This 2006 checklist, authored by Forest Starr, Kim Starr, and Lloyd Loope, serves as a comprehensive annotated inventory of all known vascular plants on Midway Atoll—a remote island in the Northwestern Hawaiian chain. It updates previous surveys by noting each species’ native or non-native status, abundance, new island records, and ecological context. With 75 carefully documented pages, it is an essential reference for understanding plant biodiversity, biogeography, and conservation on isolated atolls.
Educators and students are encouraged to use this checklist to:
Investigate native vs. invasive plants by comparing species records (e.g., Cenchrus ciliaris, Pluchea indica).
Observe distribution patterns using annotated notes tied to specific atoll zones.
Create classification charts sorting species by status (endemic, indigenous, naturalized).
Reflect on ecological change, evaluating how new island records signal ecosystem shifts.
Explore scientific collaboration, tracking how botanists document change and update inventories.
Biodiversity inventory and plant checklist methodology
Native, indigenous, and invasive plant categorization
Island biogeography and colonization processes
Annotated data use for ecological and historical analysis
Scientific documentation and taxonomy
Conservation implications for remote atolls
