West Maui Conservation Area Profile

Major Habitat Type: Tropical Moist Forest (Oceania Realm)

Stratification Unit: Maui Nui (comprised of the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i, Kaho‘olawe, and Lāna‘i; of similar geological age and sharing biodiversity via geological history that combined all as a single large island during a lower stand of the sea).

Island: Maui; the second largest island of the archipelago, its oldest volcano (West Maui Mountains or Mauna Kahalawai) ca 1.3 million years old , East Maui Volcano (Haleakalā) ca 750,000 years old and considered active (last historical eruption in 1790); maximum elevation of East Maui 3055 m (10,023 ft). Maui has two native-dominated landscapes corresponding to the two volcanic peaks on the island. Maximum elevation of the West Maui Mountains is 1,764 m (5,788 ft) at Pu‘u Kukui. Approximately 140,000 human residents.

Significance: The West Maui Conservation Area  is comprised of ecological systems from lowland to high montane elevations. The summit area and undeveloped, steep terrain maintain high viability systems, are an important watershed, and contain over 20 native natural communities.  West Maui supports over 150 Hawaiian endemic species of flowering plants, 12 of which are endangered. 

Conservation Status: The West Maui Conservation Area is protected and managed by a combination of private and public protected areas, including four separate units of the West Maui State Natural Area Reserve, The Kapunakea Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, The Pu‘u Kukui Watershed Management Area of Maui Land & Pineapple, the State Forest Reserve System, and the state Conservation District. The West Maui Watershed Partnership, formed in 1997, is comprised of a combination of the above lands with selected lands owned and/or managed by the Maui County Board of Water Supply; Kamehameha Schools; C. Brewer and Company Limited; Amfac/JMB Hawaii, LLC; The Nature Conservancy; Maui Land & Pineapple Co., Inc.; State Department of Land & Natural Resources; and the County of Maui. 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 Maui.

A West Maui Conservation Area Plan is being drafted by The Nature Conservancy and will be completed in 2008.

Epiphytic mosses in montane wet forest vegetation, West Maui

Hawaiian Continuous Perennial Stream, Honokōhau Bay, West Mauii

Ecological Systems: Five ecological systems of West Maui were selected as conservation targets, each bearing nested natural communities and species (discussed below). 

Natural Communities:

• Continuous Perennial Stream Community

Special Ecological Features:

• Waterbird Concentration

• Native species:

There are many constituent native species that comprise the natural communities of the Conservation Area. Highlights include 12 rare/endangered plant species, over 150 endemic flowering plant species, and an untold number of endemic invertebrate species likely numbering in the thousands.