Assessment of the Native Hawaiian Plant Society restoration projects on Kaho'olawe Island, Hawai'i

The introduction of goats to the Hawaiian island of Kaho'olawe in 1793 led to the decimation of the plant cover, the erosion of the topsoil, and the introduction of alien species. Recent environmental restoration projects have addressed the re-establishment of the dry forest vegetation that historically covered this island. The Native Hawaiian Plant Society (NHPS) has initiated a demonstration project on the most degraded site. This survey of the terrestrial ecology at the site identified the most hardy native plants, environmental constraints limiting the establishment of native plants, and the contribution of the plants to the overall site restoration. The results indicate that re-establishment should be accompanied by strategies addressing wind abatement, fertilization, irrigation, and rhyzobial innoculation.