03-27-2014, 03:25 PM
Hawaii has both the most endangered species AND non native invasive plants and animals on the planet. There is a relationship. Part of the problem is people want to bring their favorite showy plant to their new home, and then it runs wild here and crowds out the native or endemic species. The albizia and African tulip were both deliberately introduced by people who liked how they looked. In hindsight both were a really bad idea.
The pre-Polynesian arrival species arrived at about the rate of one new species every 10,000 years, then they evolved in isolation into amazing unique species that can only survive in very specific environmental conditions, so they are easily crowded out. The "canoe plants" that were brought by the Polynesians were the food and fiber plants they used in daily life, we will never know if those crowded out native plants and animals, but I would guess not because the Polynesians only intensively worked a limited amount of the land and were fairly careful about what they brought. For example, they only brought one gender, I can't remember if it was the male or female, of the plant used to make kapa cloth. If you have both it spreads with seeds and takes over like crazy, if you only have one gender it is propagated through cuttings and doesn't run rampant. Most of the plants we all think of as "Hawaiian" are introduced species: coconut palms, most of the showy hibiscus, plumeria, gingers and heliconias, Cook island pines, guava, ironwood. Ohia, koa and sandalwood were not introduced.
Sorry for the mini lesson, but I think the story of the arrival and evolution of Hawaii's native species is pretty cool.
Carol
The pre-Polynesian arrival species arrived at about the rate of one new species every 10,000 years, then they evolved in isolation into amazing unique species that can only survive in very specific environmental conditions, so they are easily crowded out. The "canoe plants" that were brought by the Polynesians were the food and fiber plants they used in daily life, we will never know if those crowded out native plants and animals, but I would guess not because the Polynesians only intensively worked a limited amount of the land and were fairly careful about what they brought. For example, they only brought one gender, I can't remember if it was the male or female, of the plant used to make kapa cloth. If you have both it spreads with seeds and takes over like crazy, if you only have one gender it is propagated through cuttings and doesn't run rampant. Most of the plants we all think of as "Hawaiian" are introduced species: coconut palms, most of the showy hibiscus, plumeria, gingers and heliconias, Cook island pines, guava, ironwood. Ohia, koa and sandalwood were not introduced.
Sorry for the mini lesson, but I think the story of the arrival and evolution of Hawaii's native species is pretty cool.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb