12 FORESTS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



of it has in the past extended almost entirety around the mountain, at 

 an ele\ 7 ation of from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. This belt is now largely 

 destroyed on the western and southern sides of the mountain. 



HAWAII. 



The windward slopes of the Kohala Mountains of northern Hawaii 

 are forested above the sugar plantations to the summit of the moun- 

 tains. But on the leeward side the forest has been destroyed almost 

 to the summit. Between Honokane and Waipio, where the moun- 

 tains break off sharply into the sea, the forest extends to sea level. 

 From Waipio to Kukaiau, in Hamakua, but a thin belt of forest now 

 remains adjacent to the sugar plantations. This forest forms a part 

 of the Parker ranch, and all portions of it are grazed. In the south- 

 ern part of Hamakua, where the influence of Mauna Kea comes in to 

 increase the precipitation, the forest rapidly widens and reaches in a 

 great loop around Mauna Kea at an elevation of from 6,000 to 8,000 

 feet. In Hilo it extends to a width of 20 to 25 miles on the gradual 

 slope of Mauna Loa, but in Puna it is brought to a sudden limit where 

 the rainfall ceases and the desert begins. In Kau another forest 

 begins, and extends continuously through western Kau and Kona at 

 elevations of 3,000 to 6,000 feet, 



TROPICAL CHARACTER OF FORESTS. 



The native forests are distinctively of tropical character. None of 

 the familiar trees of the north temperate zone are present. The 

 observer looks in vain for oaks, maples, pines, or spruces. There is 

 one representative each of Sapindus, Sophora, and Zanthoxylum, and 

 two or three of Acacia, but all differ distinctly from their congeners in 

 the United States. 



FOREST TYPES. 



The forests are composed mainly of five distinct t}^pes: Pure growths 

 of lehua, koa, mamane, and kukui, and mixed forests, which are made 

 up of koa, koaia, kopiko, kolea, naio, pua, and other species. 



LEHUA. 



The ohia-lehua (Metrovid^os polymorpha), which forms pure stands 

 or grows with a small admixture of koa, naio, kopiko, and pua on all 

 the different islands, is the typical forest of regions of very heavy rain- 

 fall, such as northeast slopes and mountain tops under 6,000 tVet 

 elevation. It comprises probably three-fourths of the native forest. 



The lehua of itself seldom forms a dense stand. The trees are apt 

 to grow far apart, and always have small, thin, upright crowns, which 

 are very intolerant of shade. Under varying conditions in the forest 

 the trees grow from 30 to 100 feet high. In the best forests, which 



