Invasive, alien plants are "uninvited guests" in most of Hawai'i's ecosystems. Native forests are invaded, and their precious native plant species are choked out. Extensive areas of pasture land have been colonized by plants that cannot be grazed. Weeds can be a fire hazard, and they can be painful impediments to access to natural areas. This book describes over 150 plants that are considered weeds under certain--if not, in some cases, most--circumstances. The plant types represented include trees, shrubs, vines and sprawlers, herbs, and grasses and their relatives. Most of the weeds covered are illustrated in color, both on the page where the weed is treated and on spreads of "thumbnail" images, grouped by growth habit category for convenience in quick identification. The text accompanying the photograph of each weed provides a detailed description, outlines its distribution and environmental impact in Hawai'i, and relates what is known about methods for managing it. Reprinted May 2021 with new cover.
Ferns are an integral part of the world's flora, appreciated for their beauty as ornamentals, problematic as invaders and endangered by human interference. They often dominate forest understories but also colonize open areas, invade waterways and survive in nutrient-poor wastelands and eroded pastures. Presented here is the first comprehensive summary of fern ecology, with worldwide examples from Siberia to the islands of Hawaii. Topics include a brief history of the ecological study of ferns, a global survey of fern biogeography, fern population dynamics, the role of ferns in ecosystem nutrient cycles, their adaptations to xeric environments and future directions in fern ecology. Fully illustrated concepts and processes provide a framework for future research and utilization of ferns for graduate students and professionals in ecology, conservation and land management.
This book addresses herbicides and their use as an important aspect of modern weed management and strives to place them in an ecological framework. Many weed scientists believe agriculture is a continuing struggle with weeds--without good weed control, good and profitable agriculture is impossible. Each agricultural discipline sees itself as central to agriculture's success and continued progress, and weed science is no exception. While not denying the importance of weed management to successful agriculture, this book places it in a larger ecological context. The roles of culture, economics, and politics in weed management are also discussed, enabling scientists and students to understand the larger effects on society. - Information on New herbicides included, along with the old herbicides that are important for understanding the history - New section on weed resistance to herbicides and genetic engineering - New information on invasive plants - Expanded chapters on Biological Control, Pesticide Legislation and Regulation, Weed Management Systems, and more - Instructor resources can be found at http://textbooks.elsevier.com/web/Login.aspx, and it is password protected. Please contact your sales representative at [email protected] for access to the instructor resources. The insturctor site consists of chapter questions, essay questions, an exam and images from the book
Since the publication of the first edition of this book in 2003, the status of many important invasive plants around the world has changed dramatically. Species have extended their ranges, new literature has been accumulated, and control methods have been improved. Research on some plant invaders has also focused on the species' ecology and impacts, confirming that invasive plants continue to pose serious threats to species and ecosystems. Given their range expansions and introduction via international trade, these problems will only become more serious in the future. Including colour images of each species, this up-to-date reference guide on the most important plant invaders is an invaluable tool for both researchers and policy makers.
This heartfelt and often personal work continues the story of the Big Island’s Parker Ranch, one of the largest and most beautiful cattle ranches in the United States. It begins with the dynastic transition in ranch management from the formidable A. W. Carter to his son, Hartwell, who would be responsible for bringing the ranch effectively into the twentieth century. Although supervision of the ranch officially changed hands in 1937, A. W.’s wide-ranging influence continued to be felt for at least another decade. Later Hartwell Carter would also have to contend with the whims of ranch owner Richard Smart, who returned to the Islands in 1959, eager to take direct control of his estate. Under Carter’s stewardship, Parker Ranch raised its cow herd size by fifty percent and, through its subsidiary, Hawaii Meat Company, converted its beef marketing from a range-finished animal to a feedlot-confined, corn-fed, marbled carcass acceptable to the modern housewife. Hartwell Carter was followed by his assistant, Richard (Dick) Penhallow, as ranch manager in 1960. Penhallow’s tenure is given a detailed overview that illuminates his ambitious goals for improvements in water, land, livestock, personnel development, and the economics of the beef industry. Although Penhallow’s grand scheme for reorganizing an inefficient and divided industry into a single cooperative using state-of-the-art facilities ultimately failed, the subsequent history of beef marketing in the Islands bears out the soundness and wisdom of his ideas. In 1962 Smart selected Radcliffe (Rally) Greenwell as Penhallow’s successor. The new ranch manager arrived with strong, traditional values of stewardship handed down from generations of Kona ranchers. Greenwell’s initiatives were clear: to further enhance water development and increase the cow herd by thirty percent. He also instituted research to determine the cause of a scourge among young cattle called yellow calf syndrome. As the nine-year management of Greenwell unfolds, the book offers a close look at the leadership team of the era, which included Harry Kawai, John Kawamoto, Willie Kaniho, Yutaka Kimura, John Lekelesa, and Harry Ah Fong Ah Sam. The author, who became ranch veterinarian in 1970, also provides personal insights in the later sections of the book into the use of the element copper to greatly enhance the growth and health of cattle and the birth and expansion of the ranch’s Animal Health Program. The work concludes with the introduction of the mainland management team of Rubel and Lent, whose attempt to return to a pyramidal management structure took Parker Ranch by storm.
Weed Management Handbook updates the 8th edition of Weed Control Handbook (1990). The change in the title and contents of the book from previous editions reflects both the current emphasis on producing crops in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner, and the new weed management challenges presenting themselves. This landmark publication contains cutting edge chapters, each written by acknowledged experts in their fields and carefully drawn together and edited by Professor Robert Naylor, known and respected world-wide for his knowledge of the area. The sequence of chapters included reflects a progression from the biology of weeds, through the underpinning science and technology relating to weed management techniques including herbicides and their application to crops, leading to principles of weed management techniques. Finally a set of relevant case studies describes the main management options available and addresses the challenges of reduced chemical options in many crops. Weed Management Handbook is a vital tool for all those involved in the crop protection / agrochemical industry, including business managers, horticultural and agricultural scientists, plant physiologists, botanists and those studying and teaching BASIS courses. As an important reference guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying horticultural and agricultural sciences, plant physiology, botany and crop protection, copies of the book should be available on the shelves of all research establishments and universities where these subjects are studied and taught. Weed Management Handbook is published for the British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) by Blackwell Publishing.
Sustainable horticulture is gaining increasing attention in the field of agriculture as demand for the food production rises to the world community. Sustainable horticultural systems are based on ecological principles to farm, optimizes pest and disease management approaches through environmentally friendly and renewable strategies in production agriculture. It is a discipline that addresses current issues such as food security, water pollution, soil health, pest control, and biodiversity depletion. Novel, environmentally-friendly solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from sciences as diverse as agronomy, soil science, entomology, ecology, chemistry and food sciences. Sustainable horticulture interprets methods and processes in the farming system to the global level. For that, horticulturists use the system approach that involves studying components and interactions of a whole system to address scientific, economic and social issues. In that respect, sustainable horticulture is not a classical, narrow science. Instead of solving problems using the classical painkiller approach that treats only negative impacts, sustainable horticulture treats problem sources.
