![]() | This page last revised 01 September 2006 -- S.M.Gon III | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Home Introduction Ecoregion Conservation Targets Viability Goals Portfolio TNC Action Sites Threats Strategies Acknowledgements ▫ Tables Maps & Figures CPT Database Appendices Glossary Sources ![]() Montane wet forest on the edge of Pelekunu Valley, Kamakou Preserve. ![]() The Moloka‘i community is extremely involved in the management of the island's Conservation Area. ![]() The leeward slopes of East Moloka‘i descend into lowland mesic shrublands. ![]() Non-native pigs, escaped into the wild, pose a threat to native ecosystems, but are also a local food source. ![]() Anuntold number of native invertebrates, such as this Hawaiian happyfacespider, are nested within East Moloka‘i native ecosystems. | East Moloka‘i Conservation Area Profile Major Habitat Type: Tropical Moist Stratification Unit:Maui Nui (comprised of the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i,Kaho‘olawe, and Lāna‘i; of similargeological age and sharing biodiversity via geological history thatcombined all as a single large island during a lower stand of the sea). Island:Moloka‘i; the fifth largestisland of the archipelago, ca 1.8 million years old, maximum elevation1514 m(4,970 ft), comprised of a single native dominated landscapecorresponding to the largest volcanic mass on the island, the EastMoloka‘i Volcano. Approximately 7,000 human residents. Significance: The East Moloka‘i Conservation Area is comprised of ecological systems from lowland to montaneelevations. The summit area and undeveloped north side maintain high viability systems, are animportant watershed, and contain over 50 native natural communities (four of which are unique to Moloka‘i). East Moloka‘i supports 248 Hawaiian endemic species offlowering plants, 25 of which are endemic to the island, and 39 ofwhich are endangered. ConservationStatus: The East Moloka‘i Conservation Area is protected and managed by acombination of private and public protected areas, including Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Pu‘u Ali‘i StateNatural Area Reserve, Oloku‘i State Natural Area Reserve (one of the last native forest areas naturally ungulate free), the State Forest ReserveSystem, and the State Conservation District. The East Moloka‘i Watershed Partnership,comprised of a combination of the above lands with selected lands ownedand/ormanaged by Kamehameha Schools; Kapualei Ranch and Kawela Plantation Homeowners Association; Ke Aupuni Lōkahi Enterprise Community Governance Board;Hawai‘iDepartment of Health; State Division of Forestry and Wildlife;Kalaupapa National Historical Park; Maui County; Maui Board of WaterSupply; Moloka‘i-Lana‘i Soil and Water ConservationDistrict; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; US Fish & WildlifeService; US Geological Survey; US Environmental Protection Agency; andThe Nature Conservancy. A management plan has been drafted that implementsfencing, ungulate control, and weed control, ignoring land jurisdictionboundariesand dealing with the major threats. Such actions are included in a discussion of Moloka‘i conservation strategies. For more detailed information, contact the Moloka‘i Office of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i
Major Threats:Uncontrolledferal ungulates (primarily pigs, goats, deer); a variety ofestablished and potential habitat-modifying alien plants, and wildfire at lower dry and mesic settings.
| ![]() Conservation Targets: Ecological Systems: Three ecological systems of Moloka‘i were selected as conservationtargets, each bearing nested natural communities and species (discussedbelow).
Otherecological systems were either ranked poor in viability (and thus notincluded) or were ranked fair, but were not selected in lieu of otherhigher-ranked Maui Nui representatives of those systems. Natural Communities:
Selected stream occurrences: Moloka‘i bears manyhigh quality streams, and the four streams selected: Wailau, Pelekunu, Waikolu, and Hālawa Streams are among thelargest and highest quality streams on the island (Hawai‘i Stream Assessment 1991). Eachbears a rich complement of native macrofauna and high volume, high qualitywater in a channel with high structural heterogeneity. Special Ecological Features:
Moloka‘i is part of the Maui Nui Waterbird Concentration, defined as three core wetlands and at least five of seven supporting wetland sites identified by the USFWSWaterbird Recovery Plan (2005). These include coastal and lowlandsites outside of the ecological system targets. Nested Targets (Selected examples):
‘Ōhi‘a/Uluhe Lowland Wet ‘Ōhi‘a/Mixed ‘Ōhi‘a/Mixed Shrub Montane ‘Ōhi‘a/‘Ōlapa Montane ‘Ōhi‘a Mixed Lowland Mesic Pleomele Lowland Mesic Hawaiian Montane Bog Mixed Fern/Shrub Wet Cliff Community Mixed Shrub Dry Cliff Community Montane Piping Cave Community
There are manyconstituent native species that comprise the natural communities of the ConservationArea. Highlights include more than 16 rare/endangered plant species, over 150 endemicflowering plant species, and an untold number of endemic invertebrate species likelynumbering in the thousands. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Thenative-dominated ecological systems of Moloka‘i occupy itsremote and largely trackless central region, extending downward into areas (pink) converted into anthropogenic andalien-dominated regions. | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The conservationportfolio for East Moloka'i includes the higher elevation native-dominatedecological systems (dark green), and four occurrences of the Hawaiian continuous perennialstream natural community (Waikolu, Pelekunu, Wailau, and Hālawa) shown in light blue. | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||
A crosssection of the Island of Moloka‘i indicates the variety of moistureand elevation conditions present: montane wet summit areas areflanked by lowland and coastal/marine systems. | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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