Waikōloa Dry Forest, Relict Habitat & Restoration Area on Hawai'i Island

Описание: Waikōloa Dry Forest is home to a stunning example of some of the last remaining native lowland tropical dry forest habitat in Hawai'i. Ancient Kūpuna Wiliwili trees estimated to be 300 years old protect a diverse understory of native shrubs and seedlings, many of which are part of the restoration work by the Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative.

This forest was once closed-canopy, super diverse, and widespread across the Kona side of Hawai'i Island. Rapid deforestation over the past centuries transformed almost all of this habitat into non-native grasslands. In Waikōloa, remnant populations of several native tree species survived. 275 acres of this land was fenced to exclude goats and other feral ungulates that threaten the native habitat. Several smaller exclosures protect just a handful of individual trees, in some cases.

Irrigation lines supply water to newly planted areas of the forest, and act as life support to the regenerating forest. The climate and hydrology in this area has been rapidly altered by the near total deforestation of the west side of the island. The native seedlings would have a much more difficult time surviving without the extra irrigation.

The ecosystem exists on the gentle slopes of several overlapping active shield volcanos, so basalt flows would have periodically covered and burned areas with some frequency. But modern wildfire frequency is much higher, due to the introduction of fire-prone Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum) as well as more humans. Fire-breaks are maintained surrounding the exclosure and continues to protect the forest from wildfires.

For more info, go to: https://www.waikoloadryforest.org/for...

Mahalo to the staff and volunteers for their work.