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Evolution of Acacia koa on the Hawaiian Islands

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Abstract

Acacia koa (koa), a leguminous timber wood tree, has a significant importance in the economy, ecology, and culture of Hawai‘i. Natural A. koa forests have been gradually disappearing over 100 years due to ranching and an infestation by the Fusarium wilt disease . Recently, there has been a growing interest for reestablishment of A. koa in Hawai‘i to create more profitable, ecologically sound, sustainable land-use systems. For successful development of agroforestry areas with wilt-free and high wood-quality A. koa trees, it is important to have a better understanding and awareness of the nature of the plant. This report presents a review of the current knowledge on A. koa, including its roles as an agroforestry tree, botanical characteristics, genetic diversities, propagation methods, and evolution.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the McIntire-Stennis Grant HAW00597-M, managed by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). KI is supported by the Monsanto Graduate Fellowship, managed by CTAHR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    K. L. Ishihara, M. Corpuz & D. Borthakur

  2. Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    C. W. Morden

Authors
  1. K. L. Ishihara
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  2. M. Corpuz
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  3. C. W. Morden
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  4. D. Borthakur
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Correspondence to D. Borthakur .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resource Management Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India

    Jagdish Chander Dagar

  2. Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Vindhya Prasad Tewari

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Ishihara, K.L., Corpuz, M., Morden, C.W., Borthakur, D. (2017). Evolution of Acacia koa on the Hawaiian Islands. In: Dagar, J., Tewari, V. (eds) Agroforestry. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7650-3_24

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