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Hosmer's Grove is an example of experimental forestation from Hawaii's territorial days. Located just inside Haleakala National Park near the summit of Haleakala in Maui, Hawaii, it includes a campsite and several hiking trails. [1] The grove is well known amongst birdwatchers due to the abundance of endemic honeycreepers at the site, including Iiwi, Apapane, Hawaii Amakihi, and the Maui Alauahio.
Hawaii's first territorial forester, Ralph Hosmer, imported tree species from around the world in hopes of creating a viable timber industry. In 1927 he began planting stands of pine, spruce, cedar and eucalyptus at this site, which can still be seen today in the grove. Only 20 of the 86 species introduced survived: those with shallow roots were blown down in storms, others found the soil chemistry or fungi unsuitable for growth or reproduction. [2] A few thrived, escaping from Hosmer's experimental forest. The Mexican weeping pine ( Pinus patula ), Monterey pine (Pinus radiata), and eucalyptus have become aggressive invaders and are now recognized threats to the native ecosystems within Haleakala National Park.
Haleakala National Park was established in 1916 to preserve the native flora and fauna and the outstanding geological resources found within the summit's crater-like depression. Alien plants and animals introduced by humans present a difficult challenge. Today the park's resource managers are reclaiming remnants of the native shrubland around Hosmer Grove by removing thousands of invasive trees and grasses. Without the removal of adult seed-bearing plants and their rapidly spreading seedlings, an alien forest would soon overrun the native shrubland between here and the crater, thereby erasing a fragile Hawaiian ecosystem that has taken millions of years to develop.
Forestry - Years of clearing the land for cultivation and ranching have taken their toll. By the early 1900s removal of native forests had led to erosion and drought. Ralph Hosmer established forest reserves throughout the islands. He experimented with 86 species of trees on Maui, such as eucalyptus, hoping to improve the watershed, and provide building lumber and fuel for the sugar refineries.
Fencing - Near the trail is a fence which was built to keep goats and pigs out of the Park. Because Hawaii is over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the nearest continent, all land mammals found in Hawaii today, except the winged Hawaiian hoary bat, have been introduced by people. These alien animals destroy fragile native plants which evolved without the presence of browsing mammals. Look at the native plants around you and try to see them as a pig or goat would. Except for the heath-like pukiawe, most of these plants are easy food for grazing animals. When the ancestors of these plants arrived in Hawaii millennia ago, there were no grazing animals. As plants adapted to their surroundings, they lost defenses they no longer needed, such as poison, thorns, and scent. Fencing protects native plants from grazing pigs and goats.
Gentle thorns - Beneath the alien trees are 'akala ( Rubus hawaiensis ), or Hawaiian raspberry. In the summer you may find deep-red fruit among the broad leaves. The branches have only small hair-like thorns, having lost the need for defensive thorns, until grazing mammals were brought in.
Native seeds - You may see berries and seed pods on many of the shrubs along the trail. Although these berries are eaten by the native and alien birds, many of them can make people quite ill. Seeds from these shrubs have trouble sprouting amid the thick alien grasses.
Overlook - As you sit amid the 'iliahi ( Santalum haleakalae ) and other native shrubs, notice how each has evolved ways of withstanding the often intense conditions on the mountain. The large gnarled trees growing up from the gulch are the native 'ohia, you may see red bottle-brush shaped flowers on them. Hawaiian honeycreepers dip their curved beaks into these flowers for nectar, and in doing so pollinate the flowers. This active interdependence highlights the need for preserving all elements of a forest, and not just the tree.
Germination - Some seeds from native shrubs have tough outer hulls and botanists were unable to make them germinate. But a researcher found that from the dropping of the chukar partridge and the Chinese ring-neck pheasant seedlings emerge. These alien birds appear to be benefiting the native plants by breaking down the seed hull, and taking the place of a native seed eating bird which is probably now extinct. However, chukar and common pheasant can adversely impact native bird populations by serving as disease reservoirs.
Adaptation - The Hawaiian Islands emerged from the sea millions of years ago and a colonizing plant managed to become established once every 100,000 years. Plants got to Hawaii via the three W's: wind, bird wings or waves. After arriving, they evolved to take advantage of a variety of new habitats. A single colonizing ancestor often changed or developed into many new endemic species; this is known as adaptive radiation. There are more than 10,000 species of endemic Hawaiian plants, birds and insects. But sadly, with this great diversity comes great loss. Nearly 75% of our nation's documented plant and bird extinctions were endemic Hawaiian species.
The silver geranium - Hinahina, the silver geranium, can be seen growing along the trails at Hosmer's Grove. With its silvery tridentate leaves and small whitish flowers, hinahina is endemic to Haleakala. It is found nowhere else on earth. Its silver, slightly tomentose (hairy) leaves protect it from the relentless sun, wind, and extreme temperatures found near the summit.
Biodiversity - The native shrublands support a large diversity of life, unlike the understory of this pine and eucalyptus forest. Notice as you walk under the Norway spruce ahead that there are few other plants which can survive being deprived of sunlight and inhibited by plant chemicals.
This half-mile trail will lead you on a 30-minute walk through one of the biological battlegrounds of the Park. The trail begins in the shade of a 20th-century alien forest and ends in native Hawaiian shrubland that looks as it did centuries ago. Numbered posts and plaques are found along the trail.
This trail continues on a l/4 mile loop into the native shrubland; turning right will take you back to the parking lot. Looking across the gulch you see a mixture of native trees, shrubs and ferns. The larger 'ohia ( Metrosideros polymorpha ), koa, and olapa are still found in remote gulches, but covered much of the lower mountainside just a century ago. The native forests are a vital part of the watershed, drawing clouds and rain to the mountain, and controlling erosion.
