The Hawaiian tropical rainforests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...

in the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...

. They cover an area of in the

windward Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...

lowlands and

montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial ...

regions of the islands. Coastal mesic forests are found at elevations from sea level to . Mixed

mesic Mesic may refer to: * Mesic, North Carolina, a town in the United States * Mesic habitat, a type of habitat See also *Mesić (disambiguation) *Mešić Mešić is a Bosnian surname, a patronymic derived from the masculine given name '' Meša'', it ...

forests occur at elevations of , while wet forests are found from . Moist

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s and

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ...

s exist on montane

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

s and depressions. For the 28 million years of existence of the Hawaiian Islands, they have been isolated from the rest of the world by vast stretches of the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

, and this isolation has resulted in the evolution of an incredible diversity of endemic species, including

fungi A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

es,

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class G ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s, and other

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted f ...

. In the lush, moist forests high in the mountains, trees are draped with

vine A vine ( Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners thems ...

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except ...

s, and mosses. This ecoregion includes one of the world's wettest places, the slopes of Mount Waialeale, which average of rainfall per year.

Coastal mesic forests

Coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

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 ( Polynesian introductions) kukui (''

Aleurites moluccana ''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah keras'', ''godou'', kukui nut tree, and ''rat ...

'') 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 ''Wikstroemia'' is a genus of 55-70 species of flowering shrubs and small trees in the mezereon family, Thymelaeaceae. Hawaiian species are known by the common name ‘ākia. Medicinal uses ''Wikstroemia indica'' () is one of the 50 fundamen ...

'' spp.), loulu fan palms ('' Pritchardia'' spp.), ōhia lehua ('' Metrosideros polymorpha''), and lama ('' Diospyros sandwicensis'').

Mixed mesic forests

Mixed

forests, at on the

slopes of the large islands in addition to the summit of Mount Lānaihale on Lānai, receive of rainfall annually and thus may not be true

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfo ...

s. The forest

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...

, 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 ''Charpentiera obovata'', known as broadleaf pāpala, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the family Amaranthaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located ...

''), olopua (''

Nestegis sandwicensis ''Nestegis sandwicensis'', commonly known as Hawai'i olive or ''olopua'', is a species of flowering tree in the olive family, Oleaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is found on all major islands at elevations of in coastal mesic and mixed mes ...

''), hame ('' Antidesma platyphyllum''), mēhame ('' A. pulvinatum''), kōpiko (''

Psychotria mariniana ''Psychotria mariniana'', the forest wild coffee or ''kōpiko'', is a tree endemic to Hawaii. The plant belongs to the Rubiaceae (coffee) family, subfamily Rubioidae. It is a tree of varying size with a dark bark, shiny leaves, and orange oval ...

''), ōpiko ('' P. mauiensis''), iliahi ('' Santalum freycinetianum''), hōlei ('' Ochrosia'' spp.), poolā ('' Claoxylon sandwicense''), kōlea lau nui (''

Myrsine lessertiana ''Myrsine lessertiana'', the ''kōlea lau nui'', is a species of colicwood that is endemic to Hawaii. It inhabits dry, coastal mesic, mixed mesic, and wet forests at elevations of on all main islands. ''M. lessertiana'' is a small to medi ...

''), kauila ('' Alphitonia ponderosa''), nioi ('' Eugenia reinwardtiana''), aiai (''

Streblus pendulinus ''Streblus pendulinus'', commonly known as Hawai'i roughbush or ''aiai'' (Hawaiian language), is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, Moraceae, that is native to eastern Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. It is usua ...

''), and hōawa (''

Pittosporum ''Pittosporum'' ( or ) is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae. The genus is probably Gondwanan in origin; its present range extends from Australasia, Oceania, eastern Asia and some parts of Africa. '' ...

'' 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

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 ''Syzygium sandwicense'' is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include Ōhia ha, Hā, and Pāihi. It is normally a large tree, reaching a height of and a trunk diameter of , bu ...

''), kōlea lau nui (''

''), ohe ('' Tetraplasandra'' spp.), and olomea ('' Perrottetia sandwicensis'') as well as hāpuu ('' Cibotium'' tree ferns). Apeape ('' Gunnera petaloidea''), oha wai ('' Clermontia'' spp.), hāhā ('' Cyanea'' spp.), kāmakahala (''

Labordia hirtella ''Labordia hirtella'', the mountain labordia, is a species of flowering plant in the Loganiaceae family. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is threatened by habitat loss. References hirtella ''Hirtella'' is a genus of 110 sp ...

