Invasive Vegetation Management: An Overview of Two Key Fire Risk Plant Species in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
| dc.contributor.advisor | Trauernicht, Parker Clay | |
| dc.contributor.author | Oxley, Katherine | |
| dc.contributor.department | Natural Resources and Environmental Management | |
| dc.contributor.department | Master's of Environmental Management | |
| dc.contributor.instructor | Idol, Travis | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-06-13T20:50:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-06-13T20:50:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-04-28 | |
| dc.description | Presentation slideshow and written report | |
| dc.description.abstract | Morella faya tree (Morella faya) and fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) have both been continuously managed throughout Hawai‘i due to their invasiveness and contribution to fire risk. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) has identified these specifically as fire-promoting invasive species. The islands have been experiencing an increase in wildfire occurrences over several years. Widespread fires have caused significant damage to native ecosystems and threatened the safety of local communities. Treatment patterns regarding these two plants over time may provide insight into how invasive species management impacts wildfire behavior allowing land managers to create solutions to try to prevent future fires. This study’s purpose was to identify literature gaps concerning invasive species management in Hawai‘i and work with an organized dataset of fire-related invasive species control in HAVO for potential future analysis. Having a dataset with several years of treatment data can provide land managers with an idea of the impact of current treatments now and in the future. The literature review focused on the management of faya and fountain grass as fire-promoting invasive species. Information for my research solely concerned management areas within HAVO. A dataset obtained from the park containing treatment dates, herbicide details, and worker efforts per management unit over 20 years was provided to interpret trends. Microsoft Excel was used to organize and extract the variables needed to track work efforts. Looking at only faya and fountain grass data, the variables chosen for building the table were individual plants treated, hours of effort workers worked on sweeps, and the amount of herbicide used each time. The outputs of my study were the dataset containing only the extracted variables created as a product to be utilized by park staff for management decisions and the literature review. There was a significant number of studies concerning the use of chemical management treatments on invasive species. However, not much is currently known about how an ecosystem is affected in the long term after these treatments. Further studies need to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of long-term management plans. | |
| dc.description.course | NREM 696 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10125/108291 | |
| dc.publisher.place | UH Mānoa | |
| dc.subject | non-native species | |
| dc.subject | invasive grass | |
| dc.subject | woody species | |
| dc.subject | land management | |
| dc.subject | fire impact | |
| dc.subject | ecosystem composition | |
| dc.title | Invasive Vegetation Management: An Overview of Two Key Fire Risk Plant Species in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park | |
| dc.type | Text | |
| dcterms.language | English | |
| dcterms.publisher | UH Mānoa | |
| dcterms.rights | Creative Commons | |
| dcterms.rightsHolder | Oxley, Katherine |