Understanding Grass Invasion, Fire Severity, and Acacia koa Regeneration for Forest Restoration in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Restoration efforts using the native tree Acacia koa in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park may successfully promote fire-resilient forests, despite concerns about grass invasion. The study found that high fire severity can enhance A. koa regeneration densities in montane woodlands with low pre-fire tree densities, while this trend reverses when tree densities are high. Pre-fire grass cover estimates from oblique aerial photos were highly accurate in montane shrublands but unreliable in mid-elevation woodlands, complicating restoration planning. The research used data from the 2018 Keauhou Ranch Fire to analyze fire severity and regeneration patterns across 30 transects, comparing visual estimates with in situ measurements.

Hamilton, N. P., Yelenik, S. G., Durboraw, T. D., Cox, R. D., & Gill, N. S. (2021). Understanding Grass Invasion, Fire Severity, and Acacia koa Regeneration for Forest Restoration in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Land, 10(9), 962. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090962