Data on Botany and Condition of the Vegetation from POBSP Field Reports 
Date of Survey 
Comments 
Feb . 11-13 1963 
Mar. 10-11 1964 
— — — 
Sept. 16-20 196^- 
Observations and a partial collection of plants were taken by 
Alan Young, botanist, University of Hawaii. 
Mar. 6-11 1965 
f*ra mi . .. *am mw ™ mm mm mo mm mm ram mm rnma rm 
July 17-21 1965 
Aug. 5-12 1965 
- ~ ~ — « •- - - 
June 10-l6 
20-21 1966 
The vegetation on the island was considerably less lush than 
last August. Much of the Ipomea about the lagoon was drying 
yp and the fringing Scaevola belt along the outer beach 
was roughly lA to l/2 as high as during the previous August 
survey. Four species of plants were collected. 
Oct. 20-23 1966 
— ...... — — „ ~ 
Mar. 18-19 1967 
June 7-12 1967 
Weather during the survey was hot and sunny with no rain during 
the period. From observations of the vegetation it could be 
surmised that this island had received less rainfall than 
wither Pearl and Hermes Reef or Lisianski Islands. The easiest 
Sept. 5-11 1967 
method to determine relative rainfall is by observing the 
plant Ipomea pes •caprae. Large areas of dried up Ipomea 
was present on Laysan but not on the other two islands. Condition 
of other plants on the three islands supported this general 
observation. 
The lagoon level was 6 to 12 inches lower than when the 
writer last visited the atoll in March of 1965. This would be 
due to the maximal high tidal level of the ocean, lower now 
than during the March visit, resulting in a fluctuation of the 
lagoon from seepage between the ocean and lagoon. Lagoon water 
only covered 2/3 or 3 A as much area during the month of June 
compared to the month of March. This lower level resulted in a 
large open dry area on the west side of the lagoon. The Captain 
of the support vessels said he walked across the middle of the 
lagoon, indicatin g a depth of less than four feet. 
