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| Kaʻū Forest Reserve. Photo by Rob Shallenberger |
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| Christian Giardina worked on the study and is based at U.S. Forest Service in Hilo |
The abstract says, "Non-native species invasions are altering the composition, structure, function, and dynamics of forests globally. The Hawaiian Islands are a global biodiversity hotspot for non-native invasive plant species. New spatial inventory data for forests of Hawaiʻi can provide insights into invasive species presence and dominance across complex landscapes."
The Forest Service researchers employed a network of 238 standardized plots spanning climate and soil gradients to conduct the first comprehensive assessment of non-native plant invasions in forests of Hawaiʻi. "We examined non-native plant dominance from the forest floor to canopy to understand how invasion related to environmental and management-related factors."
The scientists tested whether significant differences in non-native dominance across forest strata existed based on ownership/management, fenced status, island group, and forest type.
Across forest types, non-native tree species accounted for 30 percent of large tree stems, 65 percent of sapling stems, and 67 percent of seedling stems. The study found that low-elevation forests were particularly degraded, but even montane forests were widely impacted and may become more so following forest disturbance.
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| Based at U.S. Forest Service in Hilo, Dr. Susan Cordell is one of the authors of the study showing invasives taking over Hawaiian forests. |
Forests on public lands, in conservation reserves, or in fenced areas were less impacted by non-native trees and shrubs, indicating possible benefits of conservation management.
The study concluded that "patterns and processes of plant invasion in Hawaiian forests provide data for the conservation of Hawai‘i’s unique flora and insights into how invasion trajectories may play out in other forests." It noted that damage from pigs, goats and other ungulates has doubled in the last seven years. It also mentioned wildland fires, climate change and Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death as mounting threats.
The study concluded that "patterns and processes of plant invasion in Hawaiian forests provide data for the conservation of Hawai‘i’s unique flora and insights into how invasion trajectories may play out in other forests." It noted that damage from pigs, goats and other ungulates has doubled in the last seven years. It also mentioned wildland fires, climate change and Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death as mounting threats.
Kaʻū has the largest amount of land in native forests in all of Hawai'i with ownership by the state, federal government, Kamehameha Schools and The Nature Conservancy.
The U.S. Forest Service for Hawai'i is based on the campus of University of Hawai'i in Hilo with its Institute of Pacific Island Forestry. Authors of the study are Kevin M. Potter, Christian Giardina, R. Flint Hughes, Susan Cordell, Olaf Kuegler, Amy Koch and Emma Yuen.
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See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
HOW HVO MONITORED KILAUEA IN THE PAST is the focus of this week's Volcano Watch written by scientists and affiliates of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
We can learn about how the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitored Kīlauea prior to and during the 1967-68 Halema‘uma‘u eruption by reading reports documenting activity at that time. HVO staff then
wrote, “The current eruption in Halema‘uma‘u is especially interesting because events seem to be following the same general pattern that was recorded again and again during the pre-1924 Kīlauean activity.”
In March and December 1965, middle East Rift Zone eruptions occurred which partially drained the magma storage system at Kīlauea summit and caused modest subsidence. The 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea drained the summit magma chamber on a larger scale, resulting in caldera collapse.
Similar timeframes of quiet, non-eruptive periods ensued at the summit of Kīlauea following the 1965 and 2018 eruptions. About two years after each eruption, the summit magma reservoir recharged and eruptions occurred.
HVO staff wrote that the 1967-68 eruption was preceded by only about “one hour of gradually increasing harmonic tremor…though the eruption has been ‘expected’ for over a year.” Gradually increasing earthquake rates and inflation over the months prior signaled to HVO staff that an eruption could be coming.
We can learn about how the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitored Kīlauea prior to and during the 1967-68 Halema‘uma‘u eruption by reading reports documenting activity at that time. HVO staff then
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| A telephoto image of vents erupting on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, in 1967. NPS photo by C. Stoughton. |
In March and December 1965, middle East Rift Zone eruptions occurred which partially drained the magma storage system at Kīlauea summit and caused modest subsidence. The 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea drained the summit magma chamber on a larger scale, resulting in caldera collapse.
