In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

s Windward Zones Lowland wet forests: Originally these forests, dominated by the ‘ōhi‘a tree, were the predominant vegetation of the windward lowlands. Polynesians, however, cultivated a large portion of this region, and, upon introduction, kukui and guava invaded much of the rest. This region later became the monoculture landscape of the earlier sugar industry, which located in districts with abundant rainfall before 1900. Hence, little of the lowland wet forest survives today except in small areas of steep terrain or rocky substrates where agriculture did not develop. Montane wet forests: Also dominated by ‘ōhi‘a, with an understory of tree ferns and mixed native trees, these forests still cover expanses on Maui and Hawai‘i and the steep slopes of other islands. These forests also host bogs in poorly drained mountain regions. At an elevation (about 3,000 ft) well above the Native Hawaiian and sugar agricultural districts, native forest was not intentionally replaced by cultivation. Decline in these forests, however, came through woodcutting (especially for sugar mills) and the intrusion of hoofed ungulates (feral cattle and goats) and pigs. Montane moist (mesic) forests: Another ‘ōhi‘a forest, mesic forests, are found in drier regions above the historic agricultural districts. Koa and māmane trees replace tree ferns as the secondary species, often found in more open parkland settings. Similar to the wet montane forests, this zone suffered from decline with human and animal intrusions. a p p e n d i x 1 Vegetation Zones 284 appendixes Dry Leeward Zones Lowland grasslands and shrub lands: Lowland grasslands in the leeward zones can extend up to 2,000ft elevation, and today are dominated by alien grasses. Once dominated by pili grass (which may have been an early Polynesian introduction ), this region was altered by the Hawaiian practice of burning and later by grazing cattle and goats. Lowland dry and mesic forests: Mesic forests once extended as high as 3,000ft elevation and were known to be the richest of all Hawaiian forests in numbers of tree species. Different tree species might dominate in any given region (e.g., ‘ōhi‘a, koa, or wiliwili) forming a unique mix of species. This is the region that once supported the sandalwood that was largely harvested for the China trade by the mid-nineteenth century. Today, only remnants remain, as these forests have largely been converted to pasturelands. Montane grasslands and shrub lands: These grasslands, ranging between 1600 and 6500ft elevation are actually converted forests and shrublands. They represent either introduced alien grasses and ungulates or forests that have been degraded. Montane dry forests: The natural vegetation of the leeward montane zone is forest , dominated by koa, māmane, or ‘ōhi‘a tree species. These are the forests, of which only remnants remain, replaced by grasslands. Source: Adapted from Cuddihy and Stone, Alteration, 8–16. ...

Share