Protecting The Hawaii Akepa Population

摘要

Your News story 'Feathers fly over Hawaiian bird' (Nature 456,682-683; 2008) raises important questions about the population status of the endangered Hawaii akepa (Loxops coccineus) in the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii. It focuses on the research of Leonard Freed and his team on Hawaii's endemic birds, the implications of which have been seriously considered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).rnUSFWS staff, including refuge biologist Jack Jeffrey, took several actions to ensure that Freed's research did not fall victim to differences of opinion or personality. The Hawaii Forest Bird Recovery Team was asked to review Freed's work and its management implications on multiple occasions. Also, the USFWS initiated a review of the population status of the akepa by independent scientists and hosted a workshop in October 2008, in which Freed participated, to identify research and management priorities for the refuge.