Browsing by Author "Sullivan, Timothy Olson"

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    ESTIMATING AND APPLYING BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS TO ENHANCE MANAGEMENT OF RAUVOLFIA VOMITORIA AN INVASIVE TREE IN NORTH KOHALA, HAWAIʻI
    (2017-06) Sullivan, Timothy Olson; Price, Jonathan; Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science
    Introduced tree species can cause environmental harm through invasive traits like fast growth rates, long-term seed longevity, and long-distance seed dispersal. I estimated these rates for Rauvolfia vomitoria, a tree native to tropical Africa, which was introduced to Hawaii Island in the 1950’s. I then compared these rates to other local trees species, both native and invasive, in order to understand R. vomitoria’s relative invasive risk. It appears to be slow growing at ~1.4mm DBH growth annually, but its seeds can survive over 3 years and can be dispersed up to 1km. Managers have concluded R. vomitoria warrants control, and have decided to contain the invasion. Based on my estimates for growth and dispersal, I calculated the cost for a number of containment scenarios, which ranged from $36,000-$88,000 annually. Given that average annual funding for R. vomitoria control is ~$35,000, managers may need to request more funding or change management-tactics.