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15
Sep

Commercial Forestry Activities in Hawai’i

Commercial forestry activities have been conducted in Hawai‘i since the arrival of early immigrants from Polynesia and other parts of the Pacific. These early settlers brought tree species from their homelands that were planted and used, along with indigenous trees, for the various activities of the society at that time.

Uses included, but were not limited to, home construction, religion, recreation, warfare, agriculture and fishing. It has been reported that more than 200 years ago large areas of land cover – conservatively estimated to be near 25 percent of the land area – had already been altered due to long term human impact.

Commercial forestry activities have played a small, generally unrecognized, but important and interesting role in the economic development of Hawai’i.

Today, these commercial forestry activities are positioned to play a larger role in the diversification of Hawaii’s economy as they mature in the 21st century.

16
Mar

Welcome to Hawaiʻi Forest Tracks

Welcome to Hawai’i Forest Tracks, providing current and historic information about Hawaii’s forests. Our aim is to bring you a broad range of news pertaining to Hawaii’s forests and forest industries. From historic information, to industry, to the environments and the people that help make Hawaii’s forests and forest industry grow–we’re tracking national and international information for our readers.

E Komo Mai–Welcome to Hawai’i Forest Tracks! Read more

16
Mar

Helpful Hawaiʻi Resources

Hawai’i Forest Links will keep you posted on the historic background, latest news and current events about Hawaii’s forests. Also, we are providing links to other important sites and places that you can explore for research and getting an up-close look at some of Hawaii’s forest resources and a big picture, statewide look at Hawaii’s forest industry.

We welcome your input as well in keeping people informed about statewide projects, big and small–continuing and growing the tradition of Hawaii’s forest industry.

 

5
Mar

Forest Ecosystem Services

“Ecosystem  Services are commonly defined as benefits people obtain from ecosystems.  The Millennium  Ecosystem Assessment – a four-year United Nations assessment of the  condition and trends of the world’s ecosystems – categorizes ecosystem services  as:

  • Provisioning Services or the provision of food, fresh water, fuel, fiber, and other goods;
  • Regulating Services such as climate, water, and disease regulation as well as pollination;
  • Supporting Services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling; and
  • Cultural Services such as educational, aesthetic, and cultural heritage values as well as  recreation and tourism.”

This excerpt from the United States Department of Agriculture website explains the broad roles ecosystems play in our lives–Hawaii Forest Tracks takes it one step further by exploring the ecosystems of forests in Hawaii. Join us to discover the many layers of these contributions through historic information, news and feedback.

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