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Koa Forest Above Pupukea
Posted: May 15, 2009
While hiking the Kaunala Trail in Pupukea, I followed a hunter trail that veered-off the main trail and took me to a charming grove of koa trees ontop one of the many small ridges that wind their away above the North Shore of Oahu.
The Kaunala Trail starts about three-quarters of a mile beyond the Boy Scout Camp at the end of the Pupukea Road. This well-maintained Na Ala Hele Trail contours in and out of a number of gulches through a mixture of introduced and native trees.
Since the trail traverses a public hunting area, numerous side trails the emanate from the main trail and criss-cross the region. My curiousity got the best of me and I decided to follow my nose to see where this hunter trail might lead.
Considerable pig damage dotted the landscape. Pigs roto-till the earth in search of earthworms and other morsels to eat. The sad thing is that the reefs off the North Shore will be smothered in silt when the next big rain comes and washes this loose dirt into the ocean.
While making my way down the hunter’s trail I stumbled upon a small stream with crystal clear water no more than 4 feet wide that gurgled as it flowed downstream. I could not resist splashing some of the cool water on myself as I explored the banks of the stream.
The curious thing about this stream is that it only flowed above ground for about a quarter mile. The water source of this stream must be from an aquifer beneath the ground. The water was forced to the surface by some subterranean feature which then relented, allowing the water to seep back into the earth a quarter mile further down.
The trail continued beyond the dry stream-bed and then veered uphill through a forest of strawberry guava trees full of fruits. Strawberry guava is one of the most invasive trees and can take over entire mountain-sides. Their sweet but tart fruits are, however, delicious, and I could not resist eating a bunch of them as I made my way up the ridge.
Large quantities of strawberry guava fruits littered the ground — a veritable feast for the pigs. With so much to eat there is little wonder the pig damage is so extensive in this area. More pig hunters are needed keep their numbers in check.
While hiking up the ridge, I was pleased that the vegetation became increasingly more native. When I reached the very top, I was thrilled to see a large grove of koa trees (Acacia koa) and hapuu tree ferns (Cibotium glaucum). The forest appeared to be mesic — receiving less than 100 inches of rain per year.
The koa trees on this ridge top were about a foot in diameter and between 20-30 feet high and the hapuu tree ferns were no more than 6 feet high. These are considerably smaller than on the Big Island where the koa trees easily reach 6 feet in diameter and 100 feet tall, and the hapuu tree ferns over 20 feet tall. Intermixed among the hapuu were naupaka kuahiwi (Scaevola gaudichaudiana) which produces distinctive half-flowers.
While exploring the understory of the koa forest I was pleased to see a Koa Butterfly, also known as the Hawaiian Blue or Blackburn’s Butterfly (Udara blackburni) fluttering about the naupaka. These butterflies are small — no more than three-eighths of an inch long — with iridescent turquoise blue wings. Koa trees are believed to support more than 100 native arthropod species creating habitat for the koa butterfly, koa bug, and Kamehameha butterfly.
Thrilled with my discovery of this large grove of koa trees, I spent a considerable amount of time examining the unique plants and animals that make their home ontop this ridge. As the sun began to set, and I retraced my steps back the way I had come, I reflected on my good fortune finding this quaint little koa forest — what a great place to explore!
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SOURCES
Koa Tree Arthropod Habitat, Puu Waawaa Biological Assessment, Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawaii
Hi Nathan,
Another interesting article I enjoyed reading with fantastic photos!
Aloha,
Jane