Pacific Southwest

Title: Role of decaying logs and other organic seedbeds in natural regeneration of Hawaiian forest species on abandoned montane pasture

Author: Scowcroft, Paul G.

Date: 1992

Source: In: Conrad, Engene C.; Newell, Leonard A., tech. cords. Proceedings on the session on tropical forestry for people of the Pacific, XVII Pacific Science Congress; May 27-28, 1991. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-129. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station; p. 67-73

Station ID: GTR-PSW-129

Description: Natural regeneration is one mechanism by which native mixed-species forests become reestablished on abandoned pasture. This study was done to determine patterns of and requirement for natural regeneration of native species in an open woodland after removal of cattle. Ten 50- by 50-m quadrats were randomly selected within a 16-ha exclosure located at 1,700-m elevation inside the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Hawaii. In 1989 and 1991, data were collected for all regeneration in the quadrats, including species, height, and seedbed type. More than 2,000 individuals were found in 1989, two years after the cattle were excluded. By 1991, the number had doubled to more than 4,000 individuals. Ohia was the most abundant species both years. Mineral soil accounted for about 97 percent of the potential seedbed area inside the exclosure, but less than 25 percent of all regeneration was rooted there in 1989 and less than 33 percent in 1991. In contrast, decaying logs made up less than 2 percent of the potential seedbed area, but they supported about 70 percent of all regeneration in 1989 and 53 percent in 1991. The data indicated that organic seedbeds are preferred sites for recruitment, establishment, and early growth of olapa, kawau, and ohelo. Ohia's preference for organic seedbed was less pronounced. Tree fern showed a strong preference for mineral soil. Koa was nondiscriminatory.

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Citation

Scowcroft, Paul G.  1992.  Role of decaying logs and other organic seedbeds in natural regeneration of Hawaiian forest species on abandoned montane pasture.   In: Conrad, Engene C.; Newell, Leonard A., tech. cords. Proceedings on the session on tropical forestry for people of the Pacific, XVII Pacific Science Congress; May 27-28, 1991. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-129. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station; p. 67-73.