Overview
As Hawaii itself is known as a paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the state has recognized the streams contribute a lot to that beauty and its agriculture. The streams and watersheds of the islands plow through forests, help with irrigation for farming lands, and stem life to many native plants and animals. Streams in Hawaii are home to many native plants and animals, thus the destruction and small care of the streams could result in later extinction of these organisms, some of which are native only to the islands of Hawaii and nowhere else on the planet. However, the streams in Hawaii are small and fragile, and need to be watched and taken care of. Things such as erosion and littering can tamper with the stream’s health, or rather, the health of the islands and all of its entirety.
Brief History of Hawaii
About 1,500 years ago, the Polynesians from the Marquesas islands set foot on the the island of Hawai’i, which is commonly known as Big Island, somehow traveling over 2,000 miles of hard seas in only canoes. Then, 500 years later, the Tahitians arrived, bringing their different beliefs of gods and placing a strict social hierarchy called “kupu”, which means “taboo”. Under their rule, the art of hula and the sport of surfing sprouted, along with rivalries between the newfound land divisions under chiefs. That all changed during 1778, when Captain James Cook landed in Waimea Bay, Kauai, introducing the effect of the mainland to Hawaii. The men, called “haoles”, came in with big metal ships, guns, different colored skin and practices. The effect of these men came in stronger with the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries in 1820, who filled the gap of authority when the kupu system was abolished with a new religious authority. Western influence came to a peak when Queen Lilioukalani was overthrown and the islands were annexed, letting the mainland have even more control over Hawaii, and by 1898, the islands became a territory of Hawaii. Despite the steady flow of mainland people moving into the islands, the work from sugar and pineapple brought in workers from Asia, such as Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans, along with some Portuguese. The influx of different ethnicities has resulted in making Hawaii one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse states in the US.
The Lost and the Losing
Hawaii is one of the most isolated collection of islands in the world, almost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and thousands of miles away from any other massive body of land. There are about 10,000 species in Hawaii that are found nowhere else in the world. The native plants of Hawaii is 89% of the endemic species, but many invasive plants have been introduced, such as the strawberry guava, the christmas berry, and California grass. The diversity of the species is caused by not just the isolation of the islands, but the different aspects that affect said islands. The islands range from high mountains, sandy beaches, and dry plains, providing a wide variety of life.
Currently, an estimated 90% of dry land habitat is lost, along with 61% of the mesic habitat, and 42% of the wetlands in Hawaii. Hawaii may make up only 0.2% of the United States in land, but it is known as the “Endangered Species Capital of the World”. Over 25% of the endangered species on the endangered species list are found only in Hawaii. About 90% of Hawaii’s species are endemic. The results of the remaining species are that more than half of the endemic species of birds in Hawaii are extinct, over 300 different species of plant taxa are identified as endangered or highly threatened, and invasive plants introduced from all over the world are slowly choking out the plants that stay barely thriving and surviving in the islands.
Currently, an estimated 90% of dry land habitat is lost, along with 61% of the mesic habitat, and 42% of the wetlands in Hawaii. Hawaii may make up only 0.2% of the United States in land, but it is known as the “Endangered Species Capital of the World”. Over 25% of the endangered species on the endangered species list are found only in Hawaii. About 90% of Hawaii’s species are endemic. The results of the remaining species are that more than half of the endemic species of birds in Hawaii are extinct, over 300 different species of plant taxa are identified as endangered or highly threatened, and invasive plants introduced from all over the world are slowly choking out the plants that stay barely thriving and surviving in the islands.