copyright, 1996 © dale carnegie & associates, inc. wet and dry forests of hawaii
TRANSCRIPT
Copyright, 1996 © Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc.
Wet and dry forests of HawaiiWet and dry forests of Hawaii
Questions Questions
• Why are there both wet and dry forests in Why are there both wet and dry forests in Hawaii?Hawaii?
• What is the weather pattern like?What is the weather pattern like?
• How much annual rainfall do they receive How much annual rainfall do they receive in the Hawaiian wet and dry forests?in the Hawaiian wet and dry forests?
QuestionsQuestions
• Does the flora change as elevation Does the flora change as elevation changes?changes?
• What types of plants grow in the wet What types of plants grow in the wet forests?forests?
• What kinds of plants grow in the dry What kinds of plants grow in the dry forests?forests?
Weather patternsWeather patterns
• Trade windsTrade winds
• Rainy seasonRainy season
– October-MarchOctober-March
• Dry seasonDry season
– April-SeptemberApril-September
Weather patternsWeather patterns
• Windward Windward
– Wet forestsWet forests
• LeewardLeeward
– Mesic forestsMesic forests
• 2,000-4,000 ft.2,000-4,000 ft.
– Dry forestsDry forests
• Below 2,000 ft.Below 2,000 ft.
Weather PatternsWeather Patterns
• Annual rainfallAnnual rainfall
– RainforestsRainforests
• Up to 450” Up to 450”
– Dry forestsDry forests
• As little as 5” As little as 5”
Hawaiian FloraHawaiian Flora
• 970 species of native plants970 species of native plants
• Introduced speciesIntroduced species
Hawaiian FloraHawaiian Flora
• 91% endemic91% endemic
– Species which grow only on the Hawaiian Species which grow only on the Hawaiian islandsislands
• Evolve quicklyEvolve quickly
• SpecializedSpecialized
• Limited rangeLimited range
Hawaiian FloraHawaiian Flora
• 9% indigenous9% indigenous
– Species also grow in other placesSpecies also grow in other places
Wet ForestsWet Forests
Wet ForestsWet Forests
• BryophytesBryophytes
• EpiphytesEpiphytes
• FernsFerns
• ShrubsShrubs
• TreesTrees
PepperomiaPepperomia
• Herbaceous epiphyteHerbaceous epiphyte
• CommonCommon
• Many different speciesMany different species
Pepperomia Pepperomia hawaiiensis oahuensis hawaiiensis oahuensis
Wet Forests - Wet Forests -
• ClermontiaClermontia
– LobelioidLobelioid
– Epiphytic shrubs or small treesEpiphytic shrubs or small trees
– Found in clearings in wet forestsFound in clearings in wet forests
Clermontia hawaiiensisClermontia hawaiiensis
montis loamontis loa
DubautiaDubautia
• AsteraceaeAsteraceae
• Member of the Silversword allianceMember of the Silversword alliance
• Shrub or small treeShrub or small tree
• Found on Kawai Found on Kawai
Dubautia knudseniDubautia knudseni
Viola chamissoniana ssp. Viola chamissoniana ssp. robustarobusta
• Wet forest violetWet forest violet
• Can be epiphyticCan be epiphytic
Viola chamissioniana robustaViola chamissioniana robusta
Wet Forests - FernsWet Forests - Ferns
• DicranopterisDicranopteris
• SadelariaSadelaria
• CibotiumCibotium
DicranopterisDicranopteris
SadelariaSadelaria
CibotiumCibotium
Wet Forests - ShrubsWet Forests - Shrubs
• Gouldia terminalisGouldia terminalis
– Common in wet forests Common in wet forests
– May look very different in different May look very different in different environmentsenvironments
Gouldia terminalisGouldia terminalis
Wet Forests -TreesWet Forests -Trees
• Metrosideros polymorphaMetrosideros polymorpha
– Abundant in the wet forestsAbundant in the wet forests
– Also can be found in dry forestsAlso can be found in dry forests
Metrosideros polymorphaMetrosideros polymorpha
Wet Forests - TreesWet Forests - Trees
• PritchardiaPritchardia
– Only native palmOnly native palm
– Large seedsLarge seeds
• Adaptation for growing in shadeAdaptation for growing in shade
Pritchardia Pritchardia beccarianabeccariana
Dry ForestsDry Forests
Dry Forests - ShrubsDry Forests - Shrubs
• Viola chamissionianaViola chamissioniana
• Found in Koa forestsFound in Koa forests
– Up to 8’ tallUp to 8’ tall
Viola Viola chamissionianachamissionianassp. tracheliifoliassp. tracheliifolia
