| Developing productivity models and silvicultural guidelines for growing and managing the native Hawaiian hardwood Acacia koa |
J. B. Friday, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Travis Idol, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Paul Scowcroft, Institute of Pacific Islands Forstry, USDA Forest Service
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Koa ( Acacia koa) regenerates prolifically in Hawaii from buried seed banks in areas where former koa forests once stood, but the silvicultural tools for managing young koa stands have not yet been developed. Land managers need to know how to manage these young stands for some economic return while preserving the environmental value of the forest. We will develop an ecosystem-based model of koa productivity and response to silvicultural management as related to light, water, nutrients, and stand density. Our models will form the basis of decision support systems and silvicultural tools for koa reforestation and management. Better-educated landowners will be encouraged to re-establish native koa forests and actively manage existing forests. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. J. B. Friday (jbfriday@hawaii.edu)
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Developing Effective Silvicultural Guidelines for Productive Koa Forest Management
Travis Idol, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
J. B. Friday, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Paul Scowcroft, Institute of Pacific Islands Forstry, USDA Forest Service
| Acacia koa is a highly valuable timber tree that grows across a wide range of climatic conditions and soil age in Hawaii. There is some knowledge of its productivity across this range, but there is little knowledge of what silvicultural treatments - thinning, fertilizing, etc. - are best to improve productivity and meet landowner objectives. This project will address the need for site-specific productivity data and silvicultural recommendations for Acacia koa forests.Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Travis Idol (idol@hawaii.edu)
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| Development of Shade Coffee AgroEcosystems in Hawaii |
Travis Idol, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
H. C. Bittenbender, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
There is a need for shade coffee agroecosystem designs suitable for a variety of coffee growers and regions in Hawaii. This research will examine the effectiveness of alternative shade treatments on coffee ecophysiology, growth and bean yield, and coffee quality for different coffee varieties and growing regions. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Travis Idol (idol@hawaii.edu)
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Dulal Borthakur, Department of Molecular Biosciences & BioEngineering, UH-CTAHR
Paul Scowcroft, Institute of Pacific Islands Forstry, USDA Forest Service
Nguyen V Hue, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Joseph DeFrank, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
PingSun Leung, Department of Molecular Biosciences & BioEngineering, UH-CTAHR
The economic viability of the koa forest industry in Hawaii depends on the regeneration and maintenance of healthy koa stands. At present, there is no established management strategy for reestablishment of koa forest in the areas of continued harvesting. This project will develop a practical strategy for maximizing koa regeneration in areas which are currently infested with kikuyu grass. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Dulal Borthakur (dulal@hawaii.edu)
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Biochemical Characterization of Acacia koa for Commercial Value and Ecological Attributes
Dulal Borthakur, Department of Molecular Biosciences & BioEngineering, UH-CTAHR
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| Acacia koa (koa) is the most valued timber wood of Hawaii. Koa wood products are highly valued for their attractive qualities in grain and color. The depletion of koa from native and remnant forests has resulted in the harvest of lower quality wood. In some parts of Hawaii koa forests are heavily infested with Fusarium wilt. This research will develop scientific methods for identifying biochemical qualities associated with wood color and disease resistance. Furthermore, identifying non-wood products as functional foods with neutraceutical properties will create a new paradigm for koa forestry as a value-added production system. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Dulal Borthakur (dulal@hawaii.edu)
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Dulal Borthakur, Department of Molecular Biosciences & BioEngineering, UH-CTAHR
Gorse is a noxious weed species that is threatening natural habitats and agro-ecosystems around the world, including Hawaii. This research will identify soil nutrients and soil microbes that can promote growth infestation. We will conduct a risk assessment for gorse infestation in all major Hawaiian islands by measuring ecological indicators associated with the invasive capacity of gorse in Hawaii. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Dulal Borthakur (dulal@hawaii.edu)
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An Innovative Approach to Measure Non-Market Benefits of Invasive Species Control Program
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Catherine Chan-Halbrendt, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
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There is a need for evaluating the benefits of controlling miconia in Hawaii; after all, without accounting for the benefits of control, the picture is incomplete. Without knowing the benefits of management, there appears to be little motivation for action or resulting in inefficient allocation of funding to solve the problem. The objective of this research is to develop a framework using CCE to estimate the benefits of invasive species control programs using Miconia as a case. The result is expressed in a monetary measure, Willingness to Pay (WTP) which measures the public valuation of each control program. The information will assist decision makers in their decision to support the control programs. Click here for more information.
