Hawaiian tropical high shrublands

{{Short description|Tropical savanna ecoregion of the Hawaiian Islands in the United States}}

The Hawaiian tropical high shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands.

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{{Infobox ecoregion

|name = Hawaiian tropical high shrublands

|image = Haleakala 7000.jpg

|image_size = 300

|image_caption = Slopes of Haleakalā, Maui

|country = United States

|state = Hawaii

|border1 = Hawaiian tropical rainforests

|border2 = Hawaiian tropical dry forests{{cite web |url=http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/70701frame.htm |title=Hawaii tropical high shrublands |work=Bioimages |publisher=Vanderbilt University |accessdate=2011-11-19}}

|bird_species =

|mammal_species =

|plant_species =

|habitat_loss =

|habitat_loss_ref =

|protected =

|protected_ref =

|area = 1900

|biogeographic_realm = Oceanian

|biome = Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

|climate = Subtropical highland (Cfb and Cwb)

|conservation = Vulnerable{{WWF ecoregion|id=oc0701|name=Hawaii tropical high shrublands|accessdate=2011-11-19}}

|global200 = No{{cite journal |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/ecoregions/WWFBinaryitem4810.pdf |format=PDF |first=David M. |last=Olson |author2=Eric Dinerstein |title=The Global 200: Priority Ecoregions for Global Conservation |journal=Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden |volume=89 |year=2002 |pages=199–224 |doi=10.2307/3298564}}

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}}

Geography

The high shrublands ecoregion covers an area of {{convert|1900|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} on the upper slopes of the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā.

Flora

The plant communities include open shrublands, grasslands, and deserts. Shrubland species include {{okina}}āheahea (Chenopodium oahuense), {{okina}}ōhelo {{okina}}ai (Vaccinium reticulatum), na{{okina}}ena{{okina}}e (Dubautia menziesii), and {{okina}}iliahi (Santalum haleakalae). Alpine grasslands are dominated by tussock grasses, such as Deschampsia nubigena, Eragrostis atropioides, Panicum tenuifolium, and pili uka (Trisetum glomeratum). Deserts occur on the coldest and driest peaks, where only extremely hardy plants such as {{okina}}āhinahina (Argyroxiphium sandwicense) and Dubautia species are able to grow.

Fauna

The nēnē (Branta sandvicensis) is one of the few birds found in alpine shrublands, while {{okina}}ua{{okina}}u (Pterodroma sandwichensis) nest in this ecoregion.

See also

References