Similar timeframes of quiet, non-eruptive periods ensued at the summit of Kīlauea following the 1965 and 2018 eruptions. About two years after each eruption, the summit magma reservoir recharged and eruptions occurred.
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| An aerial overview of Halema‘uma‘u crater erupting in early December 1967. USGS image. |
Likewise, modern HVO has monitored increasing rates of earthquakes and ground deformation for weeks to months prior to the recent eruptions at the summit of Kīlauea. The immediate harbinger of these eruptions has occurred within a similar timeframe of about an hour, as ascending magma breaks rock and causes seismicity.
Today, HVO’s Kīlauea summit monitoring network includes similar numbers of seismometers (18) and tiltmeters (4), but it has expanded to include other monitoring datasets. For example, GPS stations record three-dimensional ground motion, gas-stations record volcanic gas emissions and other meteorological data, gravimeters track accumulation and loss of magma beneath the surface, a laser rangefinder tracks elevation of the crater floor, and webcams capture imagery (visual and thermal) documenting changes on the surface and eruptive activity.
In their 1967 eruption reports, HVO staff observed that “Halema‘uma‘u is in the process of being filled.” The eruption, which began on November 5, 1967, went on for another 251 days and filled about 370 ft of lava in the crater (113 m). Post-2018 eruptions within Halema‘uma‘u, which began in December 2020, September 2021, January 2023, and June 2023, continued for two weeks to over a year, and have filled the crater over 1,270 feet (387 m) in total. Tom Wright and Fred Klein, in their 2014 publication noted of HVO in the 1960-70s, “Along with improved instrumentation and methods came increased challenges to the HVO staff as eruption frequency underwent a dramatic increase.”
HVO staff today have seen similar improvements in monitoring and research, especially with funding supplied through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157). Eruptions over the past several years, which include the several at Kīlauea summit and one on Mauna Loa, have certainly kept HVO staff busy, but have also provided unprecedented opportunities for learning and strengthening relationships with our partners and communities on the Island of Hawai‘i.
Similarities can be drawn between Kīlauea’s behavior prior to 1924 and discrete other periods, including the 1967-68 eruption and the 2018 summit collapse and subsequent refilling eruptions. These examples are a good reminder that a volcano’s past behavior can offer clues as to how it might behave in the future.
Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Active lava has not been visible within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea since June 19. Earthquake activity in the summit region has been low over the past week. Summit tiltmeters generally showed gradual inflation for much of the past week. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 104 tonnes per day was measured on July 17.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
There were five earthquake with three or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.2 earthquake 21 km (13 mi) N of Hawaiian Ocean View at -1 km (0 mi) depth on July 18 at 11:24 p.m. HST, a M3.2 earthquake 10.1 km (6.2 mi) NE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on July 16 at 12:56 a.m. HST, a M3.0 earthquake 12 km (7 mi) N of Puako at 20 km (12 mi) depth on July 13 at 7:56 p.m. HST, a M1.8 earthquake 14 km (8 mi) ESE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on July 13 at 12:38 p.m. HST, and a M4.6 earthquake 97 km (60 mi) NNE of Laupāhoehoe at 28 km (17 mi) depth on July 13 at 11:29 a.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
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In 1967, HVO had 12 seismometers and two tiltmeters monitoring Kīlauea’s summit. Though the seismometers were telemetered to the observatory, the tiltmeters were done by hand, being read manually every two-to-twelve hours.
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| A telephoto image of vents erupting on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, in June 2023. USGS image |
Today, HVO’s Kīlauea summit monitoring network includes similar numbers of seismometers (18) and tiltmeters (4), but it has expanded to include other monitoring datasets. For example, GPS stations record three-dimensional ground motion, gas-stations record volcanic gas emissions and other meteorological data, gravimeters track accumulation and loss of magma beneath the surface, a laser rangefinder tracks elevation of the crater floor, and webcams capture imagery (visual and thermal) documenting changes on the surface and eruptive activity.
Compared to the manual data monitoring of 1967, telemetry advancements and digitization allow HVO scientists to observe near real-time monitoring data remotely. Much of these data are available to the public on the HVO website, including the popular livestream camera.
