Journal of Geography & Natural Disasters
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-0587
ISSN: 2167-0587
School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Utah, USA
Research Article
Typhoon Mawar Enables an Assessment of Cycas micronesica Conservation Plans
Author(s): Anders Lindström, Irene Terry, Benjamin Deloso, William Tang, John Donaldson and Thomas Marler*
Typhoon Mawar damaged Guam’s northern forests on 24 May 2023. This disturbance was the first major typhoon to test the island’s Cycas micronesica population resilience since the cycad-specific armored scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui pest invaded the island in 2003. This tropical cyclone has enabled an assessment of conservation actions initially designed to mitigate biotic damage to the host cycad population by chronic insect infestations as well as population-level responses to the typhoon. The incidence of windsnap and defoliation during Typhoon Mawar were increased when compared to historical typhoons, but the incidence of windthrow was decreased. The damage aligned with our previously published predictions based on scale-induced changes in stem and leaf traits, illuminating the importance of scientific evidence to steer conservation decisions. The assessm.. View More»
DOI:
10.35841/2167-0587.23.13.280