Increasing wildfire incidence and the need for seed in Hawaiʻi

Abstract

Wildfire in Hawaiʻi is increasing due to the interacting factors of land-use history, invasive grass species, shifting climates, and increasing ignitions. Native plant restoration and green breaks offer viable solutions to decrease invasive grass biomass and thus the fine fuels that often carry wildfire. While some organizations and agencies have robust in-house plant materials programs, there is still a lack of readily available materials for varied stakeholders to meet their management objectives across the state. We briefly outline the current state of the wildfire crisis in Hawaiʻi, why restoration is an important tool for creating resilient ecosystems, the current state of plant materials, and highlight projects aimed to increase future capacity.