Thesis (M.F.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 23). / iv, 23 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1969. / Bibliography: leaves [118]-124. / xii, 124 l illus

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1969. / Bibliography: leaves [157]-163. / ix, 163 l illus., tables

Typescript. Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1957. Bibliography: leaves 257-271.

Introduced species have the potential to cause serious ecological disruption, particularly on oceanic islands. When introduced species invade natural areas, endemic species may be threatened, especially when the invasive species represent guilds or functional groups that were previously lacking. Hawai‘i has no native slugs, but over a dozen species are now established. Slugs are important seedling predators in their native habitats, and in introduced habitats they can cause major shifts in the abundance some plant species. In order to better investigate slug impacts on native plants in Hawai‘i, I carried out research which 1. identified differences in the acceptability of five native plant species to five alien slug species 2. assessed the effect of slug herbivory on the growth and survival of three native and two alien plant species, and 3. measured changes in seedling regeneration due to slug herbivory. Results from feeding assays indicated a significant difference in palatability among plant species, but no statistical difference in overall feeding preference among slug species. Urera kaalae (Urticaceae) was found to be significantly more palatable than the other four plant species and, thus, is predicted to be more vulnerable to slug herbivory in the field. I tracked the fate of planted seedlings and natural germinants from the seed bank in both slug-excluded and slug-accessible plots in diverse mesic forest in the Wai‘anae Mountains on the island of O‘ahu. Among seedlings that survived to the end of the experiment, there was no significant difference between slug herbivory treatments in growth index measurements. There was little germination from the seed bank, with no statistical difference in total number of seedlings between treatments. However, two of the three native species, Schidea obovata (Caryophyllaceae) and Cyanea superba (Campanulaceae) had significant reductions in survival of 49% and 53%, respectively, in the slug-exposed treatment. Survival of two invasive species, Clidemia hirta (Meslastomataceae) and Psidium cattleianum (Myrtaceae) was not significantly affected by slugs. This study demonstrates that slugs may pose a serious threat to native plant species by reducing their survival and thereby facilitate the success of certain invasive species. / viii, 87 leaves / Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-87). / Also available via World Wide Web

A comparison of a 1976 bathymetric survey of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, with that of a 1927 survey indicates that there has been an average shoaling of the lagoonal area by 3.3 feet. Shoaling for the north and middle bay at 1.4 ft/49 years is at a considerably lower rate than for the south bay at 5.2 ft/49 years. Sedimentological studies, based on dredging history and detailed chemical, mineralogical and grain-size analyses of 251 bottom samples, suggest that the total volume of fill into the bay during the 49 year period is approximately 25,500,000 cubic yards. Of this amount, approximately 63% is carbonate detritus from the barrier, fringing, and patch reefs as well as by the living corals, 11% is dredging spoils, and the remaining 27% is attributed to terrigenous detritus. The terrigenous fraction, contributed primarily by stream loading and sheet-wash, brings approximately 69,300 tons of sediment to the lagoon per year. Seismic reflection profiles, which span the length of the bay and include additional lines in the south bay, show that most of the infilling material is unconsolidated sediment trapped between and burying coralline structures built during ancient, lower stands of the sea. All information suggests that shoaling rates within the bay have increased since 1927 due to higher stream loads from increased urbanization as well as to extensive dredging and disposal operations. This is particularly evident in the area of the south bay. / Typescript. Thesis (M. S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1977. Bibliography: leaves 140-145.

Aspects of the growth, reproduction and diet of Chaetodon miliaris, the millet-seed butterflyfish, were studied in an effort to characterize populations of fish exploited by the aquarium fish industry. Age determinations were accomplished by examination of daily growth rings within otoliths. Age estimates were corroborated by growth experiments, analysis of a size-frequency distribution, and the determination of the onset of reproductive maturity. Estimates of the duration of the larval tholichthys stage were also obtained from study of the otoliths. The sex ratio of £. miliaris was 1:1 and individuals matured after one year of growth. The spawning season extended from November through Hay but peaked in February and March. No lunar influence on spawning was found. Estimates of fecundity were high and indicated a relatively large investment in reproduction. Chaetodon miliaris is broadly opportunitistic in its diet, however it feeds principally on zooplankton in the water column. The diet of individual fish varied as a function of the time of year, the collection location and the size of the fish. Individuals from Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, were small and appeared to be reproductively inactive when compared to fish from other areas. Dietary deficiencies are postulated as causing these differences. The overexploitation of populations of the millet-seed butterflyfish as a fisheries resource is improbable due to its fast growth, high fecundity, and the existence of refuge populations. / Thesis for the degree of Master of Science (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Typescript. Bibliography: leaves [93]-102.

Grazing rates of several abundant zooplankters in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii were measured at different concentrations of natural phytoplankton. The concentration by volume of suspended particles, as determined with an electronic particle counter, was used as the estimate of food concentration. The relationship between grazing rate per animal and concentration of particulate food conformed closely to a hyperbolic model widely used to describe an organism's rate of uptake of food or other needed substrate as a function of the concentration of the substrate. Maximum observed grazing rates in the eutrophic south sector of the bay are near the maximum rates predicted by the model. The concentrations of particles in other areas of Kaneohe Bay do not appear to be high enough to permit grazing rates to approach their maximum levels. There appears to be no preference by the grazers for particles of a size other than the size most abundant in the environment. / Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 23-26.

Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 89-91.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-41). / viii, 41 leaves, bound cil. ill. 29 cm