''), kanawao ('' Broussaisia arguta''), ''

Phyllostegia ''Phyllostegia'' is a genus of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1840. It is native to certain islands in the Pacific (Hawaii, Tonga and the Society Islands, although it appears to be extinct in the Society Islands ...

'' spp., ākala ('' Rubus hawaiensis''), kāmanamana (''

Adenostemma ''Adenostemma'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae described as a genus in 1775. It is widespread in tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands. Species , ''Plants of the World onl ...

lavenia''), '' Pilea peploides'', māmaki ('' Pipturus albidus''), olonā (''

Touchardia latifolia ''Touchardia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nettle family, Urticaceae. It is monotypic containing a single species, ''Touchardia latifolia'', commonly known as olonā in Hawaiian. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Etymology The ge ...

''), and alaala wai nui ('' Peperomia'' spp.) are common

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English The use of the English language in current and former member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations was largely inherited from British co ...

plants.

Vine A vine ( Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners thems ...

s include maile ('' Alyxia oliviformis'') and hoi kuahiwi (''

Smilax ''Smilax'' is a genus of about 300–350 species, found in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found (39 of which are endemic), while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico. They are climbing flow ...

melastomifolia''). Iei.e. (''

Freycinetia arborea ''Freycinetia arborea'', ''Ieie'', is a densely branched, brittle, Woody plant, woody Vine#Climbing plants, climber in the family Pandanaceae, Endemism, endemic to the Pacific Islands. ''Ieie'' is found in Tropical and subtropical moist broadlea ...

''), puaakuhinia ('' Astelia menziesiana'') and ōlapa ('' Cheirodendron trigynum'') are

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

s found in wet forests. Epiphytic

s, such as '' Adenophorus'' spp., ohiaku ('' Hymenophyllum recurvum''), '' Ophioglossum

pendulum A pendulum is a weight suspended from a wikt:pivot, pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, Mechanical equilibrium, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that ...

'', ākaha ('' Asplenium nidus''), ēkaha (''

Elaphoglossum ''Elaphoglossum'' is a genus of ferns in the family Dryopteridaceae, subfamily Elaphoglossoideae, in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Taxonomy ''Elaphoglossum'' was first described in 1841 by John Smith, who attr ...

hirtum''), and makue lau lii ('' Grammitis hookeri''), cover trees. Epyphytic

es include ''

Acroporium ''Acroporium'' is a genus of mosses belonging to the family Sematophyllaceae Sematophyllaceae is a family of moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ( ...

fuscoflavum'', ''

Rhizogonium ''Rhizogonium'' is a genus of mosses belonging to the family Rhizogoniaceae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of ...

spiniforme'', and ''

Macromitrium ''Macromitrium'' is a genus of moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, whic ...

owahiense''. Loulu fan palms ('' Pritchardia'' spp.) may tower over the forest canopy.

Bogs

Bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s are found in montane regions where rainfall exceeds drainage. Dominant vegetation in bogs are shrubs, sedges, and

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns a ...

. Larger shrubs and small trees grow on bog perimeters or on raised hummocks. ''

Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

'' spp., '' Oreobolus furcatus'', and ''

Rhynchospora ''Rhynchospora'' (beak-rush or beak-sedge) is a genus of about 400 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes both annual and perennial species, mostly with erect 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves. The achenes bear a ...

rugosa'' are common sedges, shrubs include ōhelo kau laau (''

Vaccinium ''Vaccinium'' is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae). The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (wh ...

calycinum'') and ōhelo (''

V. dentatum ''Viburnum dentatum'', southern arrowwood or arrowwood viburnum or roughish arrowwood, is a small shrub, native to the eastern United States and Canada from Maine south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Like most ''Viburnum'', it has o ...

''), 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

s wāwaeiole ('' Lycopodiella cernua''), amau ('' Sadleria'' spp.), and uluhe (''

Dicranopteris linearis ''Dicranopteris linearis'' is a common species of fern known by many common names, including Old World forked fern, ''uluhe'' ( Hawaiian), and ''dilim'' (Filipino). It is one of the most widely distributed ferns of the wet Old World tropics and a ...

'') grow in bogs. Rare plants include liliwai ('' Acaena exigua''), naenae ('' Dubautia'' spp.), and '' Argyroxiphium'' spp.

References

{{reflist

External links

Bioimages.vanderbilt.edu: Hawaii Tropical Moist Forests Ecoregion image gallery
::

Ecoregions of Hawaii Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of the United States * Forests of Hawaii Oceanian ecoregions . . . . . .