Vulnerability Assessment for Native Hawaiian Plants

Completion date November 30, 2013
(Credit: Deanna Spooner, USFWS)
(Credit: Deanna Spooner, USFWS)

Location: Hawaiian Islands

How will climate change affect native Hawaiian plants?

An interdisciplinary team completed a comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessment for all native Hawaiian plants (1000+ species) to address a critical knowledge gap for resource managers by identifying the change in species’ range under current and projected future climate conditions. The team of researchers developed habitat quality scenarios that incorporate key management components and demonstrate the need for continuous and improved management.

Project partners:

Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey

The Nature Conservancy

Hawai‘i USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pacific Islands Area

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Pacific Region

University of Hawai‘i, Hilo