#  Kainoa Paul 

Senior Thesis Undergraduate Student

 

 

 



   ![Student](/sites/g/files/omnuum6851/files/styles/hwp_4_5__480x600/public/2025-09/DSC_1002.jpg?itok=rdiY_O9j) 

 



 





 

I am a current senior (’26) at the College studying Integrative Biology. Growing up in Hawai’i, I’ve had a lifelong fascination with the outdoors and the flora and fauna that shape these landscapes. I have a particular interest in the study and conservation of rare plants, a passion I’ve pursued with the Davies Lab. My research focuses on Encephalartos dyerianus, a critically endangered cycad endemic to a single rocky outcropping (kopje) in the lowveld of South Africa. I am especially interested in how such isolated environments—whether oceanic islands or rocky outcrops—shape patterns of biodiversity and persistence. My research integrates remote sensing data with field observations to comprehensively characterize the ecology of the species, ultimately seeking to understand why its distribution is so limited and how to best approach future conservation efforts.



 

 

 





 

 

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