Hawaii's Species of Greatest Conservation Need: Process and SGCN Fact Sheets

 

 

Hawaii's Species of Greatest Conservation Need- Fact Sheets

The Hawaiian Islands display a rich biodiversity arising from a variety of factors, including the remoteness of the islands, the millions of years of isolation, the varying amounts of rainfall, the diverse topography, and the pattern of volcanic activity. This biodiversity includes a high percentage of endemic plants and animals. The high level of endemism means that for many species, the responsibility for their continued existence is solely up to us. This is true for both extremely rare species, such as the Oahu tree snails Achatinella, as well as for more common species, such as the forest bird 'Apapane (Himatione sanguinea).

Recognizing the need to take action to protect these species, the first step used to identify Hawaii's Species of Greatest Conservation Need was the list of indigenous wildlife of Hawai'i contained as Exhibit 1 of the Hawai'i Administrative Rules Chapter 124. This list includes terrestrial mammals and marine mammals and marine reptiles only. Additional native species were identified and added based on their presence on the following lists: the Federal list of threatened, endangered, candidate and concern species (USFWS and NOAA); species protected by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act; the State list of threatened and endangered species; the Checklist of the Birds of Hawai'i; and species identified as present in Hawai'i by groups or organizations with significant experience or expertise (Audubon Watch List; national and regional Bird Plans, such as the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, Waterbird Conservation for the Americas; Regional Seabird Conservation Plan). For any terrestrial indigenous species not represented by any of the lists, their status as indigenous automatically included them as Hawaii's Species of Greatest Conservation Need. For aquatic fishes and invertebrates only endemic species were added to the list. In addition, the Division of Aquatic Resources also included native species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' (IUCN) Threatened Red List, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Finally, they developed a Statewide Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Strategy (SAWCS) Advisory Council to advise on additional species that were at risk because of specific threats. The SAWCS Advisory Council is a panel with representatives from federal and state agencies, resource user groups, and non-profit organizations that will help guide DAR in developing their CWCS.

Additional species they consider must meet one or more of the following biological criteria:
a. species with low or declining populations;
b. species indicative of the diversity and health of the state's wildlife;
c. species with small, localized "at-risk" populations;
d. keystone species;
e. indicator species;
f. species with limited dispersal;
g. disjunct species;
h. vulnerable species;
i. species of conservation concern;
j. "Responsibility" species, (i.e. species that have their center of range within a state); or
k. Species with fragmented or isolated populations.

Migratory bird species with irregular or insignificant presence in the State (species for which we would not likely develop management strategies) were not included on the list. Introduced species, which by their nature do not represent the natural biodiversity of the State, are not included.

Including all of Hawaii's native terrestrial species as "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" recognizes the uniqueness of Hawaii's natural environment and ensures that information gaps and conservation needs regarding these species are addressed. The preliminary decision to identify "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" in a broad and inclusive manner was made based on consultation with DLNR agency staff and from informal discussions with staff from partner organizations familiar with Hawaii's wildlife. It is believed that developing a Wildlife Strategy for a broad range of Hawaii's native species, rather than focusing on simply those species already identified as threatened and endangered, will best contribute to the long-term protection of Hawaii's overall natural biodiversity.

Hawaii's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy provides information on the distribution and abundance of these species, identifies the location and condition of key habitats for these species, describes the major threats to these species and/or their habitats, proposes conservation actions to conserve these species and their habitats, and recommends methods to monitor the effectiveness of the conservation actions. The Strategy itself is structured to present this information on a variety of levels from the landscape and island level to the species level.

Based on public feedback we also included plants and algae in a Flora Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Currently, only the fact sheets related to the Genetic Safety Net Species are available. However, at a later date we hope to add the ecological information listed for the entire flora SGCN list. Flora were chosen as Species of Greatest Conservation Need based on the following criteria: 1) plant species federally listed as threatened, endangered, or as a candidate for listing; 2) plant species identified as Genetic Safety Net (GSN) plants (i.e., plants with less than 50 individuals); 3) plant species identified as important elements of native habitats; 4) endemic aquatic plants; and 5) endemic terretrial and aquatic algae.

Hawaii's Species of Greatest Conservation Need
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LISTS OF SGCN (FLORA AND FAUNA):
Flora Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Fauna Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Terrestrial Mammal:
'Ope'ape'a (Hawaiian Hoary Bat)

Forest Birds:
O'ahu 'elepaio
Kaua'i 'elepaio
Hawai'i 'elepaio
Hawai'i 'amakihi
Kaua'i 'amakihi
O'ahu 'amakihi
Anianiau (lesser 'amakihi)
Akekee (Kaua'i 'Akepa)
Hawai'i 'Akepa
Maui 'akepa
'Oma'o (Hawai'i thrush)
Puaiohi (small Kaua'i thrush)
Kama'o (large Kaua'i thrush)
Oloma'o (Moloka'i thrush)
'Akikiki (Kaua'i creeper)
Hawai'i creeper
Maui 'Alauahio (Maui creeper)
'Alauahio (O'ahu creeper)
Kakawahie (Moloka'i creeper)
Kaua'i nuku pu'u
Maui nuku pu'u
Kaua'i 'O'o
Bishop's 'O'o
'Akiapola'au
Po'ouli
'Apapane
'I'iwi
Palila
Maui parrotbill
'Akohekohe (crested honeycreeper)
'O'u
Kaua'i 'akialoa
'Alala (Hawaiian crow)

