Since 2000, there have been a number of spaceborne satellites that have changed the way we assess and predict natural hazards. These satellites are able to quantify physical geographic phenomena associated with the movements of the earth's surface (earthquakes, mass movements), water (floods, tsunamis, storms), and fire (wildfires). Most of these satellites contain active or passive sensors that can be utilized by the scientific community for the remote sensing of natural hazards over a number of spatial and temporal scales. The most useful satellite imagery for the assessment of earthquake damage comes from high-resolution (0.6 m to 1 m pixel size) passive sensors and moderate resolution active sensors that can quantify the vertical and horizontal movement of the earth's surface. High-resolution passive sensors have been used to successfully assess flood damage while predictive maps of flood vulnerability areas are possible based on physical variables collected from passive and active sensors. Recent moderate resolution sensors are able to provide near real time data on fires and provide quantitative data used in fire behavior models. Limitations currently exist due to atmospheric interference, pixel resolution, and revisit times. However, a number of new microsatellites and constellations of satellites will be launched in the next five years that contain increased resolution (0.5 m to 1 m pixel resolution for active sensors) and revisit times (daily ≤ 2.5 m resolution images from passive sensors) that will significantly improve our ability to assess and predict natural hazards from space.

The Hawaiian Islands hold a unique geographic position that has resulted in plant species with remarkable evolutionary adaptations to island life as well as the highest proportion of plant endemism (90%) in the world. Polynesians and Europeans significantly reduced the extent of native vegetation types, and Europeans introduced non-native plants that have become highly invasive. The Hawaiian Islands have been extremely susceptible to invasion due to the fact that they are oceanic islands; they contain low intensities of competition; they have altered disturbance regimes; and a relatively short time has passed since non-native plant introductions, suggesting that the situation can only get worse. African grasses, Leucaena leucocephala, Psidium sp., Miconia calvescens, and Schinus terebinthifolius, are some of the most aggressive invasive plant species in the Hawaiian Islands. Species databases, remote sensing methods, and geographic information system analyses are currently being developed and will be extremely important for identifying the extent and threat of invasive plants. The three main methods of invasive plant removal include manual/ mechanical removal, herbicide application, and biological controls. A number of federal, state, and non-profit organizations are involved with the management of invasive plant species in the Hawaiian Islands. However, much more attention must be paid to protecting some of the most unique and endangered ecosystems on the planet.1242 Non-native invasion of Hawaii

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