Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Kealia Pond Natural Wildlife Reserve

Kealia Pond Natural Wildlife Reserve


California Bulrush Erradication Study



Under the supervision of Mr. Marggraf at the Kihei Public Charter School outdoor science class, we worked with officials and park rangers at the Kealia Pond Natural Wildlife Reserve, to find the best possible solution to erradicate the invasive California Bulrush.







The California Bulrush is an invasive species that plagues the reserve and the native wildlife that dwells within. Two species that we have focused on are the Hawaiian Coot and the Hawaiian Stilt. These two birds are native to Hawaii and call the reserve home. The California Bulrush chokes out the species. They grow too high and too dense in a bunch that when these two birds try to lay their eggs, they get stuck in them and die. These two species require the native plant life around them to lay and raise their young. Only then can these two species repopulate themselves and save the species. The California Bulrush takes over the native life causing drastic changes to the environment and the species that once called this place home.

























Those are two pictures, the first one is of the Hawaiian Stilt and the second one is the Hawaiian Coot.



WHAT DID WE DO ABOUT IT?



We formed an experiment to determine the best means of erradication of the Bulrush. Our options wer; cut, spray, cut and spray, and a control. The spray was a solution created by the park rangers that they had used in the past.

Our class was then divided up into teams, each with their own plot which was one meter square. The first team was the cut team. The second one was the spray team. And the third one was the cut and spray team. There was also an additional team which did the control, where nothing was done to the plot. On the first day that we went to the ponds, the water level was at a good level and we began to pick out our plots. We created data tables which would allow us to take down important information on the density, height, temperature, and water levels of our plots. After we were done retrieving this information we commenced on what each of our teams was, whether the cut team, or the spray team.

We left for a few days and when we came back we began to take down the same information as the first day. The second time that we came back, it was during a moderate drought. The water levels were extremly low to the point where some spots were lucky to be moist. We gathered our data and then went back to class. Heading back to our vans we were able to see a Hawaiian Stilt that was in the process of rehabilitation. This just goes to show that their is still hope for recovery for these species and the work that goes into it.

The next day when we got to class we compiled all the data that we collected into four graphs, each showing the comparison of before and after. We also compiled our data with that of the other period that also went out to do the same experiments.

These are the graphs that we came up with.

In conclusion, based on the data collected from our experiments, the best possible way that we found to erradicate the invasive California Bulrush was to, use the strategy of cutting and then spraying it with the solution. This showed the best possible means for erradication.

If you would like to know more about Kealia Pond or visit the ponds feel free to talk with the park rangers. They will be willing to talk with you and even show you around the reserve. Then you will be ready to begin to help be the solution to the Bulrush problem here in South Maui.












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