Dr. Kim Burnett, Assistant Director of the University of Hawai`i Economic Research Organization presents some of her economic analysis of Hawaiian dry forest restoration as well as wildfire-related work in the aftermath of the August 2023 Maui fires.
Dr. Lisa Gollin is an applied anthropologist and social scientist who presented her findings from interviews she conducted as part of the project “Challenges to Rapid Wildfire Containment in Hawaii”.
Authors Clay Trauernicht et al provide the first regional analysis of contemporary wildfire drivers of Pacific Island fire regimes.
Invasive grasses have spread across a quarter of Hawai‘i’s land, and they’re fueling an alarming rise in wildfires. Coalitions are fighting back with new urgency and old tools. By Cynthia Wessendorf
Read Article Here Fire Ecology & Effects, Fire History, Western Pacific, Palau Dendy et al. compile the fire history mapping (2012 – 2021) for Babeldaob Island, Palau which reveals that while fire…
A Screening System to Predict Wildfire Risk of Invasive Plants (Biological Invasions, November 2021)
Download Paper Here Search Wildlife Risk Database Here Hawaii, Fire Ecology & Effects, invasive species, Tool Authors Kevin Faccenda and Curtis Daehler developed a screening system to identify introduced plant species that…
Authors Leah Bremer et al suggest that well managed rangelands as part of a mosaic, contribute to social and ecological health and well-being in Hawai‘i.
Author Clay Trauernicht provides a spatial fire occurrence models to reveal the relative influence of multiple drivers, and discusses rainfall-vegetation interactions as a key predictor of fire risk variability as well as future drying predictions with climate change.
Fountain grass is an invasive, highly flammable ornamental plant that has overtaken the dry, tropical ecosystems of west Hawaii. Over the last several decades, large, fast spreading fountain grass fires have burned across the landscape with increasing frequency, usually ignited by roadside activities in remote areas. The Pu’u Anahulu Fuels Management Project evaluated the effectiveness of different roadside fuels treatments on fountain grass using a collaborative approach, and allowed the first use of science-based fuels treatments and prescribed fire in Hawaii. Demonstration sites were established along roadsides where ignitions were known to occur. The clear winner for sustained reduction of fountain grass was a three stage application of prescribed fire, grazing and herbicide.
This project was developed and carried out by SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) to determine the effectiveness of three different methods in reducing the surface fuel loads in a guinea grass (Panicum maximum) dominated community, thereby reducing susceptibly to sustained fires. Three control treatments were tested including mechanical removal, herbicide application and grazing using cattle to reduce the fuel loads at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows (MCTAB), on the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Information on the cost of the various control treatments and their long-term effectiveness in maintaining reduced fuel loads would also benefit land and resource managers in the Pacific Islands where guinea grass and frequent fires are problematic.