Natural Area Reserves System Hawaii
Encyclopedia
The Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) of Hawaii is a statewide attempt to preserve in perpetuity specific land and water areas which support communities, as relatively unmodified as possible, of the natural flora
and fauna
, as well as geological sites, of Hawaii
.
s. The diverse areas found in the NARS range from marine and coastal environments to lava
flows, tropical rainforests, and even an alpine desert
. Within these areas one can find rare endemic plants and animals, many of which are on the edge of extinction.
The Natural Area Reserves System is administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Currently, management teams are working to control the encroachment of non-native plants and animals which threaten the existence of the natural biota on the reserves.
The reserves include:
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, as well as geological sites, of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
History
Established in 1970 by Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 195, the system presently consists of 19 reserves on five islands, encompassing more than 109000 acres (441.1 km²) of the State's ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s. The diverse areas found in the NARS range from marine and coastal environments to lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
flows, tropical rainforests, and even an alpine desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
. Within these areas one can find rare endemic plants and animals, many of which are on the edge of extinction.
The Natural Area Reserves System is administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Currently, management teams are working to control the encroachment of non-native plants and animals which threaten the existence of the natural biota on the reserves.
The reserves include:
Hawaii Island
- Kahaualea on KilaueaKilaueaKīlauea is a volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, and one of five shield volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii. Kīlauea means "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language, referring to its frequent outpouring of lava. The Puu Ōō cone has been continuously erupting in the eastern...
- Kipahoehoe on Mauna LoaMauna LoaMauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and the largest on Earth in terms of volume and area covered. It is an active shield volcano, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that...
on Mauna KeaMauna KeaMauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest... - ManukaManuka State Wayside ParkThe Manuka State Wayside Park is a state park of with an arboretum located approximately west of Naalehu, on the Mamalahoa Highway section of the Hawaii Belt Road, on the island of Hawaii, Hawaii, coordinates...
- Mauna Kea Ice AgeMauna Kea Ice Age Reserve-Quarry:The quarry was used by prehistoric Hawaiians to obtain basalt for stone tools including blades for adzes.Located near the summit of Mauna Kea at an elevation above at along the Mauna Kea Trail, this is the largest primitive quarry in the world. The archaeological complex also includes...
on upper slope of Mauna Kea - Puu Makaala
- Puu O Umi above Waimanu Valley
- Waiakea 1942 Lava Flow above Hilo, Hawaii
Maui
- West Maui
- Hanawi
- Kanaio
- Ahihi KinauAhihi-Kinau Natural Area ReserveEstablished in 1973, Āhihi-Kīnau Natural Area Reserve includes a coastal lava field and surrounding waters on the southwest coast of the island of Maui, Hawaii. It consists of on land and of ocean along of Maui's southwestern coastline...