A web-based interactive key to the Hawaiian ferns

Abstract

The Hawaiian Islands are well known for having one of the highest documented percentages of endemic plants in the world. Hawaiian ferns represent a relatively large percentage of the endemic flora with approximately 79% of the native Hawaiian fern species considered endemic. In addition, at least 37 species are naturalized aliens. Over half of these naturalized species have become common and abundant and therefore have invasive potential. To help prevent the spread of invasive ferns and preserve native ecosystems it is critical that species be identified correctly and quickly. Current identification can be difficult due to outdated nomenclature, few illustrations, and esoteric terminology. As the number of fern and lycophyte species increases and taxonomic changes occur, a more efficient and easily accessible method of identification is needed to help slow the introduction of alien taxa and to preserve native ecosystems. An interactive identification key of the Hawaiian ferns can provide students, ecologists, and land managers with a better method of identification. For this thesis I have created an interactive key for all 204 taxa of the Hawaiian ferns using Lucid v.3.5 software. The interactive key includes all previously recorded native and naturalized taxa and incorporates newly described species and recently discovered naturalized species. To assist in identification, multiple images of diagnostic characters were compiled and incorporated into the key. Fact sheets were composed using Fact Sheet Fusion software. The interactive key is freely available through the University of Hawaiʻi's Joseph F. Rock Herbarium website: http://www.herbarium.hawaii.edu/lucid/ferns/introduction.html