Publications
Filter Total Items: 497
Frequent use of upland habitats by the endangered Hawaiian stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni)
The Hawaiian Stilt, or Ae’o (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), is an endangered waterbird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Loss of suitable wetland habitats due to anthropogenic development is a leading cause for decline, as well as the introduction of non-native predators and invasive wetland plants. This study fitted four Hawaiian Stilts with GPS satellite tags to document their use of wetland an
Authors
Martha Kawasaki, Patrick J. Hart, Eben H. Paxton
Relationships between soil macroinvertebrates and nonnative feral pigs (Sus scrofa) in Hawaiian tropical montane wet forests
Nonnative feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are recognized throughout the New World as a highly significant introduced species in terms of ecosystem alteration. Similarly, nonnative soil macroinvertebrates (e.g. earthworms, ground beetles) invade and alter the structure and function of native habitats globally. However, the relationship between feral pigs and soil macroinvertebrates remains largely unknown.
Authors
Nathaniel H. Wehr, Creighton M Litton, Noa K Lincoln, Steve C. Hess
Optimizing walking pace to maximize snake detection rate: A visual encounter survey experiment
Visual encounter survey efforts can be defined and constrained by duration, distance, or both duration and distance simultaneously. This study examines the optimal walking pace that will maximize the number of animal detections within a limited time frame. We predicted that animal sighting rate per unit of distance would decline with increasing pace, but that maximal sighting rate per unit of time
Authors
Bjorn Lardner, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Julie A. Savidge, Robert Reed
Environmental gradients influence differences in leaf functional traits between native and non-native plants
Determining the characteristics of non-native plants that can successfully establish and spread is central to pressing questions in invasion ecology. Evidence suggests that some non-native species establish and spread in new environments because they possess characteristics (functional traits) that allow them to either successfully compete with native residents or fill previously unfilled niches.
Authors
Jonathan J Henn, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Ellen Ingman Damschen
Screening and biosecurity for White-nose Fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Ascomycota: Pseudeurotiaceae) in Hawai‘i
Introduced pathogens causing emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are serious contemporary threats to animal, plant, and ecosystem health. The invasive fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has established populations of European origin in North America, resulting in mass mortality of several hibernating bat species. Extensive monitoring for this pathogen exists in Europe and North America, but lim
Authors
Violeta Zhelyazkova, Nia Toshkova, Serena E Dool, Frank Bonaccorso, Corinna A. Pinzari, Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Sebastien J Puechmaille
Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) activity, diet and prey availability at the Waihou Mitigation Area, Maui
Habitat use, diet, prey availability, and foraging ecology of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus, Vespertilionidae), was examined in the east Maui region inclusive of the Waihou Mitigation Area, Pu‘u Makua Restoration Area and the wind energy facility operated by Auwahi Wind Energy, LLC. The study was conducted to inform the mitigation and management requirements of Auwah
Authors
Corinna A. Pinzari, Robert W. Peck, Terry Zinn, Danielle Gross, Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Kevin W. Brinck, P. Marcos Gorresen, Frank J Bonaccorso
The evolving threat of rapid Ohia death (ROD) to Hawaii’s native ecosystems and rare plant species
Hawai‘i’s most widespread native tree, ‘ōhi‘a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), has been dying across large areas of Hawai‘i Island mainly due to two fungal pathogens (Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia) that cause a disease collectively known as Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD). Here we examine patterns of positive detections of C. lukuohia as it has been linked to the larger mortality events
Authors
Lucas B. Fortini, Lauren R. Kaiser, Lisa Keith, Jonathan Price, R. Flint Hughes, James D. Jacobi, J. B. Friday
Facilitating adaptation to climate change while restoring a montane plant community
Montane plant communities throughout the world have responded to changes in temperature regimes by shifting ranges upward in elevation, and made downslope movements to track shifts in climatic water balance. Organisms that cannot disperse or adapt biologically to projected climate scenarios in situ may decrease in distributional range and abundance over time. Restoration strategies will need to in
Authors
Christina Leopold, Steve C. Hess
Evaluating community-level response to management actions across a diverse Hawaiian forest bird community
Although species‐specific approaches are necessary to understand the dynamics of individual species composing a community, they do not offer a framework for making optimal management decisions at the community level. Here, we present a simple framework for comparing the response of entire communities to multiple management scenarios. Our approach uses a weighted average of standardized species‐spe
Authors
Alban Guillaumet, Eben H. Paxton
Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) activity and prey availability at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
We examined habitat use and foraging activity of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus), as well as nocturnal aerial insect abundance at Kaloko-Honōkohau National Historical Park located in the coastal region of Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i Island. We evaluated bat activity in two habitat types, wooded shorelines beside brackish water fishponds and xeric lava fields dominated by two
Authors
Kristina Montoya-Aiona, Corinna A. Pinzari, Frank J Bonaccorso
Bryophyte abundance, composition and importance to woody plant recruitment in natural and restoration forests
Restoration of tropical forests can lead to enhanced ecosystem services and increases in native biodiversity. Bryophytes may be an integral part of the forest restoration process and can serve a critical role in forest functioning. However, the recovery of bryophytes and their ability to facilitate woody plant establishment during restoration remains poorly studied, especially in the tropics. We i
Authors
Evan M Rehm, Miles K Thomas, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Dave L Bouck, Carla M. D'Antonio
Large-scale tree mortality from Rapid Ohia Death negatively influences avifauna in lower Puna, Hawai‘i Island, USA
‘Ōhi’a lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the principle tree species in forests across the Hawaiian Islands and provides critical foraging and nesting habitat for native passerines. Rapid Ohia Death (ROD), caused by the vascular wilt fungus Ceratocystis lukuohia and the canker pathogen C. huliohia, was first detected in the Puna District of Hawaii Island in 2010. It affects all life stages of ‘ōhi
Authors
Richard J. Camp, Dennis Lapointe, Patrick J. Hart, Daniel E Sedgwick, Lisa K Canale