Ecological Site Description Ecological Site Characteristics Site Identification

Plant Communities

This ecological site occurs on weathered ash soils in warm, very wet regions of North Kohala district of the Island of Hawai`i. Plant communities evolved without the presence of large mammals or the regular occurrence of fires. Much of the original plant community is still relatively intact, but has been impacted by weed invasion and damage from feral animals.

State 1 – Native Dwarf Forest

This state represents the Historic Climax Plant Community. The general aspect is a thicket of low stature trees and shrubs with native grasses in openings; the soil surface is covered by a deep layer of sphagnum moss. The tallest plants, primarily ohia and olapa, typically range from 4 to 15 feet tall. In some areas, the overstory may be as short as 3 feet or as tall as 30 feet. Where the tree canopy is tallest, the plant community has a more open understory, grading into the appearance of the plant community found in Ecological Site F164XY500HI-Mid-Stature Ohia-Olapa Forest. Tree and shrub trunks and branches are covered by a heavy growth of mosses, liverworts, and small ferns.

A = weed invasion; D = ungulate disturbance.

Native Dwarf Forest degrades to Weedy Dwarf Forest by gradual replacement of the understory by alien herbs and small trees that outcompete native understory species. This process is accelerated by ungulate foraging that disturbs the soil surface and directly destroys native plants and prevents their regeneration.


Plant species listed in the following tables have been observed in the course of field work or are derived from reliable records.

Abbreviations:

Origin: n = native (endemic or indigenous); a = alien (introduced by humans).

Type: t = tree; tf = tree fern; s = shrub; h = herb (forb); v = vine; f = fern; g = grasslike (grasses, sedges, rushes).
Composite representation of State 1, Plant Community 1, Native Dwarf Forest.

Scientific name

%Canopy cover by height class (ft)

Total Cover

Local common name

NRCS common name

Origin

Type

NRCS Code

0.1 - 2

2.1 - 4.5

4.6 - 13

13.1 - 40

40.1 - 80

80.1 - 120

Metrosideros polymorpha

1

50

20

70

'ohi'a lehua

'ohi'a lehua

n

t

MEPO5

Cheirodendron trigynum

1

5

5

10

olapa

olapalapa

n

t

CHTR2

Myrsine lessertiana

1

1

1

kolea lau nui

kolea lau nui

n

t

MYLE2

Myrsine sandwicensis

1

5

1

5

kolea lau li`i

kolea lau li`i

n

t

MYSA2

Melicope sp.

tr

1

1

1

alani

melicope

n

t

MELIC3

Ilex anomala

tr

1

1

kawa`u

Hawai`i holly

n

t

ILAN

Hedyotis terminalis

tr

1

1

manono

variable starviolet

n

t

HETE21

Clermontia drepanomorpha

tr

1

1

1

`oha wai

Kohala mountain clermontia

n

t

CLDR2

Cyanea tritomantha

tr

1

1

`aku

`aku`aku

n

t

CYTR6

Pritchardia lanigera

tr

tr

1

1

1

loulu

lou`ulu

n

t

PRLA4

Cibotium glaucum

1

1

1

1

hapu`u

hapu`u

n

tf

CIGL

Cibotium menziesii

1

1

tr

1

hapu`u `i`i

hapu`u li

n

tf

CIME8

Cibotium chamissoi

tr

1

tr

1

hapu`u

Chamisso's manfern

n

tf

CICH

Labordia hedyosmifolia

tr

1

1

kamakahala

bog labordia

n

s

LAHE2

Broussaisia arguta

tr

1

tr

1

kanawao

kanawao

n

s

BRAR6

Vaccinium calycinum

1

30

30

ohelo

ohelo kau la`u

n

s

VACA8

Vaccinium dentatum

1

1

ohelo

ohelo

n

s

VADE2

Styphelia tameiameiae

1

1

1

pukiawe

pukiawe

n

s

STTA

Clermontia calophylla

1

1

1

`oha wai

lava clermontia

n

s

CLCA5

Clermontia waimeae

1

1

1

`oha wai

swampforest clermontia

n

s

CLWA2

Trematolobelia grandifolia

1

1

tr

1

largeflower false lobelia

n

s

TRGR8

Dubautia plantaginea

tr

tr

tr

tr

na`ena`e

plantainleaf dubautia

n

s

DUPL

Eurya sandwicensis

tr

tr

tr

anini

anini

n

s

EUSA6

Coprosma ochracea

tr

1

1

pilo

Maui mirrorplant

n

s

COOC3

Viola maviensis

tr

tr

Hawai`i bog violet

n

s

VIMA6

Astelia menziesiana

1

1

kaluaha

pua'akuhinia

n

h

ASME4

Peperomia sp.

1

1

`ala`ala wai nui

peperomia

n

h

PEPER

Phyllostegia floribunda

tr

tr

Hawai`i phyllostegia

n

h

PHFL6

Phyllostegia vestita

tr

tr

streambed phyllostegia

n

h

PHVE4

Dubautia scabra

tr

tr

na`ena`e

rough dubautia

n

h

DUSC

Coprosma granadensis

tr

tr

makole

makole

n

h

COGR23

Alyxia oliviformis

1

1

maile

maile

n

v

ALOL2

Smilax melastomifolia

1

1

hoi kuahiwi

Hawai`i greenbrier

n

v

SMME

Freycinetia arborea

1

1

`ie`ie

`ie`ie

n

v

FRAR

Stenogyne cranwelliae

1

1

bog stenogyne

n

v

STCA9

Stenogyne calaminthoides

1

1

Phyllostegia warshaueri

tr

tr

Laupahoehoe phyllostegia

n

v

PHWA3

Sadleria sp.

1

1

1

`ama`u

sadleria

n

f

SADLE

Elaphoglossum crassifolium

1

1

stag's tongue, `ekaha

royal tonguefern

n

f

ELCR2

Elaphoglossum paleaceum

1

1

maku`e

ekaha

n

f

ELHI3

Athyrium microphyllum

1

1

`akolea

akolea

n

f

ATMI

Asplenium sp.

1

1

spleenwort

n

f

ASPLE

Lycopodiella cernua

1

1

pakahakaha

weeping fern

n

f

LETH6

Adenophorus tamariscinus

1

1

wahini noho mauna

wahini noho mauna

n

f

ADTA

Adenophorus pinnatifidus

1

1

graceful kihifern

n

f

ADPI

Dryopteris wallichiana

1

1

`i`o nui

alpine woodfern

n

f

DRWA

Sticherus owhyhensis

1

1

uluhe

Hawai`i umbrella fern

n

f

STOW