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Response Of Vegetation And Endangered Waterbirds To Habitat Management Techniques At Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, James Andrew Rader

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat selection, reproductive effort, and habitat utilization of Hawai’ian stilts (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) and Hawai’ian coots (Fulica alai) was studied on Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge in Mau’i, Hawai’i. Nesting behavior was confirmed following management treatments on the northern shore of Kealia Pond. Nests were dispersed or randomly spaced within vegetation patches or newly created mudflat habitat. Pickleweed and makai were the dominant vegetation surrounding the nest setting and utilized for nest substrate by Hawai’ian stilts and Hawai’ian coots respectively. Mechanical control treatments were implemented through monotypic stands of pickleweed to increase interspersion of open water and promote native vegetation. …