We've all got to come together, and we've got to protect what's left of our ancient forests on this planet. ~ Stella McCartney Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife, are in fact plans to protect man. ~ Stuart L. Udall

1. HAWAÌI
RAPID ˋŌHIˋA DEATH |ROD|
CONNECTING THE DOTS
OBSERVATIONS BY A LAYPERSON
FaceBook Friend Jane Honeycutt shared the following News Article that dovetailed
into research on the subject of ROD,
Great Pacifc Garbage Patch Is Now Twice the Size of Texas and It's Rapidly Getting Worse
By Drew MacFarlane. Weather.com. March 22, 2018, accessed March 26, 2018
https://weather.com/news/news/2018-03-23-great-pacifc-garbage-patch-twice-size-of-texas
The monstrous patch consists of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic and weighs a
whopping 88,000 tons. That's equal to 500 jumbo jets. These new numbers are
up to 16 times higher than what previous estimates anticipated, and it's rapidly
getting worse. The patches are in international waters, meaning no
governments are held responsible for stepping in to clean up the islands of
waste. The bulk of the efort has to be taken on by groups like OCF [The Ocean
Cleanup Foundation], most of which are privately funded. And the longer they
wait, the more of an enemy time becomes. [Clarifcation Supplied]
__________________________________
MARINE DEBRIS BIG ISLAND OF HAWAÌI
NOAA 2006 SURVEY
https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/aerial_surveys.php
The aerial survey of Hawai'i revealed 79 debris sites distributed on all sides of
this large island. The highest concentration of sites was observed near South
Point. Additional marine debris zones included the Waikoloa area southwest of
Puakō, the Kawaihae Harbor area, and the region between ̀Upolu Point and
Waimea Valley.
On February 17, 2006, the aerial survey team set out from Kona Airport in an
unanticipated search efort to locate a whale that was reported by the Hawaiian
Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to be entangled in DFG
[Derelict Fishing Gear]. [Clarifcation Supplied]

2. The search covered the leeward waters of this island. Although the whale was
not located, the fight allowed for the unexpected documentation of 12 large
accumulations of free-foating DFG. In the future, the marine debris team hopes
to attach tracking buoys to such foating debris accumulations to provide more
information on the paths of free-foating marine debris in the Hawaiian
Archipelago. Knowledge of the movement patterns of marine debris could allow
for concentrated eforts to mitigate the threats of DFG
NOAA 2008 SURVEY
https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/library/pubs/SP-10-003.pdf
The 2006 aerial survey identifed 78 DFG points at Hawaìi Island, and the
2008 survey recorded 246 points. DFG was found primarily on the east-facing
shores of South Pt. and from Kona Airport to Waimanu Bay during both
2006 and 2008 surveys.
DFG POINTS / ROD POINTS - SIMILARITIES
COURTESY BIG ISLAND VIDEO

3. ̀ŌHÌA
̀Ōhìa is a Hawaiian name for several kinds of trees, but the most prominent
of these is ̀ōhìa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), perhaps one of the most
important native Hawaiian trees. ̀Ōhìa lehua is endemic to the Hawaiian
Islands - It grows naturally in this archipelago alone. ̀Ōhìa - dominated forests
cover close to one million acres of land across the State of Hawaìi. ̀Ōhìa can
be found at elevations from sea level to greater than 9000 ft. They are often
among the frst plants to colonize fresh lava substrate, and are therefore
instrumental in the process of soil development and ecological succession.
̀Ōhìa trees make up the largest portion of the canopy in native wet
forests. They provide shelter and food for numerous native birds, including
endemic Hawaiian nectar-feeding honeycreepers such as the ̀apapane and
̀ìiwi, as well as innumerable insects, snails and other invertebrates. Their
trunks act as nurse logs, supplying nutrients, water and protection for native
seedlings and epiphytes. Their canopies capture mists and rainwater that
replenish our island aquifers, which provide drinking and irrigation water
for Hawaìi's communities and agricultural sector. [Emphasis Supplied]
Source: University of Hawaìi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resources https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rod/THEDISEASE/MOREABOUTOHIA.aspx
__________________________________
No other tree in Hawaii's native forests captures water the way ohia does.
Look at an ohia – at its branch architecture, its densely clustered leaves, at the
lichens and mosses that often colonize its bark. All of that creates a sort of
sponge for the water that falls. That water flters through the forest and then
seeps into the ground, and that recharges our aquifers. Strawberry guava, one
of the main species moving in as the ohia die, is smooth-barked and shallow-
rooted. It has almost the opposite efect during rainfall, increasing runof, which
could raise the risk of fooding and brown-water events along Hawaii's coast.
[Emphasis Supplied] ~ Corie Yanger, CTAHR NREM
Source: Rapid Ohia Death – Threat to Hawaii's Water By Timothy A. Schuler. Hawaii
Business. November15, 2016, accessed March 26, 2018 https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/rapid-
ohia-death-threat-to-hawaiis-water/

