Climate analysis in Ohia dieback area on the island of Hawaii

Author:

Evenson, William E.

Title:

Climate analysis in Ohia dieback area on the island of Hawaii

Periodical:

Pacific Science

Year:

1983

Volume:

37

Pages:

375-384

Subject:

Rain and rainfall research Climatic changes Precipitation Ohia-lehua Ohia dieback Metrosideros polymorpha Temperature

Summary:

It has been speculated that dieback of the ohia, (Metrosideros polymorpha), is initiated by a climatic instability which becomes effective through the soil moisture regime under certain conditions of forest stand maturity. This paper reports on an analysis of climatic fluctuations in the dieback areas on the island of Hawaii where previous studies were undertaken using data from 113 climatological stations on the windward slopes of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea. In this work, the author looked only at patterns of fluctuations of rainfall and temperature through time and their correlations with changes in canopy dieback as were seen in the aerial photographs that were taken in 1954, 1965, 1972, and 1977. It was felt that this analysis might increase the plausibility of the theory that stresses due to climatic disturbances have played a role in the hastening and synchronizing the canopy dieback.

Label:

Weather & Climate

URL:

http://hdl.handle.net/10125/733

Date:

1983

Collection:

Periodicals