Approximately 65 genera and 200 species of pteridophytes (ferns and fern-allies) make up one-seventh of the Hawaiian higher plant species and constitute a major segment of the vegetation. Many of the species are poorly known and many are rare, threatened, or endangered. There are numerous systematic and distributional questions about these plants, and a modern survey and inventory of them is urgently needed. This will involve a comprehensive assessment of existing collections and detailed studies of the current populations in the wild, including new collections and data on habitats. The results of the inventory will form the basis of a much-needed manual of Hawaiian ferns and fern-allies to parallel recent volumes on the flowering plants. Surveys will be made on the main islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii. The resulting specimens will be processed at the University of Michigan and the Bishop Museum, and duplicates distributed to other appropriate herbaria. A scientifically new manual will facilitate numerous studies of biodiversity, evolution, and plant dispersal. Conservationally the results will influence the preservation of species and natural areas.
