Kaua‘i Conservation Area Profile

Major Habitat Type: Tropical Moist Forest(Oceania Realm)

Stratification Unit:Kaua‘i (comprised of the islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau: islands of similargeological age). Kaua‘i Island in particular is noted for a high level of botanical endemism.

Island: Kaua‘i; the fourth largestisland of the archipelago, ca 5.5 million years old, maximum elevation 1598 m(5,243 ft), comprised of a single native-dominated landscape.

Significance: The Kaua‘i Conservation Area's ecological systems range from lowland to montaneelevations. The remote summit area maintains high viability systems, is animportant watershed, and provides stable habitat for native forest birds, and manynatural communities and species.  No other conservation area in Hawai‘i contains as many endemic species of flowering
plants (383 species). Kaua‘i also has a significant number ofviable, endemic bird species (12 species) and natural community types(36 types). 

ConservationStatus: The Kaua‘i Conservation Area is protected and managed by acombination of private and public protected areas, including the Kuia StateNatural Area Reserve, the Alaka‘i Wilderness Preserve, the State Forest ReserveSystem, and the state Conservation District. In late 2007, TNC's Wainiha Preserve was established within The Kaua‘i Watershed Alliance (KWA).The KWA is comprised of the above lands and selected lands ownedand/ormanaged by Kamehameha Schools; Princeville Corporation; Departmentof Water of the County of Kaua‘i; Kaua‘i Ranch, LLC; LihueLand Company; McBryde Sugar Company, Ltd.; State Department of Land andNatural Resources; Grove Farm Company, Incorporated; and Ben A. DyreFamily Limited Partnership. KWA drafted a management plan that implementsfencing, ungulate control, and weed control, ignoring land jurisdictionboundaries. The Nature Conservancy  coordinates plan implementation as a major action of its Kaua‘i strategies.

For more detailed information, contact the Kaua‘i Program of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i.

Lowland Wet Forest, Lumaha‘i Valley, Northern Kaua‘i

Hawaiian Continuous Perennial Stream, Wainiha Valley, Kaua'i

Ecological Systems: Sixecological systems of Kaua‘i were selected as conservationtargets, each bearing nested natural communities and species (discussedbelow).

Natural Communities:

• Continuous Perennial Stream Community

Special Ecological Features:

• Forest Bird Concentration

• Waterbird Concentration

• Native species:

There are manyconstituent native species that comprise the natural communities of the ConservationArea. Highlights include over 80 rare/endangered plant species, 383 endemicplant species, and an untold number of endemic invertebrate species likelynumbering in the thousands.