· Ascertain the effectiveness of the containment control strategy and project future needs and cost effectiveness.
Searching the peripheries while continuing work at the cores has been an effective containment control strategy. We have maintained this strategy throughout the grant period with frustration and success. The frustration comes from finding that peripheral plant in the middle of nowhere, thus confirming the suspected range of infestation. Success is more likely to be noticed by big-number destruction at core sites. Surveying for 100% detection and treatment on the periphery while continuing mature tree treatment at core sites, prevents miconia from becoming established in the wild.
The area of potential infestation is large, island-wide over 20,000 acres. With the help of birds, each mature tree site that produced seeds even once has potentially affected about 800 acres. Most seedlings will emerge near the mother plant, but in some cases seedlings have been found much farther. Miconia plants have been found 400 meters or better and up to a kilometer away from a nearest known source at Honalo (1), Honaunau (2), Jungle King (25), Glenwood (22), Kauaea (42), Puu Honuaula (45), Hilo Landfill (59), Honolii (11), and at Kawainui (7). Since these examples exist, a ground search of a kilometer in all directions from a mature tree is not unreasonable if the goal is 100% control at the edges. At the extreme edges of the infestation near forests, it is urgent. Air surveys in 100 meter wide grid sweeps should extend outward from the tree and up to 2 kilometers away, to increase effectiveness and successful detection of outlying plants. It should be done annually to detect them before they mature.
To prevent losing the ground we have gained during this grant period, our efforts must continue and expand. We need more field crews, equipment, vehicles and air surveys to monitor prior work and survey around it. All mature trees at core sites should be destroyed in the next twelve months to relieve pressure on the surrounding farms and forests. At the same time peripheral surveys in all forests should continue in order to prevent outlying plants from reaching maturity. In remote areas where miconia was detected, surveys should include areas of previous work as well as expand outward.
Native forests, timber forests, ranches, farms and residents in five districts of Hawaii County all live with miconia near by. The economics of losing our endemic Hawaiian habitat is immeasurable. But what can be measured is the potential to destroy timber lands and future harvests. Besides dealing with the variety of existing crop pests, farmers in infested areas have the added burden of needing to control seedlings in their fields. As worldwide alien species awareness continues, crops such as cut flowers raised among fruiting miconia trees could pose a serious threat to other tropical climates, by harboring miconia seeds in exported foliage and plants. Miconia-free islands within the state are at risk of being infested by these and other means as well.
It is more important now than ever that field teams continue surveys and
treatments at all sites. Mechanical and biological controls must continue.
Work accomplishments during the grant period are significant enough that it
would be tragic to dilute the efforts while progress and momentum are at
a peak. We at are a point where people don't realize the potential of the
problem, because Onomea is the only visible example we can show. Miconia
containment control is no small task nor is it impossible, if we see our
strategy through to the end.
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Big Island Invasive Species Committee/Operation Miconia 16 East Lanikaula Street - Hilo, Hawaii - 96720 Ph: (808) 961-3299 - Hotline & Voice Mail Alt. Ph: (808) 974-4140 - Office & Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture Reception Desk FAX: (808) 974-4148 |
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