IPIF Provisional Research Portfolio
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry; Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii
SUSTAINED CAPACITY AREAS (Long-standing focus areas historically funded by the Forest Service.)
Research topic area
Primary questions
Understand invasive species impacts
How can we prioritize threats posed by invasive species in
on forest biodiversity
tropical ecosystems and design effective detection,
management, and mitigation actions?
Biocontrol of invasive plant species
What are the most effective biocontrol agents for long-term
that impact native ecosystems
management of intractable, destructive weeds in tropical
ecosystems?
Restoration of ecosystem processes
How can we most effectively improve the function and health of
and biodiversity
native tropical ecosystems, and conserve and restore native
plants, birds, bats, and aquatic biota?
Understand and enhance locally
How can we increase food and energy security for Pacific Island
relevant and sustainable agro-forest
communities in light of climate change, shifting markets, and
and bio-energy production systems
species dynamics?
Invasive species impacts on
How do we mitigate the negative effects of altered disturbance
disturbance regimes, biogeochemical
regimes, nutrient cycling, and hydrology in tropical ecosystems?
cycles, and hydrology
Forest management, silviculture, tree
What are the optimal approaches to growing trees and
improvement, and conservation
conserving and restoring forests tropical biodiversity
genetics
conservation and commercial benefits?
VIBRANT EMPHASIS AREAS (Active, cutting-edge research that is based primarily on extramural funding)
Research topic area
Primary questions
Climate change impacts on ecosystem How can we adapt management, conservation, and restoration
form and function
to achieve resilience to altered disturbance regimes, nutrient
cycling, hydrology, and plant and animal communities in tropical
ecosystems?
Modeling and forecasting global
How do we reduce fire threats to Pacific Island communities and
change impacts and restoration
native ecosystems altered by exotic fire regimes?
benefits on fire risk and behavior
Sea level rise impacts on
coastal/mangrove forests and Pacific
Island communities
What are the rates of sea level rise and how can impacts be
mitigated through restoration or conservation?
Monitoring, inventory, and assessment How can we anticipate, prevent, and detect negative changes to
tools and techniques, including remote natural resources that support tropical communities?
sensing and plot-based applications
Landscape carbon/water assessments How do we enhance ecosystem services in tropical ecosystems
and responses to management and
through carbon mapping and increased sequestration?
climate change
GROWTH AREAS (Topics of interest and value, that show promise for growth in the future)
Research topic area
Primary questions
Coupled human and natural system
How can we anticipate novel dynamics in human-natural system
dynamics
interactions and how can natural resource management fully
engage the culture of Pacific Island communities?
Quantifying and modeling watershed
How do we enhance the supply of clean, fresh water delivery
function and responses to global
from tropical watersheds in the face of global change?
change
Science delivery and decision support
How can integrated tools be developed that can best assist land
tools in hydrology, fire, restoration, and managers address complex natural resource conservation and
biodiversity
restoration issues to meet the needs of multiple stakeholders in
the Pacific Islands?
Capacity building through technical
How can we support Pacific Island natural resource
transfer, education, and demonstration professionals and help develop the next generation of scientists
and managers?
Programs
CB, EFH,
FF, R5, IP
1
CB, EFH,
IP
EFH, CB,
FF, IP
EFH,
UESD, R5,
IP
EFH, CB,
FF, IP
EFH, CB,
UESD,
NRS, IP
Programs
EFH, CB,
UESD, IP
FF, EFH,
IP, CB
CB, UESD,
R5, NRS,
IP
ALL PSW,
R5, PNW,
IP
EFH,
UESD, IP
Programs
ALL PSW,
R5, IP
EFH, FF,
R5, IP
ALL PSW,
R5, PNW,
IP
CB, EFH,
FF, R5, IP
07 June 2012/Pat Manley, Acting IPIF Director (808-854-2601; 808-933-8121)/Alex Friend, Acting Station Director (510-559-6310)
1
CB – Conservation of Biodiversity; EFH – Ecosystem Function and Health; FF – Fire and Fuels; UESD – Urban Ecosystems
and Social Dynamics; R5 – NFS Pacific Southwest Region; IP – International Programs