Management Information
Preventative measures: A Risk Assessment of
Miconia calvescens for Hawai‘i and other Pacific islands was prepared by Dr. Curtis Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service. The alien plant screening system is derived from Pheloung et al. (1999) with minor modifications for use in Pacific islands (Daehler et al. 2004). The result is a score of 14 and a recommendation of: "Likely to cause significant ecological or economic harm in Hawai‘i and on other Pacific Islands as determined by a high WRA score, which is based on published sources describing species biology and behaviour in Hawai‘i and/or other parts of the world."Physical: Hand-removal of seedlings and juvenile plants (< 3 m). Chemical:Cut-stump treatment of trees using herbicides (Garlon, Triclopyr+2,4-D).
Location Specific Management InformationFrench Polynesia (Polynésie Française) 
Miconia plants are subject to a ban on new imports, propagation and planting, and prohibition of transfer from one island to another of any whole plant, fragment of plant, cutting, fruit or seed. Their destruction is permitted. Manual and chemical control operations for miconia have been underway since 1992 on the island of Raiatea, since 1996 on the island of Tahaa and since 1997 on the islands Nuku Hiva and Fatu Hiva (Office of Rural Development, Environment Directorate, Delegation for Research) in collaboration with the French army. Between 1992 and 2007, more than 2,300,000 miconia plants, including 3,900 reproducing trees, have been destroyed over about 450 hectares. Since 1988, a miconia research and control programme has been developed by the Research Institute for Development (IRD - called ORSTOM at the time). The objectives were to study the ecology and distribution of miconia and find an effective method of control. The Delegation for Research (in the context of a collaboration between French Polynesia, Hawaii and Brazil) has carried out studies on biological control against miconia since 1997. Following the early stages of finding natural enemies of miconia in its area of origin (South America), and laboratory testing for efficiency and host specificity, the introduction of a biological control agent (the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides forma specialis miconiae) was carried out in Tahiti in 2000. By 2006, approximately 15% of inoculated miconia plants died (30% for seedlings under 50 cm) and up to 50% suffered severe leaf or stem damage (J.-Y. Meyer, pers. comm., 2007). Grand Terre Is. (New Caledonia) (New Caledonia (Nouvelle Calédonie))
Since early 2006, a chemical and mechanical control programme to combat miconia has been set up in Province Sud by the Department of Environment (DENV) at the only known infestation site (private property) near dense rainforest (Goarant Anne Claire, pers. comm., 2007). Maui Is. (United States (USA))
On Maui, helicopter delivered herbicides are being trialled to slow down the rapid spread of the weed in remote high dissected rain forest where control will likely be impractical (Source: Art Mederios).
Management Resources/Links
1. Conant, P., Medeiros, A. C. and Loope, L. L. 1997. A multi-agency containment program for miconia (Miconia calvescens), an invasive tree in Hawaiian rain forests in Luken, J. and Thieret, J. (eds.), Assessment and Management of Invasive Plants. 2. Daehler, C.C; Denslow, J.S; Ansari, S and Huang-Chi, K., 2004. A Risk-Assessment System for Screening Out Invasive Pest Plants from Hawaii and Other Pacific Islands. Conservation Biology Volume 18 Issue 2 Page 360.
Summary: A study on the use of a screening system to assess proposed plant introductions to Hawaii or other Pacific Islands and to identify high-risk species used in horticulture and forestry which would greatly reduce future pest-plant problems and allow entry of most nonpests. 5. Medeiros A. C., Loope L. L. and Hobdy R. (1998) Interagency efforts to combat Miconia calvescens on the island of Maui, Hawai'i. Proceedings, 1st Regional Conference on Miconia Control, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia, 26-29 August 1997. Gouvernment de Polynesie francaise/University of Hawaii. 6. Medeiros, A. C., Loope, L. L., Conant, P. and McElvaney, S. 1997. Status, ecology, and management of the invasive tree Miconia calvescens DC (Melastomataceae) in the Hawaiian Islands in Records of the the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1996, Evenhuis, N. L. and Miller, S. E. (eds.), pp. 23-35. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers No. 48. 7. Meyer, J. -Y. and Malet, J. -P. 1997. Study and Management of the alien invasive tree Miconia calvescens DC. (Melastomataceae) in the islands of Raiatea and Tahaa (Society Islands, French Polynesia): 1992-1996. Technical Report 111, Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Results Page: 1
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