There are 425 threatened and endangered plant species in hawaii, many possibly requiring translocation for recovery

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Research and Data Collection program (CFDA 15.808) awarded a $292,350 Cooperative Agreement to the University of Hawaii at Hilo, effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2030, to develop a comprehensive modeling framework for identifying optimal translocation sites for Hawaii's threatened and endangered plant species. The project will produce spatial distribution models and climate sensitivity models to determine species environmental sensitivity and identify resilient microsites across Hawaii and beyond species' known ranges. These deliverables directly support the recovery of approximately 425 threatened and endangered plant species in Hawaii by increasing translocation success rates while optimizing the use of limited conservation resources constrained by seed availability and propagation costs.

The project will culminate in web-based decision support tools designed to guide future translocation efforts for all listed plant species in Hawaii. Prior to tool deployment, the USGS and University of Hawaii at Hilo will validate the modeling approach through experimental outplantings of at least three selected species to test site selection accuracy. This collaborative research effort leverages the USGS's spatial modeling expertise and the University of Hawaii at Hilo's institutional capabilities in environmental research to enhance long-term species recovery outcomes through data-driven translocation planning.

Plant translocations are expensive, and species often have limited translocation attempts due to the availability of seeds for propagation and associated costs. Identifying locations where the species are best suited and protected from threats is critical for increasing the probability of success. This project aims to develop a comprehensive modeling framework for identifying microsites throughout and outside of a species known range that are more resilient to changing environmental conditions, thereby increasing the probability of translocation success. Using spatial distribution models currently under development by USFWS, climate sensitivity models will be developed by USGS through hcsu to determine how sensitive each species is to environmental shifts and identify resilient microsites across the state. After review of the models, at least three species will be selected for experimental outplantings to test how well the model selects sites favorable to species persistence. This project will create web-based decision support tools to guide future translocation efforts for all listed plant species in hawaii, ultimately enhancing recovery efforts and supporting more efficient use of limited conservation resources.