Source: FOREST SERVICE submitted to NRP
INTERACTIONS AMONG INVASIVE STRAWBERRY GUAVA, ITS BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT, AND ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY, A PEST OF HAWAIIAN AGRICULTURE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1000680
Grant No.
2014-67013-21603
Cumulative Award Amt.
$500,000.00
Proposal No.
2013-02332
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jun 1, 2014
Project End Date
May 31, 2019
Grant Year
2014
Program Code
[A1131]- Plant Health and Production and Plant Products: Controlling Weedy and Invasive Plants
Recipient Organization
FOREST SERVICE
201 14TH ST SW YATES BLDG
WASHINGTON,DC 20002-6405
Performing Department
Pacific Southwest Research Stn
Non Technical Summary
Strawberry guava infestshuge areasof Hawaiian forest watersheds, and abundant wild fruits from this invasive tree are a key resource for the oriental fruit fly, a major pest in Hawaii that also poses an invasive threat to U.S. mainland agriculture. Management of oriental fruit fly across large areas in Hawaii is currently prevented because agricultural lands share boundaries with forest areas invaded by strawberry guava. The USDA Forest Service has developed a biological control agent, released in 2012, which we expect will substantially reduce growth and fruit production of strawberry guava, to the benefit of both native forest and agricultural ecosystems. For this project we willutilize the unique opportunity of initial field releases ofstrawberry guava biocontrolto establish plots with and without the biocontrol agent, use new remote sensing technologies to measure strawberry guava invasion across the Hawaiian landscape, and monitor oriental fruit fly populations in relation to strawberry guava. These approaches will help us understand the dynamic relationship between strawberry guava invasion, its biocontrol, andfruit fly outbreaks andthen predict future levels of strawberry guava and fruit flies after biocontrol is fully established. Our detailed projections will provide critical tools for integrating management of strawberry guava and oriental fruit fly across natural and agricultural landscapes.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
21603201070100%
Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
0320 - Watersheds;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
We will evaluate quantitatively at plot and landscape scales the roles of strawberry guava invasion and its biocontrol indetermining population dynamics of a major pestfruit fly of Hawaiian agriculture.
Project Methods
We propose to utilize the unique opportunity of initial field releases ofstrawberry guava biocontrolto establish plots with and without the biocontrol agent across a range of strawberry guava densities. We will use replicated field plots to measure aboveground net primary production, nutrient levels and fruit fall of strawberry guava, the impact ofbiocontrol on strawberry guava growth and fruit production, and the effects of guava fruit production on fruit fly populations. We will use new remote sensing technologies (high resolution LiDAR integrated with hyperspectral imagery) to measure distribution and abundance of strawberry guava, and monitor its productivity at plot and landscape scales. Finally we will combine these approaches, scaling up our plot-based results in a geographic information system model to predict future levels of strawberry guava productivity and fruit fly abundance after biocontrol is fully established across Hawaii.

Progress 06/01/18 to 05/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Hawaii state and private land management agencies, statewide and island partners active in managing invasive species, university collaborators and students, public and professional attendees of Hawaii Conservation Congress Changes/Problems:Interruptionof ongoing monitoring was caused by volcanic activity on Hawaii Island in 2018, preventing access to field sites and destroying one of six. We now have three years of detailed plot data documenting dynamics of guava invasion before biocontrol. Plots will be revisited for additional monitoringafter biocontrol impacts have time to amplify over next several years. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Statewide engagement with partners in invasive species management through local and state meetings, information products and consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Project plots will be maintained for long term data beyond the funded project period to documentimpacts from biocontrol.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Summarized three years of plot-based data, demonstrating steady rapid growth of strawberry guava before impacts of biocontrol.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Progress of biocontrol for strawberry guava in Hawai`i. Chaney NL, Johnson MT. Hawaii Conservation Conference, July 25 2018 (poster).


