Spatial Analysis of Hawaiian Plant Conservation: Finding Important Plant Areas

Laukahi: The Hawaiʻi Plant Conservation Network protects Hawai‘i’s rare plant species through coordinated conservation efforts and implementing the Hawaiʻi Strategy for Plant Conservation (Strategy). The Strategy is a framework of objectives and targets for conservation of plants identified as Species of Conservation Importance (SCI). A key subset of these targets includes urgent and efficient in situ conservation of plants. Following the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance (HCA) Status of Conservation Report and using existing spatial data on the ranges of plant taxa, a broad spatial analysis of the in situ status of prioritized plants and Important Plant Areas was completed. This was combined with conservation protections, management, and threats. From this analysis, we have an outline of areas with conservation gaps and potential sites for plant conservation in Hawai‘i. Feedback is welcomed in how to utilize spatial technology and combining other datasets to advance plant conservation.