Hawaiian tropical low shrublands
Encyclopedia
The Hawaiian tropical low shrublands are a tropical savanna
ecoregion
in the Hawaiian Islands
. These shrublands cover an area of 1500 km² (579.2 sq mi) in the leeward
lowlands of the main islands and most of the smaller islands, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
. The ecoregion includes both grassland
s and mixed shrublands. Kāwelu (Eragrostis variabilis), mauu akiaki (Fimbristylis
cymosa), akiaki (Sporobolus virginicus
), and Lepturus
repens are common grassland plants. Shrublands are dominated by ilima (Sida fallax
), aalii (Dodonaea viscosa
), naupaka (Scaevola
spp.), hinahina kū kahakai (Heliotropium anomalum var. argenteum
), kīpūkai (Heliotropium curassavicum
), mao (Gossypium tomentosum
), akoko (Euphorbia spp.), āheahea (Chenopodium
oahuense), naio (Myoporum sandwicense
), kolokolo kahakai (Vitex rotundifolia
), and pūkiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae
). More than 90% of the plant species found in this ecoregion are endemic, including ōhai (Sesbania tomentosa
), āwiwi (Schenkia sebaeoides), and wahine noho kula (Isodendrion pyrifolium
).
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are a grassland terrestrial biome located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. Grasslands are dominated by grass and other herbaceous plants. Savannas are grasslands with scattered trees...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. These shrublands cover an area of 1500 km² (579.2 sq mi) in the leeward
Windward and leeward
Windward is the direction upwind from the point of reference. Leeward is the direction downwind from the point of reference. The side of a ship that is towards the leeward is its lee side. If the vessel is heeling under the pressure of the wind, this will be the "lower side"...
lowlands of the main islands and most of the smaller islands, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or the Leeward Islands are the small islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest of the islands of Kauai and Niihau. They are administered by the U.S. state of Hawaii except Midway Atoll, which has temporary residential facilities and is...
. The ecoregion includes both grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s and mixed shrublands. Kāwelu (Eragrostis variabilis), mauu akiaki (Fimbristylis
Fimbristylis
Fimbristylis is a genus of sedges. A plant in this genus may be known commonly as a fimbry, fimbristyle, or fringe-rush. There are 200 to 300 species distributed worldwide. Several continents have native species but many have been introduced to regions where they are not native. Many are...
cymosa), akiaki (Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus virginicus
Sporobolus virginicus, known by numerous common names including Marine Couch, Sand Couch, Coastal Rat-tail Grass, Salt Couch Grass, Saltwater Couch and Nioaka, is a coastal non-bunching tussock grass with a wide distribution.-Description:It is a perennial tussock grass from 10 to 50 centimetres in...
), and Lepturus
Lepturus
Thintail is a grass genus in the Poaceae family. The related monotypic genus Hainardia was formerly included in Lepturus. Species within this genus are often found in tropical or subtropical ecosystems; an example occurrence is on certain islands within the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral...
repens are common grassland plants. Shrublands are dominated by ilima (Sida fallax
Sida fallax
Sida fallax, known as ilima in Hawaiian, is a species of herbaceous flowering plant in the Hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that occurs on most of the Pacific Islands. The flowers are small, in diameter, have five petals, and are a golden yellow in color. Plants may be erect or prostrate and are found...
), aalii (Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.-Description:...
), naupaka (Scaevola
Scaevola
Scaevola is a genus of flowering plants in the Goodenia family, Goodeniaceae. It consists of more than 130 tropical species, with the center of diversity being Australia and Polynesia, including Hawaii....
spp.), hinahina kū kahakai (Heliotropium anomalum var. argenteum
Heliotropium anomalum
Heliotropium anomalum is a species of flowering shrub in the borage family, Boraginaceae, that is native to the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Christmas Island, Saipan, Tinian, Wake Island and New Caledonia. Common names include Polynesian Heliotrope, Pacific Heliotrope and Hinahina kū kahakai . H. a. var...
), kīpūkai (Heliotropium curassavicum
Heliotropium curassavicum
Heliotropium curassavicum is a species of heliotrope that is native to much of the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, and can be found on other continents as an introduced species...
), mao (Gossypium tomentosum
Gossypium tomentosum
Gossypium tomentosum, commonly known as Mao or Hawaiian cotton, is a species of cotton plant that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It inhabits low shrublands at elevations from sea level to . Mao is a shrub that reaches a height of and a diameter of...
), akoko (Euphorbia spp.), āheahea (Chenopodium
Chenopodium
Chenopodium is a genus of about 150 species of perennial or annual herbaceous flowering plants known as the goosefoots, which occur almost anywhere in the world. It is placed in the family Amaranthaceae in the APG II system; older classifications separate it and its relatives as Chenopodiaceae, but...
oahuense), naio (Myoporum sandwicense
Myoporum sandwicense
Myoporum sandwicense is a species of flowering tree in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. Common names include Naio, bastard sandalwood or false sandalwood. It is native to Hawaii and Mangaia in the Cook Islands.-Description:...
), kolokolo kahakai (Vitex rotundifolia
Vitex rotundifolia
Vitex rotundifolia is a species of Vitex that is native to seashores throughout the Pacific. Its range includes continents and islands stretching from India east to Hawaii and from Korea south to Australia. This woody perennial plant typically grows approximately 1 m in height. It has a sprawling...
), and pūkiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae
Styphelia tameiameiae
Styphelia tameiameiae, known as Pūkiawe in the Hawaiian language, is a species of flowering plant in the heather family, Ericaceae, that is native to the Hawaiian and Marquesas Islands. The specific epithet honors King Kamehameha I, who formed the Kingdom of Hawaii. It grows as a tree up to tall...
). More than 90% of the plant species found in this ecoregion are endemic, including ōhai (Sesbania tomentosa
Sesbania tomentosa
Sesbania tomentosa, commonly known as Ōhai, is an endangered species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the main Hawaiian Islands as well as Nihoa and Necker Island. It inhabits low shrublands and, rarely, dry forests, at elevations from sea level to...
), āwiwi (Schenkia sebaeoides), and wahine noho kula (Isodendrion pyrifolium
Isodendrion pyrifolium
Isodendrion pyrifolium is a rare species of flowering plant in the violet family known by the common name wahine noho kula. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Hawaii...
).
See also
- Hawaiian tropical high shrublandsHawaiian tropical high shrublandsThe Hawaiian tropical high shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the upper slopes of the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. It includes open shrublands, grasslands, and deserts...
- List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)