Conservation applications of niche modeling: Native and naturalized ferns may compete for limited Hawaiian dryland habitat

• Published in: Applications in plant sciences Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. e11598 - n/a
• Main Authors: Edwards‐Calma, Krystalyn, Jiménez, Laura, Zenil‐Ferguson, Rosana, Heyduk, Karolina, Thomas, Miles K., Tribble, Carrie M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Application; Approximation; arid lands; Biodiversity; climatic niche; Competition; Conservation; correlative ecological niche modeling; Doryopteris; Ecosystems; Endangered & extinct species; Environmental conditions; Ferns; Flowers & plants; Forests; Habitat availability; habitat destruction; Habitats; Hawaiian ferns; human development; Indigenous species; Islands; Land use; land use change; Native species; Niches; Pellaea; Pteridaceae; Risk assessment; species; Taxonomy; urbanization; Wildlife conservation; Hawaiian ferns; climatic niche; conservation; land use; correlative ecological niche modeling; Pteridaceae
• DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11598
• ISSN: 2168-0450

Premise Competition from naturalized species and habitat loss are common threats to native biodiversity and may act synergistically to increase competition for decreasing habitat availability. We use Hawaiian dryland ferns as a model for the interactions between land‐use change and competition from naturalized species in determining habitat availability. Methods We used fine‐resolution climatic variables and carefully curated occurrence data from herbaria and community science repositories to estimate the distributions of Hawaiian dryland ferns. We quantified the degree to which naturalized ferns tend to occupy areas suitable for native species and mapped the remaining available habitat given land‐use change. Results Of all native species, Doryopteris angelica had the lowest percentage of occurrences of naturalized species in its suitable area while D. decora had the highest. However, all Doryopteris spp. had a higher percentage overlap, while Pellaea ternifolia had a lower percentage overlap, than expected by chance. Doryopteris decora and D. decipiens had the lowest proportions (<20%) of suitable area covering native habitat. Discussion Areas characterized by shared environmental preferences of native and naturalized ferns may decrease due to human development and fallowed agricultural lands. Our study demonstrates the value of place‐based application of a recently developed correlative ecological niche modeling approach for conservation risk assessment in a rapidly changing and urbanized island ecosystem. Hōʻuluʻulu manaʻo Hoʻolauna ʻO ka hoʻokūkū ma waena o nā lāhulu kūlohelohe a me ke emi ʻana o ke kaianoho he mau mea hoʻoweliweli maʻamau i nā meaola likeʻole (ke kūlohelohe a me ka ʻāpaʻakuma). I kekahi manawa, e kuahui like lākou i kēia hoʻokūkū a ʻuʻuku mai nō ka loaʻa ʻana o ka nohona. Ua hoʻomōhala mākou i kahi kaʻina hana me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā ʻōkupukupu ʻāina maloʻo Hawaiʻi ma ke ʻano he kumu hoʻohālike no ke kūkaʻi ma waena o ka hoʻololi ʻana i ka ʻāina a me ka hoʻokūkū kūlohelohe i ke kaianoho ʻana i kahi noho kūpono no nā lāhulu ʻōiwi. Kiʻina Hana Ua hoʻohana mākou i nā lolelua aniau miomio o kekahi palapala ʻāina o kona ʻike ʻia ʻana mai nā waihona mea ulu a me nā waihona ʻepekema kaiāulu e hoʻokohu i ka nui o ka māhele ʻana o nā ʻōkupukupu ʻāina maloʻo Hawaiʻi. Helu ʻia ka nui kēkēlē o ko lākou noho ʻana ma kahi wahi noho kūpono like. Ma hope, palapala ʻāina ʻia ke koena o ke kaianoho i loaʻa i loko o ka hoʻololi ʻana i ka hoʻohana ʻāina ma Hawaiʻi. Hopena ʻOi aʻe ka hāiki o nā wahi noho kūpono i koho ʻia no nā lāʻau ʻāpaʻakuma ʻo Doryopteris ma mua o nā lāʻau ʻōiwi akā ʻaʻole ma mua o ka lāʻau ʻāpaʻakuma ʻo Pellaea ternifolia. Ma waena o nā ʻano ʻōiwi āpau, ʻo Doryopteris angelica ka haʻahaʻa loa o kona ʻike ʻia ʻana o nā ʻano kūlohelohe i kona kaianoho koho i manaʻo ʻia ʻoiai ʻo D. decora ka mea kiʻekiʻe loa. No D. decora a me D. decipiens ka lakio like haʻahaʻa loa (<20%) o nā wahi kūpono i manaʻo ʻia e uhi ana i ka nohona ʻōiwi. Kālaimanaʻo E emi ana paha nā māhele ʻāina i kohu pono i ka makemake o nā ʻōkupukupu ʻōiwi a me kūlohelohe ma muli o ka ʻōkomo kanaka a me ka mahi. Hōʻike ʻia ka waiwai o ka palapala ʻāina i haku ʻia iho nei ma kā mākou noiʻi ma ke ʻano he kumu hoʻohālikelike no ke ana ʻana i nā mea e hoʻoweliweli ana i nā kumu waiwai e loli wiki ana i loko o ka nohona e hoʻokiwikā ʻia nei ma loko o ke kaiaola mokupuni.