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| An aerial overview of Halema‘uma‘u erupting in late September 2021. USGS image. |
HVO staff today have seen similar improvements in monitoring and research, especially with funding supplied through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157). Eruptions over the past several years, which include the several at Kīlauea summit and one on Mauna Loa, have certainly kept HVO staff busy, but have also provided unprecedented opportunities for learning and strengthening relationships with our partners and communities on the Island of Hawai‘i.
Similarities can be drawn between Kīlauea’s behavior prior to 1924 and discrete other periods, including the 1967-68 eruption and the 2018 summit collapse and subsequent refilling eruptions. These examples are a good reminder that a volcano’s past behavior can offer clues as to how it might behave in the future.
Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Active lava has not been visible within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea since June 19. Earthquake activity in the summit region has been low over the past week. Summit tiltmeters generally showed gradual inflation for much of the past week. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 104 tonnes per day was measured on July 17.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
There were five earthquake with three or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.2 earthquake 21 km (13 mi) N of Hawaiian Ocean View at -1 km (0 mi) depth on July 18 at 11:24 p.m. HST, a M3.2 earthquake 10.1 km (6.2 mi) NE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on July 16 at 12:56 a.m. HST, a M3.0 earthquake 12 km (7 mi) N of Puako at 20 km (12 mi) depth on July 13 at 7:56 p.m. HST, a M1.8 earthquake 14 km (8 mi) ESE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on July 13 at 12:38 p.m. HST, and a M4.6 earthquake 97 km (60 mi) NNE of Laupāhoehoe at 28 km (17 mi) depth on July 13 at 11:29 a.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
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See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
A MASKED MAN WAS ARRESTED IN OCEAN VIEW WHILE BURGLARIZING A RETAIL BUSINESS wee hours of Wednesday morning. Hawai'i Police Department identified him as 21-year-old
Derick Camacho, of Captain Cook, and arrested him for first-degree robbery.
Around 2:35 a.m. on Wednesday, Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to an active burglary at a business in the 92-8000 block of Māmalahoa Highway. While investigating this burglary, officers were alerted to a second active burglary occurring at a nearby retail establishment.
Upon entry into the second business, officers discovered Camacho, making verbal threats and physically dragging a 61-year-old male victim into a back room. Officers immediately demanded that Camacho release the victim, however he refused to comply with the officers’ orders. An officer deployed his Conducted Energy Weapon, commonly known as a “taser,” and Camacho was subsequently taken into police custody.
Camacho was transported to the Kealakehe Police Station where he remains in custody as detectives with the Area II Criminal Investigation Section continue their investigation. A charging decision with additional offenses is anticipated.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Detective Cacique Melendez at (808) 326-4646, ext. 281, or via email at Cacique.Melendez@hawaiicounty.gov.
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| Derick Camacho |
Around 2:35 a.m. on Wednesday, Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to an active burglary at a business in the 92-8000 block of Māmalahoa Highway. While investigating this burglary, officers were alerted to a second active burglary occurring at a nearby retail establishment.
Upon entry into the second business, officers discovered Camacho, making verbal threats and physically dragging a 61-year-old male victim into a back room. Officers immediately demanded that Camacho release the victim, however he refused to comply with the officers’ orders. An officer deployed his Conducted Energy Weapon, commonly known as a “taser,” and Camacho was subsequently taken into police custody.
Camacho was transported to the Kealakehe Police Station where he remains in custody as detectives with the Area II Criminal Investigation Section continue their investigation. A charging decision with additional offenses is anticipated.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Detective Cacique Melendez at (808) 326-4646, ext. 281, or via email at Cacique.Melendez@hawaiicounty.gov.
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See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
ACTIVITIES IN AUGUST ARE ANNOUNCED BY OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION:
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The monthly pancake breakfast is Aug. 12, 8 a.m. -11a.m. at OV Community Center. "Just $7 for a big plate of food and friendly neighbors."
Yoga classes are Thursdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 3:45 p.m. at the Center,
Aikido Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:15 p.m. at the Center,
Teen Night is the first Saturday evening of the month - Aug. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pingpong, air hockey, games and snacks.
OV's County Council member Michelle Galimba from County Council District 6 will hold an outreach event at the OV Community Center on Friday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m.
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See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
Five thousand in the mail, 2,500 on the street.
See the July edition of The Kaʻū Calendar Newspaper
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