Progress 06/01/14 to 05/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Hawaii state and private land management agencies, statewide and island partners active in managing invasive species, university collaborators and students Changes/Problems:Pace of development of biocontrol within treated plots was slower than hoped, with nomeasurable impacts within the project period. Although a final season of projectmonitoring was cut short by volcanic activity on Hawaii Island in 2018, preventing access to field sites and destroying one of six project sites, we now have three years of detailed plot data documenting dynamics of guava invasion before biocontrol. Plots will be revisited for additional monitoring after biocontrol impacts have time to amplify over next several years.Supplemental data from additional plots with longer exposure to biocontrol impacts indicate that 8years exposurewill generate substantial impacts. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Detailed training and development experience provided to three Biological Science Technicians, one local and two international undergraduate students, and one postdoctoral researcher. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Statewide engagement with partners in invasive species management through local, state and international meetings, information products and consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Developed three years of plot-based data, demonstrating steady rapid growth of strawberry guava before impacts of biocontrol, and two years of data on fruit production relation to guava tree density and fruit fly populations. These data and long-term plots provide a basis for comparison in subsequent years after biocontrol has developed to levels of high impact. Hyperspectral remote sensing data were used to estimate productivity of strawberry guava relative to the surrounding forest across a 8,800 hectare forest landscape, revealing patterns of high invasiveness at elevations below 550m and on lava substrates of intermediate age (400-750 years). Landscape patterns can be reexamined when plot level impacts of biocontrol are quantified.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Barbosa, J.M.; Asner, G.P.; Martin, R.E.; Baldeck, C.A.; Hughes, F.; Johnson, T. 2016. Determining subcanopy Psidium cattleianum invasion in Hawaiian forests using imaging spectroscopy. Remote Sensing 8, 33
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Barbosa, J. M.; Asner, G. P.; Hughes, R. F.; Johnson, M. T. 2017. Landscape-scale GPP and carbon density inform patterns and impacts of an invasive tree across wet forests of Hawaii. Ecological Applications 27:403-415
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Interactions among invasive strawberry guava, its biocontrol agent, and oriental fruit fly, a pest of Hawaiian agriculture. Johnson, T; Bufil, L; Hughes, F; Asner, G; Barbosa, J; Vargas, R. Poster presented at NIFA PI meeting Oct. 2017
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Progress of biocontrol for strawberry guava in Hawai`i. Chaney NL, Johnson MT. Hawaii Conservation Conference, July 2018 (poster)


Progress 06/01/17 to 05/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:State and national partners in invasive species management Changes/Problems:Pace of development of biocontrol within treated plots is slow, with low likelihood of measurable impactswithin the project period. Supplemental data from additional plots with longer exposure to biocontrol will allow us to project some impacts, while plans are made to extend our current study. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Statewide engagement with partners in invasive species management through local andstatemeetings, information products and consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Maintain plot monitoring. Evaluate data for additional plots where biocontrol was initiated earlier (2012).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Hyperspectral data were used to estimate productivity of strawberry guava relative to the surrounding forestacross a 8,800 hectare forest landscape, revealing patterns ofhigh invasivenessat elevations below 550m andon lava substrates of intermediate age (400-750 years). Plot data are providingquantification of the positive relationships between guava tree density, fruit production, and fruit fly abundance.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Barbosa, J. M.; Asner, G. P.; Hughes, R. F.; Johnson, M. T. 2017. Landscape-scale GPP and carbon density inform patterns and impacts of an invasive tree across wet forests of Hawaii. Ecological Applications 27:403-415
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Interactions among invasive strawberry guava, its biocontrol agent, and oriental fruit fly, a pest of Hawaiian agriculture. Johnson, T; Bufil, L; Hughes, F; Asner, G; Barbosa, J; Vargas, R. Poster presented at NIFA PI meeting Oct. 2017


Progress 06/01/16 to 05/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Hawaii state and private land management agencies, statewide andisland partners active in managing invasive species, university collaborators and students, public and professional attendees of World Conservation Congress Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Supported 1 postdoc,1 undergrad, and 2 technicians in research work experience. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Statewide engagement with partners in invasive species management through local, state and international meetings, information products and consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue plot monitoring and preliminary analyses.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Continued plot monitoring and analysis of landscape data.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Barbosa, J.M.; Asner, G.P.; Martin, R.E.; Baldeck, C.A.; Hughes, F.; Johnson, T. 2016. Determining subcanopy Psidium cattleianum invasion in Hawaiian forests using imaging spectroscopy. Remote Sensing 8, 33


Progress 06/01/15 to 05/31/16

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems:Gaps and variability in remote sensing data complicate mapping of guava across all areas; therefore, analysis will focus on a narrower geographic area where data is of high quality and elevational and substrate variability allow hypothesis testing. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three Biological Science Technicians and one postdoctoral ecologist supported in early career research experience. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue plot monitoring;initiate fruit fly monitoring; analyzeinvasion with remote sensinglandscape scale data.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Established 36 field plots, initiated biocontrol treatments and monitoring. Evaluated remote sensing data for landscape scale quantification of guava invasion.

Publications


    Progress 06/01/14 to 05/31/15

    Outputs
    Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems:Project start delayed as funding was acquired and staff were hired. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Initiating studies with tech and postdoctoral support

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Hired staff and prepared permits and agreements needed for plot and landscape studies.

    Publications