Alien and native plant response to release from feral sheep browsing on Mauna Kea
- Author:
-
Scowcroft, Paul G., Conrad, C. Eugene
- Title:
- Alien and native plant response to release from feral sheep browsing on Mauna Kea
- Periodical:
- Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawaii: management and research.
- Year:
- 1992
- Pages:
- p.625-665
- Subject:
-
Alien plants
Native plants
Feral sheep control Mauna Kea
Plant conservation Hawaii Island
- Summary:
- Over 150 years of feral sheep damage to the subalpine woodlands on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, ended when "eradication" of feral sheep (Ovis aries) was declared complete (even though a few sheep remained). Managers and others interested in conserving Mauna Kea's subalpine ecosystem are now concerned about the ability of native plants to reestablish dominance without the aid of humans in the absence of significant feral sheep grazing and browsing. Successful reestablishment will depend partly on the ability of native plants to compete with alien plants. Data from exclosures near tree line indicate that both herbaceous and woody native species establish in areas freed from sheep foraging pressure, in spite of alien plants, provided that the areas are not fully occupied by aliens. In areas that were densely populated by feral sheep before 1981, native and alien plants appear to be responding, as indicated in publications about earlier exclosure studies. Control of alien plants to favor native species does not now appear warranted. However, two noxious aliens, fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) and German ivy (Senecio mikanioides), are established in the subalpine woodland and could become management problems in the future.
- URL:
- http://www.hear.org/books/apineh1992/pdfs/apineh1992vi2scowcroftconrad.pdf
- Collection:
- Monographs