Wake Atoll: Evaluation of plant biosecurity

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dc.contributor.editorNash, Sarah
dc.coverage.spatialWake Atoll
dc.coverage.spatialHawaiian Islands
dc.coverage.temporal2018–2021
dc.creatorYanger, Corie M.
dc.creatorJacobi, James D.
dc.creatorYelenik, Stephanie G.
dc.creatorHathaway, Stacie A.
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-08T18:18:50Z
dc.date.available2025-06-08T18:18:50Z
dc.date.issued2025-06-08
dc.description.abstractIntroduced organisms can cause substantial effects across most landscapes. Island ecosystems, especially tropical islands, are at elevated risk from introduced organisms. The risks are even higher for tropical islands with moderate or high levels of transit, yet this can be minimized by application of appropriate biosecurity requirements. In this study, we examined the potential for non-native plant species introductions, especially invasive plants, via shipping containers to be transported to Wake Atoll, one of the most remote terrestrial land masses in the Pacific Ocean. We sowed debris collected from 30 shipping containers in a greenhouse experiment to determine if any live plants could be germinated, identify any species that germinated, and ascertain if they posed a threat if they were to be transported to Wake Atoll and became established there. During this study 23 plant species were identified, including ferns, monocots, and dicots. Fifteen of these species reached reproductive maturity over the course of seven months. From previous plant surveys on the atoll, we know that 13 of the 23 identified species were not previously recorded, and four species are already known to be invasive on Wake Atoll. This study provides insight into the potential for debris found in shipping containers to contribute to the spread of non-native, possibly invasive species. This information may help with the refinement of biosecurity strategies to prevent the accidental introduction of invasive species into sensitive natural areas such as Wake Atoll.
dc.formatTechnical Report
dc.format.extent17 pages
dc.identifier.citationYanger, C. M., J. D. Jacobi, S. G. Yelenik, and S. A. Hathaway. 2025. Wake Atoll: Evaluation of plant biosecurity. Hawai‘i Cooperative Studies Unit Technical Report HCSU-112. University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. 17 pages. http://hdl.handle.net/10790/5395
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10790/5395
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo
dc.rightshttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
dc.subjectbiosecurity
dc.subjectHawaiian Islands
dc.subjectinvasive species management
dc.subjectplants
dc.subjectshipping containers
dc.subjectWake Atoll
dc.titleWake Atoll: Evaluation of plant biosecurity
dcterms.rightsWork cannot be altered. Creative commons.
dcterms.typeText
local.digitalSpecificationsAdobe pdf file.
prism.endingpage14
prism.number112
prism.publicationnameHawai'i Cooperative Studies Unit Technical Report Series
prism.startingpagei

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