Commentary: Our opinions on what can be done to improve the dry tropical forests of Hawaii

Mariam: One of the most important aspects about Hawaii is its tourism. Many people visit Hawaii whether it is for a vacation or travel. The more educated the people are about the endangerment of these forests on all of the various islands, the more likely it is that preservation of them will be improved. Educating tourists about the importance of these forests and what they can do to help will increase their interests and improve better prospects for these forests in the future. If each tourist new a little something about the tropical dry forest of the island they are staying on and what they can do to help would definitely help the preservation and protection of these forests.

Jessica: There are many different ways that humans can help preserve these tropical dry forests of Hawaii. Instead of slash and burn techniques for crops in these forests, there can be more sustainable methods. While working with crops and agriculture, humans should be more mindful of the land and take better care of the forests and the soil by replenishing nutrients back into the forests. This will allow more potential for the tropical dry forests of Hawaii to grow and sustain life easier. Along with this, less buildings should be built on top of the tropical dry forests. Since the tropical dry forests of Hawaii contain many unique and endemic species in the world, it would harm the species variability if these tropical dry forests were being continuously cut down.

Daisy: Because tropical dry forests are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world, humans must take an active role in preserving what remains of them. The tropical dry forests of Hawaii are a prime example of much bio diversity loss and should serve as a warning that if we stand idly by and allow current human impact in these dry tropical forest area,  they could potentially turn into permanent low diversity grasslands. If humans continued to make efforts at restoring and preserving the ecosystem, we could see an increase in biodiversity once again. One of the main things that impacts the tropical dry forest of Hawaii is the invasion of alien species which continue to spread fire promoting grasses. Humans could focus on controlling such species and prevent fires. Another very beneficial thing that can be done is re-establishing native species and thus restoring the ecosystem.