Dry forests - TreesDry forests - Trees
• Acacia koaAcacia koa
– Timber treesTimber trees
– Found on every island Found on every island
– 2,000-4,000 ft- mesic forest2,000-4,000 ft- mesic forest
Acacia koaAcacia koa
WilkesiaWilkesia
• Silversword allianceSilversword alliance
• Neither common nor rareNeither common nor rare
• Dry to mesic forests on KawaiDry to mesic forests on Kawai
Wilkesia gymnoxiphiumWilkesia gymnoxiphium
Dry forests - TreesDry forests - Trees
• Erythrina sandwicensisErythrina sandwicensis
– Semi deciduous during dry seasonSemi deciduous during dry season
– Seeds take 1-2 years to germinateSeeds take 1-2 years to germinate
Erythrina sandwicensisErythrina sandwicensis
Dry Forests - TreesDry Forests - Trees
• Cyanea leptostegiaCyanea leptostegia
– Kokee, KauaiKokee, Kauai
– Lobeleoid, to 40’ tallLobeleoid, to 40’ tall
– Grows in Koa froestsGrows in Koa froests
• Herbaceous plantsHerbaceous plants
Cyanea leptostegiaCyanea leptostegia
Endangered ForestsEndangered Forests
• 40% of Hawaiian wet forests have been 40% of Hawaiian wet forests have been destroyeddestroyed
• 90% of the original dry forests are gone 90% of the original dry forests are gone
Endangered Dry ForestsEndangered Dry Forests
• Kokia cookeiKokia cookei
– Only one leftOnly one left
– Waimea ParkWaimea Park
Kokia cookeiKokia cookei
HibiscadelphusHibiscadelphus
• Very rare native genusVery rare native genus
• HibiscadelphusHibiscadelphus hualalaiensishualalaiensis only one only one plant in the wildplant in the wild
HibiscadelphusHibiscadelphus hualalaiensishualalaiensis
Endangered ForestsEndangered Forests
• The dry forest habitat used to hold the The dry forest habitat used to hold the highest diversityhighest diversity
• Wet forests now have highest diversityWet forests now have highest diversity
Endangered ForestsEndangered Forests
• Polynesians and EuropeansPolynesians and Europeans
– Introduced plantsIntroduced plants
• Fountain grass- Fountain grass- PennesitumPennesitum
• Molasses grass- Molasses grass- MelinisMelinis
• LantanaLantana
• WeedsWeeds
Invasive plantsInvasive plants
Endangered ForestsEndangered Forests
– Introduced AnimalsIntroduced Animals
• GoatsGoats
• PigsPigs
• Rats and miceRats and mice– Habitat destructionHabitat destruction– Dispersal Dispersal
Endangered ForestsEndangered Forests
– Cleared forestsCleared forests
• FireFire
• GrazingGrazing
• Development Development
• Recreation Recreation
Endangered ForestsEndangered Forests
• Introduction of non native species Introduction of non native species
• Loss of speciation Loss of speciation
• Loss of diversityLoss of diversity
• Loss of ecosystemLoss of ecosystem
Questions Questions
• Why are there both wet and dry forests in Why are there both wet and dry forests in Hawaii?Hawaii?
• What is the weather pattern like?What is the weather pattern like?
• How much annual rainfall do they receive How much annual rainfall do they receive in the Hawaiian wet and dry forests?in the Hawaiian wet and dry forests?
QuestionsQuestions
• Does the flora change as elevation Does the flora change as elevation changes?changes?
• What types of plants grow in the wet What types of plants grow in the wet forests?forests?
• What kinds of plants grow in the dry What kinds of plants grow in the dry forests?forests?
ReferencesReferences
• Allen, William. Environment Hawai`i, Volume 11 Number 3 (September 2000). http://planet-hawaii.com/environment/900at.htm
• Cronquist, Sherwin. Hawaii, A Natural History.1980. Honolulu, SB Cronquist, Sherwin. Hawaii, A Natural History.1980. Honolulu, SB Printers Inc. Printers Inc.
• Gon, S. and D. Olson. World Wildlife Fund website. 2001. http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles
Refrences
• Wilson, Kenneth. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County web site. http://www.nhm.org/research/botany/Hawaii_Vanishing_Flora/index.html
• Carr, Gerald. University of Hawaii website. 2003. Carr, Gerald. University of Hawaii website. 2003. http://www.botany.hawaii.edu.http://www.botany.hawaii.edu.