Treatments

Exclusion fencing is often the single highest-leverage investment in Hawaiian restoration. Without it, regeneration of most native species is negligible.

Best practices for ethical and genetically-sound seed collection to support restoration nurseries. Emphasizes local provenance, population sampling, and voucher documentation.

For established restoration sites with fuel load monitoring in place, carefully prescribed low-intensity fire can suppress fountain grass regrowth while benefiting fire-adapted natives.

Standard treatment for mature miconia individuals too large for hand-pull. Cut-stump application of triclopyr herbicide directly to the cambium within minutes of cutting prevents resprouting.

For individuals under 1.5m, hand-pulling is preferred. Cheap, no chemical, no resprout. Repeated visits required due to long-lived seed bank (10+ years).

For stems 2–15 cm diameter, basal bark application is less labor-intensive than cut-stump and avoids the need to cut each stem. Works year-round on non-senescent trees.

Integrated treatment combining targeted glyphosate with maintained fuel breaks. Pure chemical treatment is insufficient — reinvasion from seed is rapid unless edge conditions are managed.

Foliar application of triclopyr amine to seedlings and young plants. Complements biocontrol suppression which operates on adult fruiting plants.

Restoration planting of Metrosideros polymorpha seedlings in fenced areas with shade card protection for the first 12 months.

Direct-seeding of Dodonaea viscosa into prepared plots. Cost-effective alternative to nursery outplanting for large-scale dryland restoration.

For infestations where standing dead wood provides wildlife habitat or erosion control, girdling allows gradual decline without herbicide and preserves vertical structure.

Leucaena leucocephala has a massive soil seed bank; single treatments fail. Sustained pressure through repeated cutting plus targeted grazing can achieve local suppression over 3–5 year timeline.

Hand-pulling of seedlings and sapling felling for larger individuals. Emphasizes preventing seed set above all else.

Integrated treatment combining targeted glyphosate application with rotational livestock grazing to suppress regrowth.