Contact Information
Phone:(808) 956-6429
Cell: (808) 741-7824
Email: kim@hawaii.edu

Graduate Faculty Memberships
Botany; Geography; Information & Computer Sciences

Statement

Recent research emphasis is on ethnobotanical research as it relates to biodiversity assessments in Lao PDR.  This project is still in the planning stages.  Other ethnobotanical research involves establishing criteria for quantitative methodologies.

A continuing theme in my laboratory has been the adaptation of software to promote excellence in the visualization and communication of scientific information. This includes support of publication quality scientific charts (e.g., Bridges & Kim, 1985. Scientific Chart Design, ISSCO, San Diego; Bridges, K. W., and Jon Pitko, 1986. TABLES Design Ideas, ISSCO, San Diego), PowerPoint presentation materials and web-based materials. Past activities include early developmental work in geographic information systems and what is now called email communications. Currently, this research involves a continuing series of presentations at ethnobotanical meetings and support of the PABITRA consortium.

I am continuing studies on the assessment of ecosystems to help predict the long-term consequences of small areas. In some cases these are small, isolated atolls. In other cases, they are areas that contain the few remaining individuals of an extremely rare species. Some of this work has been done at Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands. Other studies are being done in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Key to ecological assessment is the need for long-term monitoring. Work in my laboratory (collaborating with faculty in the UHM Information and Computer Sciences Department and the MIT Media Lab) has involved sensor and communications system development. This research, as part of a DARPA-funded project called "PODS," has recently evolved into a project that is building a highly-survivable computer system that will provide economical monitoring (weather data and periodic high-resolution images) in extremely remote areas. This new project, called "pseudoPODS," is a joint activity with ICS faculty and a business partner, Enviroguise Enterprises. Funding is from the Hawaii Technology Development Venture.

The methodological studies in my lab include hypothesis and theory generation, field technology (including safety kits), and support for data simulation, rapid analysis and visualization techniques. The aims of these studies is to better prepare field researchers, make sure they are properly equipped and promote in-field analysis of data.

I maintain some interest in seagrass ecosystems, particularly in the Pacific-wide distribution patterns of the tropical species.

Selected Publications

• Bridges, K. W. and Y. Han Lau. 2006. Editorial: The Skill Acquisition Process Related to Ethnobotanical Methods. Ethnobotany Research and Applications 4: 115-118.
   
• Bridges, K. W. and Will McClatchey. 2006. Expect the Unexpected: Safety Considerations for Ethnobotany Field Research. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 4: 41-50.
  
• Bridges, K. W., and Will McClatchey. 2005. Complementing PABITRA high-island studies by examining terrestrial plant diversity on atolls. Pacific Science 59: 261-272.
  
• Bridges, K. W., and Edo Biagioni. 2005. Plant Monitoring with Special Reference to Endangered Species. Pages1039-1047 in: S. S. Iyengar and R. R. Brooks (eds.) Distributed Sensor Networks, Chapman & Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, FL. 1123 p.
  
• Mueller-Dombois, K. W. Bridges and C. C. Daehler (eds.), 2005. Biodiversity Assessment of Tropical Island Ecosystems: PABITRA Manual for Interactive Ecology and Management. on-line: www.botany.hawaii.edu/pabitra/biodiversity
  
• Bridges, K. W., 2004. Give and Take. Editorial: Ethnobotany Research and Applications 2(2): 75.
  
• Biagioni, Edoardo S., and K. W. Bridges. 2002. The application of remote sensor technology to assist the recovery of rare and endangered species. International Journal of High Performance Computing Applications 16(3): 315-324.

• Personal web page (www.kimbridges.com)