The Hawaiian tropical rainforests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of in the windward lowlands and Cloud forest regions of the islands.
For the 28 million years of existence of the Hawaiian Islands, the tropical rainforests have been isolated from the rest of the world by vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, and this isolation has resulted in the evolution of an incredible diversity of endemic species, including fungi, , , , and other wildlife. In the lush, moist forests high in the mountains, trees are draped with , , , and mosses.
Coastal mesic forests
Mesic habitat forests are found on the windward slopes of the major islands from sea level to . These forests have been dominated by the native hala (
Pandanus tectorius) and hau (
Hibiscus tiliaceus) and naturalized (
Canoe plants) kukui (
Candlenut) and milo (
Thespesia populnea) for the past 1,000–2,000 years. The Polynesian-introduced noni (
Morinda citrifolia), pia (
Tacca leontopetaloides), and kī (
Cordyline fruticosa) are also common in this zone. Other native species include pololei (
Ophioglossum concinnum),
ākia (
Wikstroemia spp.), loulu fan
Arecaceae (
Pritchardia spp.), ōhia lehua (
Metrosideros polymorpha), and lama (
Diospyros sandwicensis).
Mixed mesic forests
Mixed
Mesic habitat forests, at on the windward slopes of the large islands in addition to the summit of Mount Lānaihale on
Lanai, receive of rainfall annually and thus may not be true
. The forest canopy, dominated by koa (
Acacia koa) and ōhia lehua (
Metrosideros polymorpha), is somewhat open, but tree density is rather high.
Other trees and shrubs include pāpala (
Charpentiera obovata), olopua (
Nestegis sandwicensis), hame (
Antidesma platyphyllum), mēhame (
Antidesma pulvinatum), kōpiko (
Psychotria mariniana), ōpiko (
Psychotria mauiensis), iliahi (
Santalum freycinetianum), hōlei (
Ochrosia spp.), poolā (
Claoxylon sandwicense), kōlea lau nui (
Myrsine lessertiana), kauila (
Alphitonia ponderosa), nioi (
Eugenia reinwardtiana), aiai (
Paratrophis pendulina), and hōawa (
Pittosporum spp.).
Wet forests
Wet forests generally occur from ,
but may be as low as . They receive of rain per year.
Ōhia lehua (
Metrosideros polymorpha) is the dominant canopy species in wet forests, but koa (
Acacia koa) is also very common. Other trees include kāwau (
Ilex anomala), alani (
Melicope clusiifolia), ōhia ha (
Syzygium sandwicensis), kōlea lau nui (
Myrsine lessertiana), ohe (
Tetraplasandra spp.), and olomea (
Perrottetia sandwicensis) as well as hāpuu (
Cibotium ). Apeape (
Gunnera petaloidea), oha wai (
Clermontia spp.), hāhā (
Cyanea spp.), kāmakahala (
Geniostoma hirtellum), kanawao (
Broussaisia),
Phyllostegia spp., ākala (
Rubus hawaiensis), kāmanamana (
Adenostemma lavenia),
Pilea Pilea peploides, māmaki (
Pipturus albidus), olonā (
Touchardia latifolia), and alaala wai nui (
Peperomia spp.) are common
understory plants.
include maile (
Alyxia oliviformis) and hoi kuahiwi (
Smilax melastomifolia). Iei.e. (
Freycinetia arborea), puaakuhinia (
Astelia menziesiana) and ōlapa (
Cheirodendron trigynum) are
Epiphyte found in wet forests. Epiphytic
, such as
Adenophorus spp., ohiaku (
Hymenophyllum recurvum),
Ophioglossum pendulum, ākaha (
Asplenium nidus), ēkaha (
Elaphoglossum hirtum), and makue lau lii (
Grammitis hookeri), cover trees. Epyphytic
include
Acroporium fuscoflavum,
Rhizogonium spiniforme, and
Macromitrium owahiense.
Loulu fan
Arecaceae (
Pritchardia spp.) may tower over the forest canopy.
Protected areas:
Bogs
are found in montane regions where rainfall exceeds drainage. Dominant vegetation in bogs are
,
Cyperaceae, and
Poaceae. Larger shrubs and small trees grow on bog perimeters or on raised hummocks.
Carex spp.,
Oreobolus furcatus, and
Rhynchospora rugosa are common sedges, shrubs include ōhelo kau laau (
Vaccinium calycinum) and ōhelo (
V. dentatum), while grasses are represented by
Dichanthelium spp. and
Deschampsia nubigena.
Dwarf varieties of ōhia lehua (
Metrosideros polymorpha vars.
incana and
glabriofolia) are the most seen trees on the edges of bogs.
The
wāwaeiole (
Lycopodiella cernua), amau (
Sadleria spp.),
and uluhe (
Dicranopteris linearis) grow in bogs.
Rare plants include liliwai (
Acaena exigua), naenae (
Dubautia spp.), and
Argyroxiphium spp.
See also
-
Big Bog, Maui
-
Hawaiian tropical dry forests
-
List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)
-
Oceanian realm
External links
- :* Bioimages.vanderbilt.edu: slow modem version