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Contact Dr. Chan-Halbrendt (chanhalb@hawaii.edu)
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Carol A Ferguson, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
The specific problem addressed by this project is the absence of a comprehensive pest risk management system that combines economics and scientific analyses into a single decision-making framework. Although the problem of invasives has as much to do with economics as with ecology, the decision-making framework on introduction and spread of pests has traditionally been the domain of the biological scientific community. This project will develop and test a comprehensive modeling framework and risk management computer software to manage invasive species, plus establish a collaborative interdisciplinary network for invasive species management. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Carol Ferguson (cafergus@hawaii.edu)
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Identify Koa Pathogens in Forests and Plantations, Locate Disease Free Areas, and Develop Disease Control Options for Plantation Establishment
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Janice Uchida, Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, UH-CTAHR
J. B. Friday, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Shaobin Zhong, Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, UH-CTAHR
The causes of koa wilt and decline needs to be determined. The project attempts to improve koa silvaculture and reforestation efforts by addressing the role of pathogens and their distribution. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Janice Uchida (juchida@hawaii.edu)
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| Acacia koa Soilborne Disease Management |
S. C. Nelson, Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Acacia koa is severely affected by soil borne disease problems in Hawaii. This project examines grafting technology to produce potentially disease-resistant Acacia koa plants. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Scot Nelson (snelson@hawaii.edu)
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Shaobin Zhong, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, UH-CTAHR
The koa wilt disease causes a serious problem in koa plantations, but its origin, distribution and etiology are still not well understood. Lack of information about the pathogen and effective methods for pathogen identification and characterization prevents the disease management. This project develops molecular tools for rapid identification of the Fusarium species or forms causing the wilt disease in koa plants and determines the genetic variation of the pathogen. Development of specific DNA primers will allow rapid and reliable identification of the presence of the particular causal organism (i.e., which species and which strain within a species) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Shaobin Zhong (zhongs@hawaii.edu)
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Improved Utilization and Protection of Forest Products in Hawaii from Termite Attack
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J. Kenneth Grace, Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Julian Yates, Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Wood is the principle construction material in use in Hawaii, and termites are the most economically destructive insect pests in the State. Improved methods for protecting wood products and wood in service are needed by the general public, and by the construction, forestry, and forest products sectors. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution of termites in Hawaii, identify and evaluate termite-resistant wood products for use or manufacture in Hawaii, and determine which soil insecticides are most effective for termite prevention under tropical environmental conditions.
Contact Dr. J. Kenneth Grace (kennethg@hawaii.edu)
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Watershed Based Land Use Management: An Integrated Field and Modeling Approach
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Ali Fares, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Carl Evensen, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Current work intends to develop a management tool that will help better understand the impact of land use on forested watershed hydrology and water quality. Findings of this research program will be helpful for many national and state programs in Hawaii. The end users of the land-user management tools are state, local and federal agencies in addition to watershed managers.
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The main goal of this long-term research plan is to develop an integrated research approach at the forested watershed continuum by combining multi-scale field experiments with a strong numerical modeling to enhance our understanding of watershed hydrological processes, water yield and water quality as a result of variation of different controlling parameters, i.e., land use (reforestation/deforestation, invasive species, agricultural use, urbanization) extreme weather conditions (drought, flooding). Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Ali Fares (afares@hawaii.edu)
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Ali Fares, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Carl Evensen, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Aly I El-Kadi, Department of Geology and Geophysics, UH Mānoa
There are no specific recommendations for buffer zone widths in Hawaii. There is a need to develop such recommendation under Hawaii field conditions. Test different buffer zones using different plant species both experimentally and numerically. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Ali Fares (afares@hawaii.edu)
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Ali Fares, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Tomoaki Miura, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Jonathan Deenik, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
The proposed work is intended to be a corner stone for short and long-term research activities of the watershed hydrology program at the NREM department of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. The main goal of this proposed work is to use Makaha Valley as a test case to develop an integrated decision support system at the watershed continuum by combining multi-scale field experiments with a strong numerical modeling and geospatial component (i.e., remote sensing and geographical information system) to help understand hydrological processes and their variability under different controlling parameters, i.e., land use (reforest/deforestation, agricultural use, urbanization) extreme weather conditions (drought, flooding). Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Ali Fares (afares@hawaii.edu)
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Susan C. Miyasaka, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Mitiku Habte, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Hawaii has lost more than half of its endemic bird species, and one major factor is loss of habitat. This project examines inoculation of native tree species with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus as a means to improve growth in the nursery, as well as survival and growth in the field. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Susan Miyasaka (miyasaka@hawaii.edu)
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Mitiku Habte, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
Paul Scowcroft, Institute of Pacific Islands Forstry, USDA Forest Service
Acid soil infertility and associated toxicities of aluminum and manganese are barriers to the reforestation of former sugarcane lands in Hawaii. The purpose of the study is to facilitate reforestation of acid soils through the combined use of acid-toerant genotypes of Acacia koa, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and bradyrhizobia. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Mitiku Habte (mitiku@hawaii.edu)
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Tomoaki Miura, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
Travis Idol, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
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Tropical dry forests are among the most endangered and degraded ecosystems in the world. There is a great concern that Hawaii's remaining dry forest ecosystems could vanish without intensive, aggressive management and restoration efforts due to three interrelated factors: grazing, fire, and alien grass invasion. The purpose of this project is to examine the effectiveness of remote sensing and GIS in delineating areas which require intensive management. Click here for more information.
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Contact Dr. Tomoaki Miura (tomoakim@hawaii.edu)
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Travis Idol, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
J. B. Friday, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
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Acacia koa is an important ecological and economic species in Hawaii. Effective silvicultural practices are needed to ensure ecosystem health and economic return. The purpose of this project is to understand the productivity and nutrient cycling responses of regenerating koa forests to thinning and fertilization treatments. The long-term goal is to develop effective silvicultural treatments to ensure ecosystem health, productivity, and economic returns of koa timber. Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. Travis Idol (idol@hawaii.edu)
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James L. Brewbaker, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-CTAHR
J. B. Friday, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH-CTAHR
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Koa cannot be grown in plantations due to wilt disease. No seed sources with assured resistance are available to growers. We appear to have made major genetic progress in breeding koa wilt resistance. Seed from these plus-tree orchards will be wilt-tested, and an orchard established for wilt-resistant progenies of superior form and growth rate.
Click here for more information.
Contact Dr. J. L. Brewbaker (brewbake@hawaii.edu) |
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