The Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) of Hawaii is a statewide attempt to preserve in perpetuity specific land and water areas which support communities, as relatively unmodified as possible, of the natural

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

, as well as geological sites, of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

History

Established in 1970 by Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 195, the system presently consists of 19 reserves on five islands, encompassing more than of the State's

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s. The diverse areas found in the NARS range from marine and coastal environments to

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

flows,

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...

s, and even an alpine

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

. Within these areas one can find rare

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

plants and animals, many of which are on the edge of extinction. The Natural Area Reserves System is administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Currently, management teams are working to control the encroachment of non-native plants and animals which threaten the existence of the natural biota on the reserves. The reserves include:

Hawaii Island

* Kahaualea on Kilauea * Kipahoehoe on

Mauna Loa Mauna Loa ( or ; Hawaiian: ; en, Long Mountain) is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano (as opposed to subaqueous volcanoes) in both mass and ...

* on

Mauna Kea Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is ...

* Manuka * Mauna Kea Ice Age on upper slope of Mauna Kea * Puu Makaala * Puu O Umi above

Waimanu Valley Waimanu Valley is a remote valley on the northeast coast of Hawaii island. Besides the main Waimanu Stream, it includes Waihīlau Falls on a tributary. Description ''Wai manu'' literally means "bird water" or "river of birds" in the Hawaiian langu ...

* Waiakea 1942 Lava Flow above

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

Kauai

* Hono O Na Pali * Kuia

Maui

* West Maui * Hanawi * Kanaio * Nakula * Āhihi-Kina‘u

Molokai

* Olokui * Puu Alii

Oahu

Kaena Point Kaena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oahu. In Hawaiian, ''kaena'' means 'the heat'. The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele. The point is designated as a Natural Area Reserve. Some ancient Hawaii ...

* Pahole *

Kaʻala Kaala or Mount Kaala (pronounced in Hawaiian) is the highest mountain on the island of Oahu, at . It is a part of the Waianae Range, an eroded shield volcano on the west side of the island. The FAA maintains an active tracking station at the s ...

Notes

References

Hawaii State Government, Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 195The Natural Area Reserves System's web site
Natural history of Hawaii Protected areas of Hawaii Nature reserves in Hawaii 1970 in American law 1970 establishments in Hawaii Environmental law in the United States Protected areas established in 1970 {{Hawaii-protected-area-stub