This project aims to refine and test innovative aerial seeding techniques that address the urgent need for large scale restoration, particularly in degraded drylands like the Hawaiian Dry Forests that are prevalent in Department of Defense (DoD) installation lands. This will be accomplished by disseminating highly tailored aerial seed and soil amendment application approaches that maximize restoration success and scalability. 

Large-scale seeding with soil amendments is a widely used technique for post-fire restoration in the Western U.S. and other nations. This approach is particularly effective in difficult terrains and erosion-prone areas. The Burned Area Emergency Response program employs aerial hydroseeding, which involves spraying a mixture of seeds, water, and soil stabilizers over large areas. However, this method requires substantial water resources and is not practical in vast dryland areas. In dryland regions of Hawaii, the use of aerial hydroseeding is further challenged due to geographic isolation, lack of non-DoD federal lands, and water scarcity. Recently, land managers have begun adapting these technologies to suit local conditions by using helicopters for aerial seeding with dry seed mixes and soil amendments. This promising method faces challenges that the research aims to address, including effective seed delivery, optimizing application rates, assessing soil amendments, and comparing cost-effectiveness with planting greenhouse-grown native plant species. Enhanced understanding of how to apply these technologies will provide both DoD and non-DoD managers with clear ways to implement aerial seed and ultimately support ecosystem resilience and recovery. 

This research has wide-ranging benefits to DoD, both in Hawaii and other dryland ecosystems where DoD installations are located. Most readily, this work will equip DoD managers with scalable restoration techniques for post-fire recovery in drylands, particularly where traditional hydroseeding is not feasible. In Hawaii, this work will provide restoration infrastructure and increase the spatial extent of restoration on DoD-managed lands, such as the Pōhakuloa Training Area, which provides critical habitat for at-risk species. Improving the efficacy of seed-based restoration approaches would significantly decrease costs associated with wildfire and dry forest restoration on DoD lands in Hawaii and U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands and beyond. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2028)