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Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Climate Adaptation Actions to Aa��
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<br /> forest cover have also been found to increase fecal bacteria in Hawaii Island soil and nearby streams,
<br /> compromising the health of the ecosystems dependent on affected watersheds.50 Urban soils on
<br /> Hawaii Island are at most risk for potentially damaging fecal indicator bacteria and the staph bacteria
<br /> MRSA.51 Moreover, urban runoff carried by polluted water upstream impacts the health of coral reefs,
<br /> increasing coral bleaching and reducing coral spawning and fish nurseries.52
<br /> Reduction in fresh water and the proliferation of invasive species contribute to biodiversity Ioss.53 Over
<br /> 90 percent of the species in Hawaii are found nowhere else in the world.54 Approximately half the
<br /> species that have gone extinct in the world are island species, and over one-third of the plant species
<br /> on Hawaii Island are categorized as endangered or threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
<br /> Invasive species, such as coqui frogs, gorse, and albizia, reduce the ability of native ecosystems to
<br /> support biomass and sequester carbon. Native species also increase the resilience of watersheds to
<br /> extreme precipitation and warming temperatures.55 The effect of urban runoff on groundwater discharge
<br /> also feeds the growth of invasive algae species while decreasing the prevalence of native algae
<br /> species, affecting the health of coastal waters.56 On Hawaii Island, there have already been extensive
<br /> efforts to combat the reduction of`ohi`a and nene species. However, not all native plants and animals
<br /> have been able to survive the impacts of invasive species and biodiversity loss.
<br /> Native species carry immense cultural significance. `Ahu`ula feather capes were traditionally made from
<br /> feathers of birds, some of which are now endangered like `i`iwi.57 `Uala has long been a staple food.
<br /> Already, the `uala season in Maui has been affected by decreases in annual precipitation associated
<br /> with climate change, as the amount of precipitation changes the zones in which `uala can be grown.58
<br /> Traditional agriculture is a crucial piece of culture and food security in Hawaii. Continued deforestation
<br /> will only decrease the prevalence of native species. Kumu Hula Pua Kanahele said, "If we cut down the
<br /> forests, we cut down ourselves." 59
<br /> 50 Strauch,A.M.; MacKenzie, R.A.; Bruland, G.L.;Tingley, R.; Giardina, C.P. (2014).Climate Change and Land Use Drivers of Fecal
<br /> Bacteria in Tropical Hawaiian Rivers.J. Environ. Qual. 2014,43, 1475
<br /> 51 Tyler Gerken,Tracy N.Wegner, Louise M. Economy. (2022). "A comparison of soil Staphylococcus aureus and fecal indicator
<br /> bacteria concentrations across land uses in a Hawaiian watershed."Journal of Environmental Quality, 10.1002/jeg2.20380,51,5,
<br /> (916-929).
<br /> 52 Stender,Y.;Jokiel, P.L.; Rodgers, K.S. (2014). "Thirty Years of Coral Reef Change in Relation to Coastal Construction and
<br /> Increased Sedimentation at Pelekane Bay, Hawai'i."PeerJ 2014, 2,e300.
<br /> 53 Barton, K.E.,Westerband,A., Ostertag, R., Stacy, E.,Winter, K., Drake, D.R., Fortini, L.B., Litton, C.M., Cordell, S., Krushelnycky,
<br /> P.and Kawelo, K. (2021). Hawai'i forest review:synthesizing the ecology,evolution,and conservation of a model system.
<br /> Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 52, p.125631.
<br /> 54 Timmons, G.and Gon III, S. (2016)The Last Stand:The Vanishing Hawaiian Forest.The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i.
<br /> https://www.nature.org/media/hawaii/last–
<br /> stand_web_lo.pdf
<br /> 55 Strauch,A.M., Giardina, C.P., MacKenzie, R.A.et al. (2017). Modeled Effects of Climate Change and Plant Invasion on Watershed
<br /> Function Across a Steep Tropical Rainfall Gradient. Ecosystems 20, 583-600 https://doi.org/l 0.1007/s10021-016-0038-3
<br /> 56 Dulai, H., C. M. Smith, D.W.Amato,V. Gibson,and L. L. Bremer. (2021). Risk to native marine macroalgae from land-use and
<br /> climate change-related modifications to groundwater discharge in Hawai'i. Limnol. Oceanogr. Lett. 8: 141–153.
<br /> doi:10.1002/lol2.10232
<br /> 57 Mallon, S., Kanawa, R.T., Collinge, R., Balram, N., Hutton, G.,Carkeek,T.W., &Kapeliela, K. (2017).The 'ahu 'ula and mahiole of
<br /> Kalani 'opu 'u:A journey of chiefly adornments.Tuhinga,4.
<br /> 58 Gon SM,Tom SL,Woodside U. 'Aina Momona, Honua Au Loli—Productive Lands, Changing World: Using the Hawaiian Footprint
<br /> to Inform Biocultural Restoration and Future Sustainability in Hawai'i. Sustainability.2018; 10(10):3420.
<br /> https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103420
<br /> 59 Timmons, G.and Gon III, S. (2003).The Last Stand:The Vanishing Hawaiian Forest.The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i.
<br /> https://www.nature.org/media/hawaii/last–stand–web_lo.pdf
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