Assessing Hawai'i's native forest resiliency in the face of an increasing fire regime: a case study in West Maui
| dc.contributor.advisor | Friday, James B | |
| dc.contributor.author | Carter, William | |
| dc.contributor.department | Natural Resources and Environmental Management | |
| dc.contributor.instructor | Idol, Travis | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-05-13T18:52:48Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-05-13T18:52:48Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-05-10 | |
| dc.description.course | Master’s in Environmental Management (MEM) Capstone Proposals | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10125/108099 | |
| dc.publisher.place | UH Mānoa | |
| dc.subject | Invasive species | |
| dc.subject | ecosystem | |
| dc.subject | wildfire | |
| dc.subject | anthropogenic | |
| dc.subject | management | |
| dc.subject | monitoring | |
| dc.title | Assessing Hawai'i's native forest resiliency in the face of an increasing fire regime: a case study in West Maui | |
| dc.type | Text | |
| dcterms.abstract | Hawaiʻi has been experiencing a dramatically increasing wildfire regime in recent decades, largely thanks to human activity. Native ecosystems did not evolve to face this threat and managers are struggling for solutions. Among many unprecedented fires across Hawaiʻi, the Kauaʻula fire in November of 2022 burned roughly 2,000 acres of land along the leeward slopes of Mauna Kahalawai in West Maui. The extent of the burn spanned from low elevation invasive grass dominated landscapes up to roughly 4,300 feet in elevation, well into pristine native forest on the ridgeline to Helu summit. Wildfires were historically rare in Hawaiʻi, but have become commonplace as a result of climate change, invasive species, and human behavior. With ongoing drought conditions, the frequency and intensity of wildfires in Hawaiʻi is increasing. Organizations such as the Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership, who manage the area burned by the Kauaʻula Fire, need to know how native ecosystems respond to these novel disturbances in order to adapt and evolve their management and restoration efforts.. This study will aid future management decisions in three ways: 1) Monitoring plots in the upper reaches of the burn zone will be established with comparison plots in adjacent unburned areas to assess which species are more resilient to fire, and which species regenerate first; and 2) A determination of post-fire alien plant invasion through the comparison of past weed transect data with post-fire regrowth along the elevation gradient of the burn zone; and 3) a native and invasive species catalog for the unique ecosystem of Helu. This study will take place over the course of one year post-burn. It will provide initial data and insight into the immediate effects wildfire has on pristine, fully intact native forest structure and composition in a highly unique area of West Maui. Lessons learned will highlight the increasing need for fire research and response in Hawaiʻi as the state continues to adapt to an ever-changing fire regime. | |
| dcterms.description | Presentation slideshow and written proposal | |
| dcterms.extent | 12 pages | |
| dcterms.language | English | |
| dcterms.publisher | UH Mānoa | |
| dcterms.rights | In Copyright | |
| dcterms.rightsHolder | Carter, William |