4. COMPARE ROD
CESSPOOLS
KAU DISTRICT ‖ PUNA, KONA, SOUTH HILO, NORTH HILO DISTRICTS
COURTESY BIG ISLAND VIDEO
COMPARE ROD
KAU DISTRICT ‖ PUNA, KONA, SOUTH HILO, NORTH HILO DISTRICTS
The Kàū Forest Reserve is a critical watershed for the people of Kàū. The
Reserve's water sources are used for domestic supplies as well as agriculture,
and maintaining this water supply is important for the future viability of
agriculture in Kàū. The native forest replenishes springs and other
groundwater, and reduces fooding and erosion.
Protecting the forests of the Reserve is important because of the direct impact
to humans and our water supply. While many people are familiar with the
water cycle and how rainfall ends up in groundwater that is used by humans,
fewer people may be aware of the large role forests play in supplying and
purifying our fresh water. Fog condensing on trees is an important source of
moisture and can increase measurable precipitation by 20% (Juvik and Perreira
1973; Juvik and Nullet 1995). Forests collect and flter water into the
groundwater and streams. A healthy forest without soil disturbance limits
aquatic pollutants (e.g. siltation, suspended solids, turbidity, nutrients, organic
enrichment, toxins and pathogens) due to erosion and runof.

5. Forests may also reduce the impacts of fooding and erosion by slowing down
water as it fows down the mountain.
Despite the large amount of rain in the upland forests of Ka‘ū, there are no
perennial streams because the water is absorbed quickly into the highly
permeable lava fows (Davis and Yamanaga 1966). Surface water reaches the
sea only after periods of heavy rainfall and fooding. The water absorbed into
the lava sinks rapidly to the basal water table where it either foats on salt
water or is perched on impermeable ash beds and becomes groundwater. Some
basal water seeps out at springs at or near sea level along the coast (Stearns
and MacDonald 1946).
Source: State of Hawaii, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Kàū Forest Reserve Management
Plan (September 2012) https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/fles/2013/02/Kau_FR_Mgnt_Plan_2012.pdf
______________________
The Kàū Forest Reserve was established by Governor's Proclamation on
August 2, 1906 to protect the forest on the lower slopes of Mauna Loa in the
K̀aū District on the southeastern side of the island of Hawaìi. The Reserve is
public land, managed by DOFAW [State of Hawaii, Division of Forestry and
Wildlife], and consists of approximately 61,000 acres of forested lands. Kàū
Forest Reserve was established to maintain the necessary water supply for
agricultural lands in Kàū. [Clarifcation Supplied]
Source: State of Hawaii, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Kàū Forest Reserve
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/frs/reserves/hawaii-island/kau/
Notes, Supplied
Mauna Loa Elevation: 13,677 feet (4,169 meters)
Volcanoes National Park Elevation: From Sea Level to Mauna Loa Summit
Kapapala Forest Reserve Elevation: 10,253 feet (3,125 meters)
Kaū Forest Reserve Elevation: 4,692 feet (1,430 meters)

6. COMPARE ROD
RAINFALL
KAU DISTRICT ‖ PUNA, KONA, SOUTH HILO, NORTH HILO DISTRICTS
Giambelluca, T.W., Q. Chen, A.G. Frazier, J.P. Price, Y.-L. Chen, P.-S. Chu, J.K.
Eischeid, and D.M. Delparte, 2013: Online Rainfall Atlas of Hawaìi. Bull. Amer.
Meteor. Soc. 94, 313-316, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00228.1.
University of Hawaìi at Mānoa Geography Department
Rainfall Atlas of Hawaìi http://rainfall.geography.hawaii.edu/downloads.html
Marine debris is transported to Hawaìi from its many points of origin by ocean
currents. The North Pacifc Subtropical Gyre is a massive circular ocean current
system encompassing much of the North Pacifc Ocean. It is located between 8º
N latitude and 50º N latitude and covers an area of approximately10 million
square miles (34 million km²).

