Answer:
Morella faya was first introduced to Hawai'i presumably by Portuguese settlers for ornament, firewood, and making wine out of the fruits. It was then spread throughout the islands in forestry plantings. According to Vitousek and Walker (1989), Metrosideros sp.
Explanation:
Morella faya is a fast growing, quick spreading tree that invades a variety of habitats
from disturbed pasture and ranchland to native mesic and wet open forests on the islands
of Hawai'i, Maui, Lana'i, O'ahu, and Kaua'i. M. faya was originally introduced to Hawai'i
in the late 1800's and was used in forestry plantations in the late 1920's. By 1944, M.
faya was rapidly spreading and was being recognized as a pest plant (Neal 1965). Today,
M. faya is a declared noxious weed in the state of Hawai'i (HDOA 1992) and it continues
to spread and cover large areas. On Maui, M. faya covers vast acreage in the 3,000-6,000
ft (914-1,829 m) elevation area on the slopes of Haleakala, but has been found as high as
7,000 ft (2,134 m). Eradication at this time does not seem feasible. This species poses a
serious risk to areas in and near the current infestation. In December 2001, a small
seedling was found and pulled in Haleakala National Park on Pu'u Nianiau, 7,000 ft
(2,134 m) elevation. In addition, Park staff have controlled outlier plants that are
approaching the wet forest boundaries. Early detection and containment of M. faya in
and near natural areas will be key to preventing large infestations and costly removal
programs in the future.
