Although the saffron finch is native to South America, it was introduced to Hawaii in the 1960s by man.  So here’s to a colorful, invasive species,  not quite wordless Wednesday!

Heard of the threatened Haleakala Silversword; a species driven to the brink of extinction in the 1920s by goats, cattle and vandalism?  I wouldn’t blame you if you haven’t as this species is not a typical subject when one explores the list of threatened and endangered species.  To be honest, I only became aware of this threatened plant when I first ventured up the slopes of Haleakala volcano in 2005.  And it was during that first visit that I embarked upon an ill-fated descent into the cindercone, surrounded by a cinder desert landscape that is most definitely the closest thing to an extraterrestrial world that I have witnessed.

Perhaps ill-fated is a little harsh, but the story has become legendary in our family for a phrase I uttered in the midst of our ascent back to civilization while being pummeled by a rainstorm of biblical proportion: “This is the best day of my life!”    Wet, soaked and drenched are understatements and needless to say I was completely surprised our cameras survived the trek up the cindercone’s slope.

But even with the volcano’s poor reception of my inaugural visit, I did manage to make a return visit in June as I decided not to hold a grudge this time.  At any rate, I find nature to be quite resilient and the habitats in which life finds a small niche suitable for existence is always amazing.  Since I was feeling a need for island life today I thought it appropriate to share a little information on the Haleakala Silversword,  locally known as Ahinahina (Argyroxiphium sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum).

It is endemic to (only known from) a 1,000-hectare (2,500 acre) area at 2,100-3,000 meters (6,900-9,800 feet) elevation in the crater and outer slopes of Haleakala Volcano, within Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii,

It is a distinctive, globe-shaped rosette plant with a dense covering of silver hairs. This monocarpic (flowers only once, at the end of its lifetime) plant matures from seed to its final stage in approximately 15 to 50 years. The plant remains a compact rosette until it sends up an erect, central flowering stalk, sets seed, and dies. Flowering occurs from June to September, with annual numbers of flowering plants varying dramatically from year to year.

The threats to this species are loss of pollinators caused by the nonnative Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis) and yellow jackets (Vespula pennsylvanica); native seed-eating and herbivorous insects such as the tephritid fly (Trupanea cratericola); limited natural range, which makes it vulnerable to extinction due to catastrophic events, such as a natural disaster; competition from the nonnative plant species Verbascum thapsus (mullein); and human impacts (trampling and site degradation). Although goats (Capra hircus) and cattle (Bos taurus) have been removed from the park, they remain a potential threat.

USFWS

It can be a fairly interesting process on how one finally comes around to composing a new post.  Sometimes creativity is just not in the cards or one has a smidge of writer’s block in which to contend.  For me, this week was nothing more than a culmination of both that began with the realization that a sudden trip to the Scripps Research Institute was in my future.  And my first thought as I was leaving the home front for a few days was that I still have a blank slate begging for words. 

Perhaps it was the sunny beaches of San Diego or surfing the channels at the hotel that reminded me of a dire island situation keeping albatross from soaring the breezes.  Contrary to your initial thoughts, the blight is not humans, a predator, or a disease, but a plant.  That’s right; it’s an uncommon foe in the form of an invasive flowering shrub that has managed to take hold on the Kure Atoll, the furthest point comprising the Hawaiian Archipelago.

“The invasive non-native plant called Verbesina is encroaching on bird nests, inhibiting bird reproduction and pushing out native plant life. The seasonal workers spend many hours clearing weed-infested plots that are especially critical to albatrosses and boobies, two large birds that need both open space and wind to take off.”  Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources

Sporting a 6-foot wingspan, the Laysan Albatross needs plenty of space to successfully take flight, and unfortunately the invasive shrub is limiting this much needed open real estate.  This overgrowth is effectively putting a stranglehold on the seabirds as nests and young are entwined within the plants and adults struggle to find a place to land. 

According to NOAA, Kure Atoll “has ten thousand Laysan Albatross chicks raised every year, and with their parents and non-breeding adults, can altogether number 50,000.  When we add other species (Boobies, Tropic Birds, Terns, Petrels and Frigate birds, among others), we can find over a quarter of a million birds.”

Thus, with such an array of seabirds relying on the island for survival, restoration of the ecosystem is essential.  All in all there are approximately 40 acres of solid invasive shrub threatening native plants and animals.  Those open spaces that officials do create are swiftly used by the albatross as a landing and takeoff zone.  Even as officials work daily to uproot the shrubs and apply herbicides for control, it is estimated that it will take 10 years to eradicate the invasive plant from Kure.

Photo credit: Forest & Kim Starr

I admit I wasn’t ready for the beginning of the week, so while I get my next post together I thought I pass along a few signs I came across during my journey on Maui…a few simple reminders to protect endangered species.