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Our project focuses on understanding patterns and causes of recent population declines in the Haleakala silversword that are associated with decreasing precipitation, increasing temperature, and related climate changes in Hawaii’s high-elevation ecosystems. The Haleakala silversword is an ideal taxon with which to assess impacts from climate change. It forms the foundation of a diverse alpine community and likely reflects wider ecological changes; it is already exhibiting patterns of mortality consistent with an upslope shifting distribution; and its high visibility and symbolic status make it unmatched in educational potential. Building on extensive research infrastructure, we propose to collect the demographic...
Categories: Data,
Project;
Types: Map Service,
OGC WFS Layer,
OGC WMS Layer,
OGC WMS Service;
Tags: 2012,
Academics & scientific researchers,
Climate,
Datasets/Database,
Federal resource managers, All tags...
LCC,
LCC Network Science Catalog,
Pacific Islands LCC,
Pacific Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperative,
Population & Habitat Evaluation/Projection,
Project,
Publication,
Terrestrial ecosystems,
Vulnerability Assessment,
completed, Fewer tags
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Although climate change is predicted to place mountain-top and other narrowly endemic species at severe risk of extinction, the ecological processes involved in such extinctions are still poorly resolved. In addition, much of this biodiversity loss will likely go unobserved, and therefore largely unappreciated. The Haleakalā silversword is restricted to a single volcano summit in Hawai‘i, but is a highly charismatic giant rosette plant that is viewed by 1–2 million visitors annually. We link detailed local climate data to a lengthy demographic record, and combine both with a population-wide assessment of recent plant mortality and recruitment, to show that after decades of strong recovery following successful management,...
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Understanding how climate change is affecting Hawaii’s high-elevation ecosystems: an assessment of the long-term viability of Haleakala silverswords and associated biological communities Final Report
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While the iconic Haleakalā silversword plant made a strong recovery from early 20th-century threats, it has now entered a period of substantial climate-related decline. New research published this week warns that global warming may have severe consequences for the silversword in its native habitat.
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation;
Tags: Argyroxyphium sandwicense,
Pacific Islands CASC,
Plants,
Wildlife and Plants,
alpine plants, All tags...
biodiversity loss,
climate change,
ecology,
hotspot,
population declines,
silversword, Fewer tags
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Predicting vegetation responses to increased future drought is challenging, owing to the complex interaction of multiple factors influencing both plant drought resistance and local climatic conditions, each of which may be subject to spatial and temporal heterogeneity. We conducted a detailed study of potential mechanisms underlying an elevational gradient in mortality that has characterized recent population declines of a threatened alpine plant, the Haleakala silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum). We used a pair of greenhouse experiments staged at high and low elevations to test the influences of plasticity (to contrasting soil water availability and atmospheric conditions) and heredity...
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