Dynamics of the Hawaiian rainforest at multiple scales

Abstract

This paper is a short version of a recently published book ‘Ōhi’a Lehua Rainforest, which resulted from studies of vegetation at multiple scales in space and time. The objective of this short version is not only to demonstrate some of these changes in scale, but also to show that different perspectives through scale changes were needed for synthesizing the subject matter into a coherent story. In other words, any vegetation study that aims at comprehensive explanations needs to view the subject matter from several different perspectives or scales. The five decade-long research on native Hawaiian rainforest is such a study. Following the introduction, this study is summarized under five subheadings: A rainforest born among volcanoesTurnover by auto-successionFrom rainforest to bog and stream formationFragmentation into smaller units as islands ageConclusion: the rainforest on Windward O’ahu