Miconia is one of the most destructive invaders in insular
tropical rain forest habitats. It is a serious threat to
ecosystems in the Pacific because of its ability to invade
intact native forests. Miconia has earned itself the
descriptions such as the “green cancer” of Tahiti and the
“purple plague” of Hawaii. Once miconia is established at a
certain place it drastically changes the ecosystem and
biodiversity of that environment. Physical disturbance: Invasion
by miconia has eliminated native forest understorey vegetation,
increasing rapid runoff and potential for soil erosion and
landslides on steep slopes. Modification to Hydrology: Dense
stands of miconia may damage watershed functions; there may be a
significant change in the water balance, with an increase in
runoff and a potential reduction in groundwater recharge, but
this plausible result has yet to be fully investigated and
documented (Burnett et al. 2006). Economic/Livelihoods:
Potential (as yet hypothetical) losses from an invasion of
miconia on O