Yelenik, S.G. and Rehm, E.M., 2020, Hakalau Forest NWR plant, soil, litter, and decomposition data 2015-2019: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XY3LLI.
Summary
This data release includes data and metadata on the survival of native plants that were planted in experimental plots where large quantities of woody litter were added in an attempt to lower soil nitrogen and exotic grass biomass. All sites were within Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaii Island. Broadly, this study looked at the ability to alter soil nitrogen cycling, exotic grass biomass and native outplant survival with large quantities of Metrosideros polymorpha litter in a forest dominated by Acacia koa.
Summary
This data release includes data and metadata on the survival of native plants that were planted in experimental plots where large quantities of woody litter were added in an attempt to lower soil nitrogen and exotic grass biomass. All sites were within Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaii Island. Broadly, this study looked at the ability to alter soil nitrogen cycling, exotic grass biomass and native outplant survival with large quantities of Metrosideros polymorpha litter in a forest dominated by Acacia koa.
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Hakalau Forest NWR_Outplant survival.xml Original FGDC Metadata
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Outplant survival.csv
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Purpose
Tree species can have large effects on soil nutrients in ways that alter succession, especially in the case of nitrogen (N) fixing trees, and it is not clear whether it is possible to reverse high soil N via management. In Hawaiʻi, forest restoration relies heavily on use of a native N-fixing tree, Acacia koa (koa), but this species increases soil available N and facilitates exotic pasture grasses. In contrast, Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a), the dominant native tree over most of the Hawaiian Islands, is rarely planted because it is slow growing yet it is associated with lower soil N and grass biomass, and greater native understory recruitment. We asked whether it is possible to reverse high soil N under koa by adding ‘ōhi‘a litter, and whether litter amendments could alter grass biomass and native understory survival. We initiated a grass removal/litter addition experiment adding 4 times the natural litterfall rate, and outplanted understory species into these same plots. These data can inform survival rates of understory woody native species that are commonly planted as a part of restoration projects in Hawaiian mesic forests.
