Lloyd Loope
Friday, October 17, 2008 - 9:30-10:00
Support for early detection and eradication of invasive plant species followed the realization that some invasive plants can literally become ecosystem-killers in Hawaii. Miconia calvescens, a Neotropical tree, had demonstrated its dramatic takeover of the native forest in Tahiti by the late 1980s (within a 50-year period). A campaign against miconia in Hawaii was launched in the early 1990s, 30 years after the plant’s introduction but sufficiently early to make containment feasible on at least three islands, though at substantial cost – roughly $2 million is currently being spent annually in Hawaii to avoid the fate of Tahiti forests. Over 100 non-native plant species already established in Hawaii are deemed capable of causing significant damage in natural areas. Single island- based Invasive Species Committees have evolved to the point that significant on-theground efforts are being expended to combat island-wide spread of multiple target species that are believed to pose very significant threats to ecological services and biodiversity. Public awareness and support are on the increase, but progress at achieving regulatory action toward slowing the flow of novel plant species into Hawaii has lagged. Early detection/rapid response is being tested as a strategy that can potentially have a role in significantly slowing the invasion of Hawaii by a cascade of new invaders. Meanwhile, thanks to education/outreach efforts, Hawaii’s landscape community is becoming increasingly receptive to voluntary limits on what plant species are used/sold. The presentation will detail a prototypic approach to early detection for islands developed over ten years on the island of Maui.
Keywords: INVASIVE PLANTS, ISLAND CONSERVATION, EARLY DETECTION METHODOLOGY, PARTNERSHIPS, MICONIA CALVESCENS