7. The North Pacifc Subtropical Gyre fows in a clockwise pattern and is
composed of these prevailing ocean currents: the southern fowing California
Current, the western fowing North Equatorial Current, the northward fowing
Kuroshio Current, and the eastward fowing Kuroshio Extension Current and
North Pacifc Current. Marine debris aggregates in a region of the North Pacifc
Subtropical Gyre known as the “Pacifc Garbage Patch.” The Hawaiian
Archipelago,consisting of the MHI and NWHI, is situated southwest of the
center of this gyre. The debris is carried by the wind and currents and
deposited onto the shallow reef environments of the various islands, islets, reefs
and atolls of Hawaìi.
Winds play a large role in determining where this debris eventually ends up.
The earth's rotation allows the wind to drive surface currents toward the center
of the gyre, thereby causing an accumulation of foating material. Trade winds
blow from a NE to SW direction at speeds of 5–20 knots and account for most
of the wind in Hawaìi and remain present in some form throughout the year.
Ocean current models show that a northwesterly current exists on the east side
of the entire MHI chain. This current and the trade winds pushing down from
the northeast explain why DFG can be found on most windward and east-facing
coastlines. On the west side of these islands, we see much more variability in
the currents. This high level of variability and the trade winds blowing ofshore
cause DFG to get blown away from leeward coastlines.
The 2006 aerial survey identifed 78 DFG points at Hawaìi Island, and the
2008 survey recorded 246 points. DFG was found primarily on the east-facing
shores of South Pt. and from Kona Airport to Waimanu Bay during both 2006
and 2008 surveys.
Summary
ROD is most prevalent in the North Hilo and South Hilo Districts.
The Watershed for North Hilo and South Hilo Districts receive the highest
rainfall on the Big Island.1
North Hilo and South Hilo Districts have less rainfall but
beneft from groundwater percolating from through the watershed areas.
1 Fungi need lots of water to grow. University of Hawaìi at Mānoa Botany Department
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/BOT135/Lect03_c.htm

8. The presence of a high density of cesspools and surface and ground water
quality may contribute to healthy trees and immunity to environmental stress, the link
to ROD is inconclusive.
The growing presence of marine debris as a possible carrier of pathogens
may be a factor, the link to ROD is inconclusive.
MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED
Much of what we think we know about ROD involves speculative
hypotheses that are based on common sense observations, educated
experience and evidence from elsewhere. These hypotheses need to be
confrmed and refned or refuted and replaced through research.
Guidance Document for Rapid̀Ōhia Death By Lloyd Loope. University of
Hawaii at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
December 2016, accessed March 26, 2018
https://gms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/gs/handler/getmedia.ashx?moid=4793&dt=3&g=12
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MĀNOA
COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES
RAPID ̀ŌHÌA DEATH
March 26, 2018
https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/rod/THEDISEASE/FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS.aspx
Scientists, researchers and land managers are working together to understand
various aspects of this new disease.
Some of the current research includes:
➢ Mapping the distribution of ROD
➢ Using remote sensing techniques to discover locations of stressed trees that
may be infected with the ROD fungus

9. ➢ Using computer modeling and geographic information systems to examine
landscape or ecological patterns of the disease
➢ Monitoring long-term forest plots to learn how the disease progresses over
time in a given location
➢ DNA test improvement to increase ability to test for ROD in the feld and lab
➢ DNA testing on beetle and beetle-made wood dust (“frass”)
➢ Wood dust (“frass”) trapping to see how much is being carried by wind
➢ Testing fungicides for efectiveness against Ceratocystis
➢ Testing diferent varieties of ̀ōhìa to search for resistance to ROD
➢ Testing best methods for preventing the spread of ROD
WE NEED TO LEARN FROM OUR PAST MISTAKES
OF NOT REACTING FAST ENOUGH
— Lloyd Loope —
IMAGE COURTESY LAVALAND HAWAII