Common Forest Trees of Hawaii, first published in 1989 as USDA Forest Service Agriculture Handbook 679, is an illustrated reference for identifying the common trees in the forests of Hawaii. Useful information about each species is also compiled, including Hawaiian, English, and scientific names; description; distribution within the islands and beyond; uses of wood and other products; and additional notes. The 152 species described and illustrated by line drawings comprise 60 native species (including 53 that are endemic), 85 species introduced after the arrival of Europeans, and 7 species introduced apparently by the early Hawaiians. One chapter is devoted to forests and forestry in Hawaii. Maps of the Hawaiian Islands show the physical features and place names, major forest types, and forest reserves and conservation districts. Each tree species is illustrated by a full-page line drawing.

The Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated archipelago on Earth. The chance arrival of plants and animals to these rich volcanic islands resulted in the evolution of a host of unique speciesalmost 90 percent of the plants native to this island chain do not occur anywhere else in the world. But the Hawaiian Islands were not to remain as they were. They were discovered by humans, and with the settlers came other invaders. Native species, which had evolved with few natural enemies, had little or no protection. The invasion had begun. The losses suffered have been huge, and until recently, few understood how much was being lost as these biological riches vanished from the Pacific Basin. Focusing on plants endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii's Native Plants also includes a sampling of species that occur elsewhere in the Pacific Basin, as well as those brought by early settlers, and other alien species. Dr. Bohm begins with the basic questions island biologists ask: Where is everything? How did it all get here? When did it all happen? The reader will also learn of the islands' fascinating geological history and the development of its native flowering plants and ferns, and the pests that have wreaked or threatened havoc on island biodiversity and others whose impact remains to be seen. The concept of endemism, or "nativeness," is also discussed. The scope of the discussion is invaluable in answering the question of what can we do now to protect what remains of Hawaii's priceless natural heritage.

Hawai‘i is home to some of the rarest plants in the world, many of them now threatened by extinction. Despite a benign and nurturing climate, native species are declining almost everywhere in the Islands. Human-introduced pests, the spread of competing alien plants, wildfires, urban and agricultural development, and other disturbances of modern life are eliminating native species at an alarming pace. In fact, 38 percent of all plants on the U.S. endangered species list are native Hawaiian plants. A Native Hawaiian Garden is an effort to help stem the tide. Until recent years, few people attempted to raise native plants in their gardens, in schoolyards and parks, or around public buildings. But this situation is changing as essential information about raising native plants becomes more readily available. A Native Hawaiian Garden offers the most in-depth treatment yet on cultivating and propagating native Hawaiian plants. Following an overview of Hawaiian natural history and conservation, the book treats 63 species (many for the first time), giving detailed information on all stages of gardening: from preparing seeds for germination to the care and tending of the young plants in the landscape. Habitats where the plants are most likely to thrive are also described, as well as the uses that native Hawaiians made of the plants. Over 90 color photographs enhance the book. A Native Hawaiian Garden has much to offer professional horticulturists, landscapers, and botanists, and gives reason to hope that more spaces around housing developments, shopping malls, and other commercial buildings will soon include native plants. But the book will prove especially valuable to those gardeners who wish to grow and nurture something truly Hawaiian in their own backyards. Among the many rewards of growing natives, the authors make clear, is the opportunity to contribute your own experiences and findings to a vital preservation effort.

As both individuals and societies, we are making decisions today that will have profound consequences for future generations. From preserving Earth's plants and animals to altering our use of fossil fuels, none of these decisions can be made wisely without a thorough understanding of life's history on our planet through biological evolution. Companion to the best selling title Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, Evolution in Hawaii examines evolution and the nature of science by looking at a specific part of the world. Tracing the evolutionary pathways in Hawaii, we are able to draw powerful conclusions about evolution's occurrence, mechanisms, and courses. This practical book has been specifically designed to give teachers and their students an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of evolution using exercises with real genetic data to explore and investigate speciation and the probable order in which speciation occurred based on the ages of the Hawaiian Islands. By focusing on one set of islands, this book illuminates the general principles of evolutionary biology and demonstrate how ongoing research will continue to expand our knowledge of the natural world.

He includes information from Hawaiian folklore and mythology, describes uses of ferns by native Hawaiians, and updates Hawaiian common names. More than one hundred line drawings illustrate all 222 species, varieties, and forms, and some hybrids." "This well-researched and highly readable book will be enthusiastically received by amateur and professional naturalists, fern enthusiasts, and professional botanists."--BOOK JACKET.