RESEARCH PROJECT

This project will investigate the potential benefits of composted albizia (Falcataria moluccana) mulch applied to agricultural land in East Hawai‘i Island. The biomass from this fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing tree contains a large amount of carbon and nitrogen. A management approach that takes unwanted biomass from albizia trees and applies it to cropland could yield a net environmental and/or economic benefit compared with status quo farming practices, while stimulating albizia removal efforts. If this approach is found to be economically viable, climate change mitigation and/or resilience could be a byproduct of agricultural activities.

Project Collaborators

Primary Contact and Masters Graduate Student

• Joanna Norton (joannanorton777@gmail.com)

Faculty Advisor

• Rebecca Ostertag, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Committee Members

• Bruce Mathews , Professor of Soil Science, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
• Flint Hughes, Ecosystem Ecologist, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, US Forest Service

Partner

• Springer Kaye, Big Island Invasive Species Committee

Final Report (pdf)

Project Summary Video

UH Hilo Stories: “Climate change research at UH Hilo: Collecting data on forests and trees”