“It was really beautiful native forest,” said JC Watson, the manager of the Koolau Mountains Watershed Partnership, which helps take care of the land. This image provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows a charred mountain ridge near Mililani, Hawaii. One major concern is what plants will grow in place of the native forest. Faster-growing non-native plants with more seeds tend to sprout in place of native species afterwards. They’ll devise a restoration plan that will include invasive species control and planting native species.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 12, 2023 21:05 UTC