From here the trail leaves the shrubland and returns through Hosmer Grove to the parking area.
Haleakalā, or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive, active shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by another volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, also referred to as the West Maui Mountains.
The ʻiʻiwi or scarlet honeycreeper is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. The ʻiʻiwi is a highly recognizable symbol of Hawaiʻi.
Haleakalā National Park is a national park of the United States located on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Named after Haleakalā, a dormant volcano within its boundaries, the park covers an area of 33,265 acres, of which 24,719 acres is a wilderness area. The land was designated a national park in 1976 and its boundaries expanded in 2005.
Argyroxiphium is a small genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. Its members are known by the common names silversword or greensword due to their long, narrow leaves and the silvery hairs on some species. The silverswords belong to a larger radiation of over 50 species, including the physically different genera Dubautia and Wilkesia. This grouping is often referred to as the silversword alliance. Botanist P. H. Raven referred to this radiation as "the best example of adaptive radiation in plants".
The Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area is a state park of Hawaiʻi in the United States. It is on the island of Maui about ten miles from Kula up the slope of Haleakalā.
Sophora chrysophylla, known as māmane in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the pea and bean family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is highly polymorphic, growing as a shrub or tree, and able to reach a height of 15 m (49 ft) in tree form. Yellow flowers are produced in winter and spring.
Ralph Sheldon Hosmer was Hawaii's first territorial forester, a contemporary of Gifford Pinchot who was among the group of educated American foresters that organized what is now the United States Forest Service. Hosmer later joined the faculty of Cornell University as head of the department of Forestry, where he served for 28 years until his retirement.
The ʻākohekohe, or crested honeycreeper, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It is endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaiʻi. The ʻākohekohe is susceptible to mosquito‐transmitted avian malaria and only breeds in high‐elevation wet forests.
The Maui ʻalauahio, also known as the Maui Nui ʻalauahio or Maui creeper, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It is endemic to Maui Nui, Hawaii. The name Maui ʻalauahio is somewhat misleading because the species seems to have occurred on most, if not all, parts of the ancient Maui Nui, which includes the present day islands of Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe. There are two subspecies: the Lānaʻi ʻalauahio, P. montana montana, which occurred on Lānaʻi (extinct); and P. montana newtoni which occurs on Maui. The common name refers to both groups.
The kiwikiu or Maui parrotbill is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaii. It can only be found in 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) of mesic and wet forests at 1,200–2,150 metres (3,940–7,050 ft) on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. This species is critically endangered, with an estimated population in 2016 of 250-540 individuals, but more recent estimates of less than 150 individuals. Fossil evidence indicates that the bird could at one time be seen in dry forests at elevations as low as 200–300 metres (660–980 ft), as well as on the island of Molokaʻi.
Santalum haleakalae, known as Haleakala sandalwood or ʻIliahi in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering tree in the sandalwood family, that is endemic to the islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands, part of the United States. It grows in subalpine shrublands at elevations of 1,900 to 2,700 m, especially on the slopes of Haleakalā.
The highland finch is an extinct member of the Fringillidae and a Hawaiian honeycreeper which is known only from a few bones found in caves. It is the only member of the genus Orthiospiza. It was endemic to the high-elevation areas of Mount Haleakalā on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It has been speculated that they were pushed to extinction because of habitat loss. It is known only from fossil remains and likely became extinct before the first Europeans arrived in 1778.
Hawaiian tropical dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of 6,600 km2 (2,500 sq mi) on the leeward side of the main islands and the summits of Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe. These forests are either seasonal or sclerophyllous. Annual rainfall is less than 127 cm (50 in) and may be as low as 25 cm (9.8 in). The rainy season there lasts from November to March.
Cyanea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae that are endemic to Hawaii. The name Cyanea in Hawaiian is hāhā.
Geranium arboreum is a rare species of geranium known by the common names Hawaiian red-flowered geranium and Hawaii red cranesbill. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from the island of Maui. It was federally listed as an endangered species in 1992. Like other Hawaiian geraniums, this plant is known as hinahina and nohoanu.
Geranium multiflorum is a rare species of geranium known by the common names manyflower geranium, or manyflowered cranesbill. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known only from Haleakalā, the main volcano on the island of Maui. It was federally listed as an endangered species in 1992. Like other Hawaiian geraniums, this plant is known as hinahina and nohoanu.
Bocconia frutescens is a species of flowering plant in the poppy family known by many common names, including plume poppy, tree poppy, tree celandine, parrotweed, sea oxeye daisy, and John Crow bush in English, gordolobo, llorasangre, tabaquillo, palo amarillo, palo de toro and pan cimarrón in Spanish, bois codine in French and bwa kodenn in Haitian Kreyòl. It is native to the Americas, including Mexico, parts of Central and South America, and the West Indies. It is perhaps better known in Hawaii, where it is an introduced species and an aggressive invasive weed with rapid negative effects on local ecosystems. In other parts of the United States it is used as an ornamental plant for its "tropical"-looking foliage.
The Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests is an ecoregion in the lands around the Aegean Sea. The ecoregion covers most of mainland Greece, the Greek Aegean Islands, the western coast of Turkey, the southern Vardar river valley in North Macedonia, the southern Struma river valley at the extreme south-western corner of Bulgaria.
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Geranium cuneatum, or silver geranium, is a medium alpine shrub endemic to the islands of Hawai'i and Maui, where it grows in high elevation shrubland near or above the treeline. Like other geraniums native to Hawai'i, it is known as hinahina in Hawaiian.
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