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Summary:
A widespread challenge for National Parks is restoring post-fire habitats to native states that are resilient to further fire. Especially in areas with a history of grazing, exotic grasses perpetuate ‘grass-fire’ cycles by acting as fire carriers between habitats, including forests. Grass-fire cycles are a problem globally, contributing to expanding exotic grasslands, decreased forest area, and increased fire frequency/size worldwide. Thus, to create resilience to fire in these landscapes, we need to better understand grass-fire interactions and how to restore communities that can resist grass invasion.
The Keauhou Ranch fire recently burned 2,978 acres in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). Previous work identified native species that quickly resprout and/or germinate after fire, however, it is not well understood which species mixes and densities are likely to exclude exotic grasses. Unfortunately, common restoration models across Hawaiʻi, including mass Acacia koa planting, can facilitate grass biomass. It is possible that more diverse/dense outplantings will better resist grasses, but this has never been explicitly tested. As a proof of concept, we also plan to test causal links between grass biomass, fire and vegetation recovery using historic aerial imagery and recovery data.
Project Hypothesis or Objectives:
Our objectives are to (1) Determine how the density and diversity of planting or seeding affects native plant survival and growth, as well as grass biomass and (2) Determine how grass cover is related to burn intensity and native plant recovery.
Duration: Up to 12 months
Internship Location: Volcano, HI
Keywords: Fire ecology, restoration, Hawaii, forest, grass-fire cycles, invasions
Applicable NSF Division: DEB Environmental Biology
Intern Type Preference: Either
Duties/Responsibilities:
The Intern will work in the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center with USGS biologists and National Park Service personnel to develop project protocols. Fieldwork will include monitoring natural and seeded regeneration plots in different vegetation types. The Intern will also monitor passive seed rain and dispersal of different native species, and implement a series of grass removal experiments. Finally, the intern will use high resolution aerial imagery and GIS to locate plots with varying pre-burn exotic grass cover and monitor grass and native plant regrowth in these plots for one year. The Intern will be responsible for data management and will lead data analyses and the drafting of 1-2 manuscripts for publication in high-impact scholarly journals. The Intern will be expected to attend at least one local conference to present results.
Expected Outcome:
This project will offer insight into best practices for forest restoration not only after fire, but in the face of exotic grasses more generally. Outcomes are expected to be communicated with and eventually used by National Park Service Management. In addition, we hope to elucidate threshold effects in grass invasion and fires, explicitly asking what cover of pre-fire grass will lead to widespread grass invasions and native plant extirpation after fire in different forest types. This will help direct specific management protocols. The intern is expected to bring past experience and methodologies to the project. The USGS will provide the intern with the equipment, facilities, mentoring and other resources necessary to conduct a high-quality project worthy of publication in an academic journal. Most importantly, it is expected that the Intern will foster a collaborative relationship between the Pacific Island Ecosystem Research Center/Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the intern’s current and future institutions, potentially yielding long-term collaborative work.
Special skills/training Required:
- Background in plant ecology and/or fire ecology
- Plant monitoring techniques
- Ability to hike with equipment over varied terrain at elevations up to 7000ft
- Knowledge of data management and statistics
- Ability to follow safety and biosecurity protocols