Raptors:
'Io (Hawaiian hawk)
Pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl)

Waterbird:
Koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck)
'Alae 'ula (Hawaiian common moorhen)
'Alae ke'o ke'o (Hawaiian coot)
Nene (Hawaiian goose)
Ae'o (Hawaiian stilt)
Auku'u (Black-crowned Night-heron)

Terrestrial Invertebrates:
Blackburn's Sphinx Moth
O'ahu Tree Snails
Kaua'i Cave Arthropods

ORDER:
Stylommatophora, Archaeogastropoda (land snails)
Acari (mites and ticks)
Araneae (spiders)
Pseudoscorpionida
Archaeognatha (bristlethighs)
Coleoptera (beetles)
Collembola (springtails)
Dermaptera (earwigs)
Diptera (true flies)
Heteroptera (true bugs)
Homoptera (aphids, plant/leaf hoppers, psyllids, mealybugs, etc.)
Hymenoptera (bees and wasps)
Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies)
Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions)
Odonata (damselflies, dragonflies)
Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids)
Phthiraptera (lice)
Psocoptera (bark lice, psocids)
Siphonaptera (fleas)
Thysanoptera (thrips)
Isopoda (pillbugs, sowbugs)
Geophilomorpha, Lithobimorpha (centipedes)
Polyxenida, Spirostreptida (millipedes)

Migratory Birds:
Kolea (Pacific Golden Plover)
'Akekeke (Ruddy Turnstone)
Koloa mapu (Northern Pintail)
Koloa moha (Northern Shoveler)
Lesser Scaup
Huna kai (Sanderling)
'Ulili (Wandering Tattler)
American Wigeon
Kioea (Bristle-thighed Curlew)

Seabirds:
Moli (Laysan Albatross)
Ka'upu (Black-footed Albatross)
Koa'e kea (White-tailed Tropicbird)
Koa'e 'ula (Red-tailed Tropicbird)
'Ou (Bulwer's Petrel)
Bonin Petrel
'Ua'u (Hawaiian Petrel)
'Ake'ake (Band-rumped Storm Petrel)
Tristram's (Sooty) Storm Petrel
'Ua'u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater)
'A'o (Newell's Shearwater)
Christmas Shearwater
Manu-o-Ku (White (Fairy)Tern)
'Ewa'ewa (Sooty Tern)
Pakalakala (Gray-backed Tern)
Noio (Hawaiian Black Noddy)
Noio-koha (Brown Noddy)
Blue-gray Noddy
'A (Masked (blue-faced) Booby)
'A (Brown Booby)
'A (Red-footed Booby)
'Iwa (Great Frigatebird)

Short-tailed Albatross (migratory)

NWHI Passerines and Waterbird:
Laysan Finch
Nihoa Millerbird
Nihoa Finch
Layson Duck

Freshwater Fishes:

`O`opu akupa
`O`opu alamo`o
O'opu nakea
`O`opu naniha
`O`opu nopili

Freshwater Invertebrates:

Clithon (Pipiwai) and Neritilia snails
Erinna and Lymnaea snails
Ferressia snail
Hapawai, Hihiwai
Hawaiian Prawn - Opae 'oeha'a
Mountain Shrimp - Opae kala'ole
Newcomb's Snail

Anchialine Pond Associated Animals:

Anchialine amphipods
Anchialine shrimps

Marine Mammals:

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Humpback Whale
Other Baleen Whales

Bottlenose Dolphin
False Killer Whale
Short-finned Pilot Whale
Spinner Dolphin
Spotted Dolphin
Other Toothed Whales

Marine Reptiles:

Green Sea Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle
Leatherback Turtle
Loggerhead Turtle
Olive Ridley Turtle
Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Marine Fishes:

Active Reef Fishes
Baitfishes
Bottomfishes
Cryptic Reef Fishes
Deep Fishes
Eels
Flagtail - Aholehole
Flatfishes
Hawaiian Ladyfish
Kumu - Goatfish
Parrotfishes - Uhus
Sex Changing Reef Fishes
Sharks and Rays
Seahorses and Pipefishes

Marine Invertebrates:

Bivalves
Black Corals
Spiny Lobster
Chitons
Echinoderms
Hawaiian Oyster
Limpets - Opihi
Miscellaneous Filter Feeders
Nudibranchs
Octopus and Squid
Other Corals and Anemones
Other Crabs and Shrimp
Snails
Black Reef Sponge
Stony Corals
Worms

Flora:

Genetic Safety Net Species:

Abutilon eremitopetalum
Achyranthes mutica
Alectryon macrococcus var. auwahiensis
Amaranthus brownii
Astelia waialealae
Bidens hillebrandiana subsp. hillebrandiana
Brighamia insignis
Caesalpinia kavaiensis
Chamaesyce eleanoriae
Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes
Clermontia oblongifolia subsp. Mauiensis
Clermontia peleana ssp. peleana
Clermontia pyrularia
Cyanea asarifolia
Cyanea crispa
Cyanea dunbariae
Cyanea eleeleensis
Cyanea gibsonii
Cyanea glabra
Cyanea grimesiana subsp. Grimesiana
Cyanea grimesiana subsp. obatae
Cyanea hamatiflora subsp. carlsonii
Cyanea kolekoleensis
Cyanea kuhihewa
Cyanea lobata
Cyanea magnicalyx
Cyanea maritae
Cyanea munroi
Cyanea obtusa
Cyanea pinnatifida
Cyanea platyphylla
Cyanea procera
Cyanea profuga
Cyanea purpurellifolia
Cyanea shipmanii
Cyanea solanacea
Cyanea stictophylla
Cyanea st-johnii
Cyanea superba subsp. superba
Cyanea truncate
Cyanea undulata
Cyperus trachysanthos
Cyrtandra gracilis
Cyrtandra halawensis
Cyrtandra hematos
Cyrtandra kaulantha
Cyrtandra paliku
Cyrtandra polyantha
Cyrtandra sessilis
Cyrtandra viridiflora
Cyrtandra waiolani
Delissea niihauensis subsp. kauaiensis
Delissea rivularis
Delissea rhytidosperma
Delissea subcordata
Delissea undulata subsp. undulata
Diellia erecta f. alexandri
Diellia mannii
Diellia pallida
Diplazium molokaiense
Doryopteris angelica
Dryopteris podosorus var. podosorus
Dubautia kenwoodii
Dubautia pauciflorula
Gahnia lanaiensis
Gardenia brighamii
Gouania vitifolia
Hedyotis cookiana
Hedyotis coriacea
Hedyotis haupuensis
Hedyotis mannii
Hedyotis schlechtendahliana var. remyi
Hedyotis st.-johnii
Hesperomannia arbuscula
Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. Mokuleianus
Hibiscus brackenridgei subsp. molokaiana
Hibiscus clayi
Hibiscadelphus distans
Hibiscadelphus giffardianus
Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis
Hibiscadelphus woodii
Huperzia mannii
Huperzia nutans
Huperzia stemmermanniae
Isodendrion pyrifolium
Kanaloa kahoolawensis
Kokia cookei
Kokia drynarioides
Labordia cyrtandrae
Labordia lydgatei
Labordia sp. nov
Labordia tinifolia var. wahiawaensis
Labordia triflora
Lobelia monostachya
Lysimachia filifolia
Lysimachia iniki
Lysimachia lydgatei
Lysimachia maxima
Lysimachia pendens
Lysimachia scopulensis
Melicope adscendens
Melicope balloui
Melicope cruciata
Melicope degeneri
Melicope haupuensis
Melicope hiiakae
Melicope knudsenii
Melicope lydgatei
Melicope mucronulata
Melicope quadrangularis
Melicope zahlbruckneri
Myrsine mezii
Neraudia ovata
Nothocestrum peltatum
Panicum niihauense
Peperomia subpetiolata
Phyllostegia brevidens
Phyllostegia hirsuta
Phyllostegia hispida
Phyllostegia kaalaensis
Phyllostegia knudsenii
Phyllostegia mannii
Phyllostegia mollis
Phyllostegia parviflora var. glabriuscula
Phyllostegia parviflora var. lydgatei
Phyllostegia racemosa
Phyllostegia renovans
Phyllostegia waimeae
Phyllostegia warshaueri
Phyllostegia wawrana
Pittosporum halophilum
Platanthera holochila
Pritchardia affinis
Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii
Pritchardia glabrata
Prtichardia munroi
Pritchardia schattaueri
Pritchardia viscosa
Psychotria grandiflora
Psychotria hexandra subsp. oahuensis
Remya mauiensis
Remya montgomeryi
Schiedea adamantis
Schiedea attenuata
Schiedea hawaiiensis
Schiedea helleri
Schiedea jacobii
Schiedea kaalae
Schiedea kauaiensis
Schiedea nuttallii
Schiedea obovata
Schiedea spergulina var. leiopoda
Schiedea viscosa
Sesbania tomentosa
Sicyos alba
Sicyos lanceoloideus
Silene alexandri
Silene hawaiiensis
Silene lanceolata
Solanum incompletum
Solanum sandwicense
Stenogyne bifida
Stenogyne campanulata
Stenogyne kanehoana
Tetraplasandra bisattenuata
Tetraplasandra flynii
Tetramolopium lepidotum subsp. lepidotum
Tetramolopium remyi
Trematolobelia singularis
Urera kaalae
Vicia menziesii
Viola helenae
Viola kauaiensis var. wahiawaensis
Viola lanaiensis
Wikstroemia skottsbergiana
Xylosma crenatum
Zanthoxylum dipetalum var. tomentosum

   
    Achatinella sowerbyana
 
 







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Photos courtesy of:
Jim Jacobi, Betsy Gagne, Bill Mull, Jack Jeffrey
Rick Palmer, David Smith, US Fish & Wildlife Service