Rare birds, forest restoration, and ecosystem services in Hawaii

Abstract

The Hawaiian Islands are hotspots of endemism, invasion and extinction. Native forest birds in particular are under threat from habitat loss, invasive species and disease. My research has focused on exploring opportunities for recovering Hawaii’s rarest birds on private working lands. I will discuss novel strategies for enhancing habitat for biodiversity while providing benefits to landowners, as well as examining how birds themselves contribute to the regeneration of Hawaii’s plant communities.

About the speaker

Liba Pejchar is an Associate Professor and Conservation Scientist in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University (USA). Before joining CSU, she received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College, her doctorate in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and she spent several years as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Her research focuses on protecting and restoring biodiversity and ecosystem function in the places where people live and work. Among other projects, she and her students study the conservation of Hawaiian honeycreepers, seed dispersal in New Zealand, bison reintroduction in Colorado and the effects of energy, agriculture and housing development on birds and mammals.