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Overview
of Ka‘upulehu Dryland Forest Project
The North Kona Dryland
Forest Working Group was organized in 1993 to pursue long-term protection
and management of the dryland forests in the North Kona district of the
State of Hawai‘i, particularly
in the Huehue, Kealakehe, Kaloko, Kau, Ka‘upulehu, Pu‘uanahulu
and Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a land divisions. Click
here to view map.
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After an assessment
of remnant dryland forests in the area, the Working Group decided to focus
its initial efforts on a 7-acre “mauka” parcel at Ka‘upulehu
which was leased by Kamehameha Schools
to the National Tropical Botanical Garden
. This site had the advantage of having been fenced for a number of decades,
and both the landowner and lessee were supportive of Working Group involvement.
A summary of the results is posted
on this site.
Although weed control, fire break maintenance and other activities continue
at the mauka site, focus has shifted to a 70-acre “makai”
site at Ka‘upulehu. Also owned by Kamehameha Schools, this parcel
is leased to PIA Kona Limited Partnership.
Among the goals of the working group is to demonstrate cost-effective
dryland forest restoration measures which can be undertaken over large
parcels of land by other landowners. Thousands of acres in Kona are subject
to the same threats experienced at Ka‘upulehu—invasive weeds,
particularly fountain grass; wildfires; grazing by cattle and goats; and
seed and seedling predation by rats, among others. However, public and
private landowners lack information on ways to effectively address these
threats. It is hoped that the Working Group’s efforts will provide
the technical and economic information needed to encourage widespread
dryland forest restoration.
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Rats are controlled
with baited traps. Ungulates have been fenced out. Firebreaks and a water
source are key in protecting the site from wildfires. The most difficult
problem to address, however, has been fountain grass. Treatments such
as aerial spraying of Fusilade (a grass-specific herbicide), shading,
and scraping with a bulldozer blade have been attempted. Controlled grazing
was considered, but the terrain is too rough for cattle, and the native
species too vulnerable. To date, the most successful method for eliminating
fountain grass continues to be labor-intensive physical cutting with a
weed-eater, followed by repeated applications of Roundup herbicide. As
this is not a feasible control method for large parcels, experimentation
will continue, possibly on other sites.
Another objective at Ka‘upulehu is to increase the number and the
health of native Hawaiian dryland forest species on site, both plant and
animal. Nine endangered plant species grow at Ka‘upulehu, and the
site is also home to the endangered Blackburn’s sphinx moth. After
extensive outplantings of the endangered seedlings, Ka‘upulehu is
now home to more of certain species than exist in the wild. Common dryland
species are also being planted, in an effort to recreate a balanced ecosystem.
Due to the quality of the remnant native forest at Ka‘upulehu, its
accessibility and the continued interest of the landowner and lessee,
the Working Group has shifted its emphasis on the makai portion of the
project toward increasing its educational value. Over 3,000 native seedlings,
many of which are endangered species, have been planted on site by volunteers
and Working Group members, and are the subject of interpretive materials.
Plants are being labeled, and a trail which offers opportunities for lessons
in geology, cultural history, and botany has been constructed. By prior
arrangement, school and community groups are using the site as an outdoor
classroom, contributing volunteer labor during their visits.
Scientific research remains an important
activity at Ka‘upulehu, as well. Examinations of water use by native
and invasive plants, dormancy periods for native seeds, and methods of
fountain grass control continue . Cooperation among state and local government
agencies, non-profit organizations and universities is significantly augmenting
scientific knowledge of dryland forest ecosystems.
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