the ‘aina.

The team examined what happens on the forest floor when miconia takes over. Miconia’s leaves are huge – up to three feet long by two feet wide. These monstrous botanical solar panels help collect light in a dark understory in South America, but in Hawaiʻi they cast a deep shade, reducing the ability of native plants to capture the energy they need to thrive. Their study revealed that the amount of sunlight that reaches the forest floor is consistently lower in a monotypic miconia-invaded forest when compared to a native ʻōhiʻa-dominated forest, or forests invaded by a diverse mixture of plants. Additionally, miconia leaves decompose quickly, reducing the amount of leaf litter.

This study also investigated what happens to raindrops as they hit the forest canopy all the way down to the forest floor.

The giant leaves act like a tarp: water puddles before falling to the ground.

Miconia produces some of the largest leaf throughfall drops ever measured, with cascading impacts.

Unlike our multi-layered ʻōhiʻa forests, with their carpets of ferns and mid-canopy plants, miconia can develop into a one- layer stand. Larger raindrops, unimpeded by understory or leaf litter, gain speed, hitting the ground with greater kinetic energy than rain falling from the sky. Giant raindrops pound and compact bare soil, causing water to travel along the surface instead of filtering into the ground to recharge our aquifers. In some areas of miconia-invaded forest, bare roots and other signs of erosion tell the tale of how miconia is washing away our forest floor.

The scale of the East Maui miconia infestation has demonstrated that this plant is a formidable foe. Current efforts focus on keeping it out of upper elevation forest and preventing it from spreading farther west. Research and testing continue to find safe and effective natural enemies of miconia. Help us keep the raindrops in our forests.  If you find a miconia plant on Maui, recognizable by its large green and purple leaves, report it to 643pest.org.

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

This article was originally published in the Maui News on September 12, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

Citizen scientists and concerned community find ants new to Hawaiʻi

Posted on by

  • The trap-jaw ant had never before been found in Hawaiʻi until a taro farmer in Hanalei collected it. Photo credit: Tom Murray, iNaturalist.org
  • Collecting ant samples can help find species new to the islands as well as stop invasive ants. Photo courtesy of Masako Cordray.

In 2017, a taro farmer in Hanalei on Kaua’i found a strange ant in his lo’i – large and brownish red with mouth parts half the length of its head. Entomologists identified it as a species of trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus ruginodis, never before found in Hawai’i. Trap-jaw ants are aptly named: they can open their mandibles to a gaping 180° and, when nearby prey triggers tiny hairs on the inside, snap them shut at an astounding 140 mph, the second-fastest predatory animal movement known. According to Eric Garcia, an entomologist with the Hawai’i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), the ants find homes in composting wood. They will bite and sting but tend to flee when they see people or feel the ground moving, even using their snapping jaws to “jump” away. 

The arrival of the trap-jaw ant to our state is relatively recent, but it has plenty of company. Nearly 60 ant species have found their way to Hawai’i, which previously had no ants. All have some impacts, with little fire ants (LFA) causing some of the greatest to date. Unlike trap-jaw ants, LFA are slow-moving, relatively oblivious of their surroundings, and unable to hold onto branches in a breeze. What they lack in aggression, they make up for in sheer number: supercolonies blanket trees and the ground, outcompeting other insects. When humans inadvertently encounter them, they leave with necks and torsos covered in welts from the sting of the ants. Pets can become blind from repeated stings. LFA are targeted for removal in Maui County, O’ahu, and Kaua’i.

Little fire ants are tiny! Only about 2 mm long. Image courtesy of Zach Pezzillo.

With over 20,000 different species of ants in the world, and a high dependency on imported goods, Hawai’i remains vulnerable to other troublesome ants hitchhiking a ride. Pest species that have recently invaded mainland states are particularly worrying.

The red imported fire ant (RIFA), native to South America, has spread throughout Texas and the Southeast. RIFA is very aggressive, swarming up people’s legs, leaving stings that can cause intense itching, swelling, and even anaphylactic shock. The tawny crazy ant, a relative newcomer to the Gulf Coast and southern states, excludes all other species, even covering itself in formic acid as a defense against RIFA. Poultry can die from attacks and cattle and other grazing animals suffer bites on their nostrils, mouths, and eyes. They are attracted to electrical wiring and tend to chew through the plastic casing and cause short circuits and, sometimes, fires. 

What’s being done to prevent new invasions?

Inspectors stationed at the ports of entry check high-risk materials – ornamentals, food, and cut flowers – but the volume of incoming cargo limits their ability to inspect everything. Ants are small; many are found but sometimes they slip through. When they do, it’s often taro farmers, nursery owners, school kids, and beachgoers who find them. 

The first detection of little fire ants in Hawai’i occurred when a Big Island nursery grower reported them to HDOA. On Maui, 11 of the 17 known infestations came to the attention of the Maui Invasive Species Committee through community reports. Students surveying for little fire ants as part of a class project found a species of ant new to Hawai’i – a tiny yellow LFA look-alike. Public reports of stinging ants at a Lāhainā beach lead to the first detection of the Mexican twig ant on Maui. Even RIFA and LFA were first detected on the mainland by kids: E.O. Wilson – a famed entomologist – collected RIFA in 1942 at age 13 in Alabama and a 12-year-old girl found LFA in Florida in 1924.

What can you do? Join in. This October, the Invasive Species Committees and partners throughout Hawai’i are encouraging people to collect and submit samples of ants from their yards during Stop the Ant Month. Think of it as doing a yearly physical for your home: collect and send in the ants you find to make sure there’s nothing to worry about. If something concerning pops up, early detection is on our side.

Collecting ants is easy; it just takes a smear of peanut butter and a few minutes.

  1. Smear a tiny bit of peanut butter (or mayonnaise if peanut allergies are a concern) on several sticks, coffee stirrers, or pieces of cardboard, and place them in shady places in your yard. Set a timer for 45 minutes.  
  2. After 45 minutes, collect the ants, place them in a plastic bag labeled with your name, address, and contact information, and freeze them overnight.
  3. Mail samples to MISC, P.O. Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768.

Indications of little fire ants include stings on the neck and torso that may resemble an allergic reaction. If you have experienced this, please contact us immediately: miscants@hawaii.edu or report it online through 643PEST.org. Find videos, lessons, and more information about invasive ants in Hawaiʻi at www.stoptheant.org. 

Lissa Strohecker is the public relations and education specialist for the Maui Invasive Species Committee. She holds a biological sciences degree from Montana State University. Kia’i Moku, “Guarding the Island,” is prepared by the Maui Invasive Species Committee to provide information on protecting the island from invasive plants and animals that can threaten the island’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

A version of this article was originally published in the Maui News on October 10, 2020 as part of the Kia‘i Moku Column from the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Read more Kiaʻi Moku articles

PCSU logo

Contact Us

Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
Office: (808) 573-6472
Press and Media Inquiries: (808) 344-2756
Mailing Address:
PO Box 983, Makawao, HI 96768

Acting Manager / Public Relations: Lissa Strohecker
E-mail: miscpr@hawaii.edu

Special Projects: Teya Penniman
E-mail: miscmgr@hawaii.edu

Statewide Pest Hotline: 808-643-PEST
Report a Pest Online