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Contact me: puanania@hawaii.edu

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I am a graduate assistant in the Ecology Evolution and Conservation Biology Program at the University of Hawaii. I am also married, and the mother of two: Mahana (age 8) and Makana (age 2). My current research project, "the Great Laua'e Mystery", regards a recently introduced alien fern, Phytomatosorus grossus, commonly known as laua'e, which has spread rapidly in the Hawaiian environment and has become very important to the culture of the native Hawaiian people in the past 85 years. My research in the Hawaiian language literature has demonstrated that there was a different plant known as laua'e in Hawaii before the arrival of the alien fern now known as laua'e. After further ethnobotanical, linguistic, and systematic research, I was able to determine that the "original" laua'e was the endemic fern Microsorum spectrum. My current research involves investigating why the alien laua'e was such a good invade of native ecosystems and of native culture. This includes, mating studies to compare and contrast the life history strategies of the native and alien laua'e fern, as well as ethnobotanical research into the importance of native plant species to the culture of the native Hawaiian people, and the role of la~'au ha~nai, i.e. alien plants that have been adopted into the contemporary Hawaiian culture.  

Scientists in field Scientists in field
Nani Anderson-Wong with Kenneth Nagata in Green Sword Bog, Upper Hana Rainforest, East Maui Nani Anderson-Wong with Mike McKenney in Green Swod Bog, Upper Hana Rainforest, East Maui

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