Ecological drought in the Hawaiian Islands: unique tropical systems are vulnerable to drought

Dave Helweg; Christian P. Giardina

Treesearch

Ecological drought in the Hawaiian Islands: unique tropical systems are vulnerable to drought

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Dave Helweg, Christian P. Giardina

Year:

2017

Type:

Miscellaneous

Station:

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Source:

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Integration & Application Network Newsletter 581

Download (PDF 5.93 MB)

Download (PDF 5.93 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/55254.pdf

Abstract

The Hawaiian Islands are among the most isolated and recently inhabited places on Earth. Discovered by Polynesian voyagers some 1000 years ago, people arrived to find unique wildlife and plants arrayed across a remarkable range of ecosystems. Polynesian settlers relied on traditional methods to cultivate canoe crops across the wide range of climate and soils. Early Hawaiian societies adapted to regular climate variations, including periods of extreme drought. Today, as drought events become more severe, contemporary communities must also learn to adapt.

Keywords

Drought, Hawaii, water resources, services

Citation

Helweg, Dave; Giardina, Christian. 2017. Ecological drought in the Hawaiian Islands: unique tropical systems are vulnerable to drought. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Integration & Application Network Newsletter 581. 4p.