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Contact Information
Phone:(808) 956-3925
Fax: (808) 956-3923
Email: felling@hawaii.edu

University of Hawai`i at Manoa
3190 Maile Way, Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96822

Affiliations
Botany, EECB

• Plant population genetics
• Forest conservation
• Systematics
• Wood anatomy
• Conservation biology
• Ethnobotany
  

Dissertation Title:
Conservation Genetics of the Hawaiian Acacia Complex with Insights from Wood Anatomy and Morphology

Statement
The unique geological, ecological, and biological resources of the Hawaiian Islands make them an ideal outdoor laboratory in which to investigate questions relating to ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. The plants I study comprise the Hawaiian Acacia complex (commonly referred to as koa). These are evergreen, nitrogen-fixing, leguminous trees that have evolved in the Hawaiian environment to become unique taxa that are dominant or co-dominant in 6 out of 8 of the major forest ecosystems. Koa has been described as Hawaii's premier forest tree and is highly valued economically (timber), culturally (traditional and modern Hawaiian ethnobotany), and for its conservation significance (maintenance of Hawaii's watersheds and preservation of biodiversity). The specific objectives of my research are to:

1. Evaluate the genetic variation within and among natural populations of Hawaiian Acacia using molecular fingerprint data (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA or RAPD'S)

2. Assess the systematic relationships within the Acacia complex by examining wood anatomy and morphological characters and comparing these with the RAPD'S data

3. Apply the results of these analyses to conservation biology and forest management issues pertinent to Acacia forest ecosystems in Hawaii.

Awards

• NSF GK-12 Fellowship
  
• Soroptimist International, Founder Region Dissertation Completion Fellowship

• Charles H. Lamoureux Fellowship in Plant Conservation

• EECB Research Award

• Rita W. Peterson Award for Excellence in the General Student Paper Competition, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division

• Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society Member

Publications

• Lutzow-Felling, CJ. 2004. Suggestions for giving presentations to K-12 students. Society for Conservation Biology Web Site, www.conbio.net/scb/k-12presentationtips_en.asp
  
  
• Lutzow-Felling, CJ. 2003. Perspectives on growing koa. Pp 69-70 In Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree, edited by Kim W. Wilkinson and Craig R. Elevitch, Permanent Agricultural Resources, Holualoa, Hawai`i
• Lutzow-Felling, CJ, DE Gardner, GP Martin, and CW Smith. 1995. Myrica faya: review of the biology, ecology, distribution, and control, including an annotated bibliography. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, Technical Report 94, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu

• Lutzow-Felling, CJ and PF Felling. 1994. Preliminary evaluation of the genetic diversity within the endemic Hawaiian Acacia koa complex. Cooperative National Park Resources Study Unit, University of Hawai`i, Honolulu. Prepared for the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, State of Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources

• Rogers LD, CJ Lutzow, TJ Martin, and RC Vogel. 1989. The Sutton (13MA266) Site and the Townsites of Percy (13MA347) and Dunreath (13MA449): Data Recovery at Three Historic Sites, Lake Red Rock, Iowa. BCA No. 1, Bear Creek Archaeology, Inc., Decorah, Iowa

• Lutzow CJ. 1988. The Davis Site (21D3-246H): A case study for the development of a rural subsistence model dependent upon indigenous plant materials. Pp 117-152 In Historic Archaeology of Illinois, edited by Charles L. Rohrbaugh and Thomas E. Emerson. Research Report 8, Midwestern Archaeology Research Center, Normal and Illinois Cultural Resources Study 6, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Springfield, IL

• Lutzow CJ. 1988. When the first green things pop up: spring herb gathering in the Shawnee Hills. Humanities 9(2):9-214

• Rogers LD, Lutzow CJ, and Martin TJ. 1988. The Radcliff (13MA400) and Stortes/Crookham (13MA262) Sites: Data Recovery at Two Historic Farmsteads, Lake Red Rock, Iowa. Cultural Resources Management Report No. 129. American Resources Group, Ltd., Carbondale, Illinois

• Lutzow CJ. 1987. Ethnobotanical analysis. Pp 145-148 In The Lightfoot Site: An Early Late Woodland and Mississippian Occupation in the Upper Galum Creek Valley, Perry County, Illinois, edited by Mark J. Wagner, Preservation Series 5, American Resources Group, Ltd., Carbondale, Illinois

• Lutzow, CJ. 1987. Flowering Traditions: Plantlore of the Shawnee Hills. University Museum, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.