{"id":140405,"date":"2021-05-09T08:01:03","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T18:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=140405"},"modified":"2021-05-09T08:02:36","modified_gmt":"2021-05-09T18:02:36","slug":"assist-endangered-waterbird-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/05\/09\/assist-endangered-waterbird-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Indigenous practices could assist endangered waterbird recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Aeʻo<\/span> waterbird<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Expanded restoration of Indigenous practices will more than compensate for projected losses of endangered waterbird habitat. These findings of an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a> and Kamehameha Schools<\/a> may provide useful information in discussions at the federal level to down-list the endangered aeʻo<\/span> (Hawaiian Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus knudseni<\/em>) to the level of \u201cthreatened.\u201d <\/p>\n

“Much of the aeʻo<\/span>\u2019s core nesting habitat, which is the foundation of its increasing population numbers, is projected to be gone by 2100 due to sea-level rise,” said Kristen Harmon<\/strong>, a PhD<\/abbr> candidate in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management<\/a> at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR<\/abbr>), and the paper\u2019s lead author. <\/p>\n

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Aeʻo<\/span> waterbird waterbird<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the aeʻo<\/span> population has been increasing in the past decades, it has not yet reached 2,000 individuals—a key threshold for downlisting. <\/p>\n

“Aeʻo<\/span> only have a 7% survival rate from egg to fledging due to heavy predation from invasive mammals, birds, bullfrogs, and even crabs!” added Melissa Price<\/strong>, a UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa professor who runs the CTAHR<\/abbr> Wildlife Ecology Lab<\/a>. “That\u2019s a very concerning level of survival, unlikely to result in recovery unless we can address the invasive predator and nesting habitat issues.” <\/p>\n

Researchers hopeful for bird\u2019s future<\/h2>\n

Despite the dangers, the team of researchers remains optimistic. <\/p>\n

“We know that loʻi<\/span>, or wetland taro fields, provide habitat for all of our endangered waterbirds, including aeʻo<\/span>,” said Kawika Winter<\/strong>, an ecologist at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Institute of Marine Biology<\/a> and co-author on the paper, who added that breeding success in loʻi<\/span> are the same as in wetlands managed purely for wildlife conservation. <\/p>\n

Natalie Kurashima, Integrated Resources Manager at Kamehameha Schools and a co-author on the paper said, “This research shows that restoration of loʻi<\/span> in suitable areas under climate change could increase aeʻo<\/span> habitat by 171%, even after accounting for losses due to sea-level rise.” <\/p>\n

“There is no scenario in which the sea-level does not keep rising for centuries. Nature is our best ally in meeting this challenge,” noted Chip Fletcher<\/strong>, a climate scientist at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a> and co-author of this study.<\/p>\n

This research shows the value of Indigenous knowledge and practice in contemporary times. <\/p>\n

\"bird\"
ʻAlae<\/span> ʻula<\/span> waterbird<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Our belief is that the best way to respond to environmental change is to look to and be guided by local ancestral wisdom and practice. Sea-level rise will have the added benefit of expanding freshwater wetland areas providing habitat for waterbirds and a crop synonymous with Hawaiian identity,” said Haunani Kane<\/strong>, the first Indigenous (Native Hawaiian) woman to receive a doctorate degree in geology and geophysics<\/a> at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and a co-author of the study.<\/p>\n

The research findings were published in Anthropocene<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

This work is an example of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s goal of Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise<\/a> (PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Â鶹´«Ã½<\/a> (PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), updated in December 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The findings provide useful information in discussions at the federal level to down-list the endangered aeʻo to the level of “threatened.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[93,212,665,378,53,1467,1363,544,158,92,73,9],"class_list":["post-140405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-climate-change","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-conservation","tag-geology-and-geophysics","tag-hawaii-institute-of-marine-biology","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-manoa-research","tag-natural-resources-and-environmental-management","tag-publication","tag-school-of-ocean-and-earth-science-and-technology","tag-sustainability","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t