Hawai‘i Island Conservation Area Profiles

Major Habitat Type: Tropical Moist Forest (Oceania Realm)

Stratification Unit: Island of Hawai‘i (comprised of multiple large shield volcanoes (Kohala, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Kīlauea); of recent geological age (<450,000 years) and sharing biodiversity via geological history distinct from the older islands of the archipelago.

Island: Hawai‘i, largest island of the archipelago, greater in area than all other islands of the archipelago combined; bearing the tallest mountains of the ecoregion (e.g., Mauna Kea at 4,205 m (13,796 ft), and Mauna Loa at 4,169 m (13,677 ft)). The native-dominated landscapes of Hawai‘i Island have been subdivided into five Conservation Areas (see figure below) corresponding to broad regions of the volcanic peaks on the island. Approximately 140,000 human residents.

Significance: The Conservation Areas of Hawai‘i Island are comprised of ecological systems from lowland to alpine elevations. The summit areas and large undeveloped upper elevation interior sections maintain high viability systems, are important watersheds, and contain over 70 native natural communities.  The island of Hawai‘i supports 248 Hawaiian endemic species of flowering plants, 25 of which are endemic to the island, and 39 of which are endangered. 

Conservation Status: The Conservation Areas of Hawai‘i Island are protected and managed by a combination of private and public protected areas, including Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Manukā, Kīpāhoehoe, Pu‘u Maka‘ala, Waiākea, Laupāhoehoe, Pu‘u o ‘Umi, and Mauna Kea Ice Age State Natural Area Reserves, Hakalau and Kona National Wildlife Refuges, The Kona Hema and Ka‘ū Preserves of The Nature Conservancy, the State Forest Reserve System, and the state Conservation District. The ‘Ōla‘a-Kīlauea Management Partnership, formed in 1991, is comprised of a combination of some of the above lands with lands owned and/or managed by Kulani Correctional Facility (State) - 7,400 acres; Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve (State) - 12,400 acres; National Park Service (NPS) - Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park - 219,000 acres; Kamehameha Schools (KS) - 189,000 acres; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division; U.S.D.A. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i. The partners drafted a management plan that implements fencing, ungulate control, and weed control, ignoring land jurisdiction boundaries and dealing with the major threats. Such actions are included in a discussion of conservation strategies for Hawai‘i.

Montane Mesic Forest in Manukā Natural Area Reserve, Kona, Hawai'i

Ecological Systems: Nine ecological systems of Hawai‘i Island are included among the conservation targets of the different conservation areas, each bearing nested natural communities and species. The overall viability ranks of the nine systems in the six conservation areas are summaried below. 

Natural Communities:

• Continuous Perennial Stream Community

Special Ecological Features:

• Forest Bird Concentrations

• Waterbird Concentrations

• Native species:

There are many constituent native species that comprise the natural communities of the Conservation Area. Highlights include 39 rare/endangered plant species, 248 endemic flowering plant species, and an untold number of endemic invertebrate species likely numbering in the thousands.