Items
of Interest:
U.S. Forest Service and Two Universities Team Up to Develop New Ecosystems for Hawaiian Forests (Nov 23, 2010)
USDA. FS. Pacific Southwest Research Station.
In collaboration with Stanford University and the University of Hawaii, Hilo, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station's Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry will begin research next spring on developing "hybrid ecosystems"—a mix of native and non-native species—in an effort to create a sustainable ecosystem in tropical forests. The proliferation of invasive plant species in lowland tropical forests in Hawaii have become so pervasive that it is neither cost-effective nor practical to eradicate all non-native species. The research is funded by a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP).
Pest-Free Christmas Trees (Nov/Dec 2010)
USDA. ARS. Agricultural Research Magazine.
In Hawaii, Christmas trees could be hindered by pests, including yellowjackets that are transported from the Pacific Northwest. The western yellowjacket (Vistula Pennsylvania) is an invasive insect that has already established itself throughout the Hawaiian islands. To rid the pest from the Christmas trees, researchers have found that shaking the trees and applying a pesticide as a supplement are effective in killing yellowjacket queens and honey bee workers, Hawaii now requires that all Christmas trees destined for the islands be shaken, regardless of shaking method. Future research plans include finding out how to make the shaking treatments more effective in the absence of an insecticide treatment.
Little Fire Ants Spread to Kona (Jan 27, 2010)
Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
The invasive stinging ant called the Little Fire Ant (LFA) has spread from the east side of Hawai'i Island to the west side. While LFA was detected earlier this month at two locations in Kailua-Kona, state entomologists believe that it is likely that there maybe other unreported locations that are infested in West Hawai'i. In Oct, the LFA was detected in a farm on Maui, where ongoing eradication efforts appear to have contained the infestation. The Pest Advisory on the Little Fire Ant (2007; PDF | 110 KB) contains information on LFA and its history in Hawaii.
Introduced
Japanese White-eyes Pose Major Threat To
Hawaii's Native And Endangered Birds (Sep 18, 2009)
Science Daily.
In the late 1920s, people intentionally introduced birds known as Japanese white-eyes
into Hawaiian agricultural lands and gardens for purposes of bug control. Now,
that decision has come back to bite us. A recent increase in the numbers of white-eyes
that live in old-growth forests is leaving native bird species with too little
to eat, according to a recent report.
Prevention,
Early Detection and Containment of Invasive,
Nonnative Plants
in the Hawaiian Islands: Current Efforts
and Needs (Aug 2009; PDF | 361 KB)
University
of Hawaii at Manoa. Department of Botany.
Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit.
This
report (Technical
Report 166) is based on the symposium "Managing
Dynamic Alien Species Invasion Scenarios
in Terrestrial Ecosystems: Management Experiences
and Research Needs" held
at the 2008 Hawaii Conservation Conference
in Honolulu.
It presents summaries of current
achievements and processes and tools in
place and a number of opinions on future
perspectives, highlighting some of the
main current issues for an effective biosecurity
system against invasive plant species in
the Hawaiian Islands.
UH
Mânoa Researcher Publishes Assessment
of Potential Invasive Snail and Slugs Pests
in the U.S. (Jul 30, 2009)
University
of Hawaii - Mânoa.
A collaborative team led
by a University of Hawai‘i at Mânoa
researcher has published the first assessment
of snail and slug species that are of potential
threat to the nation’s agriculture industry
and the environment, should they ever be
introduced in the U.S. The evaluation of
snails and slugs from around the world was
funded by a grant from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture to UH Mânoa and the American
Malacological Society, and the results
are published in July 2009 article in the American
Malacological Bulletin.
New
Life Histories Emerge for Invasive Wasps,
Magnify Ecological Harm (Jul 20,
2009)
University
of California - San Diego.
Ecologists from the University of California,
San Diego have found that a switch from annual
to multiyear colonies, and a willingness
to feed just about any prey to their young,
have allowed invasive yellowjacket wasps
to disrupt native populations of insects
and spiders on two Hawaiian islands.
Nearly
$4.5 Million Stimulus Funds Will Fight
Invasive Species in Hawaii (May 14, 2009)
Senator Daniel Akaka.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel
K. Inouye and Senator Daniel K. Akaka
announced today that the State of Hawaii
will receive $4,486,000 to fight invasive
plant species across the islands. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture
is distributing the funding as part
of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act. Specific projects on both state and
private lands will be selected by the State
government.
Super
Sucker Cleans Invasive Algae off Reefs
Nature
Conservancy. Hawai'i.
Marine researchers in Hawai'i have
a new weapon in the battle against alien
algae: an underwater vacuum that sucks
invasive algae right off the reef. The
invention, aptly dubbed "Super
Sucker," can remove up to 800 pounds
of alien algae in a single hour.
2009
Hawai'i Invasive Species Program Summary
Report (PDF | 2.6 MB) and
Full
Report (Oct 2008; PDF | 1.8 MB)
Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural
Resources.
The Legislative Report pertaining to Invasive
Species and the Hawai'i Invasive Species
Council.
Island-based Partnerships and Statewide Coordination to Protect Hawaii from Invasive species: Report for the 2007 Calendar Year (2008; PDF | 2.83 MB)
Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species.
Got Dead Bird? Call 211
Gotdeadbird.org.
The Hawaii Department of Health and U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service are asking the public’s
help in the early detection of two diseases – West Nile Virus and bird flu (avian
influenza) - that are not yet present in Hawaii,
but could arrive. West Nile Virus and bird
flu are two diseases that agencies are monitoring
for, but the public’s help is needed
in order to watch for these diseases across
the state.
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