Species adaptability trials for man-made forests in Hawaii

Book excerpt: The performance of 90 species, mostly from the tropics and subtropics, was appraised in field trials for 5 years. Planting sites ranged from near sea level to 6360 feet (1940 m) elevation; rainfall from less than 20 inches to more than 200 inches (500 to 5000 mm); and soils from thin mucks overlaying lava rock to deep, highly leached latosols. Thirty-two hardwoods and 10 conifers were rated as promising for either timber production, watershed production, erosion control, or amenity plantings. Fourteen are native to Australia, and are eucalypts. Few of the high quality timber species tested proved well adapted, with low soil fertility the primary limiting factor. Very few trees died from disease or insect attack.