East Maui New Species

According to the Nature Conservancy, Maui's Ko'olua Forest Reserve has revealed new populations of several plant species thought to be near extinction as well as what scientists believe to be a new species located exclusively in East Maui.

The Conservancy's invasive plant specialist on Maui undertook to document rare plants in places on Maui without much human presence. The discoveries were made in a place where little exploration had yet been conducted. The four month survey that revealed this information was conducted in cooperation with the State Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW)

 Assisting in the survey were crews from the East Maui Watershed Partnership (EWMP) and the Maui Invasive Species Committee. This survey is part of an ongoing effort to map 100,000 acres of the East Maui watershed area. 74 rare plant species have been discovered here as well as the highest concentration of endangered forest birds in the U.S.

About 10 of the endangered Melicope ovalis trees were counted. This species is only found in East Maui. Two species related to the fragrant Hawaiian mokihana were discovered here as well. The species believed to be a new discovery is presumed to be related to Melicope, but no fruit or seed capsules have been found in the past to make positive identification possible. This expedition, however, recovered a mature seed capsule which is being studied by The National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution.

This is exciting news for anyone interested in Maui's exceptional collection of rare species located nowhere else in the world.

If you are looking for East Maui real estate, we reccommend a look at our collection of North Shore Maui  condo listings and Haiku homes for sale. Have a look at our Maui Real Estate Specialists page in order to learn more about Jim Sanders Realty. If you need any real estate assistance, please email us at info@jimsandersrealty.com or call (808) 579-8255. Mahalo for reading and have a great weekend!

*Source: The Nature Conservancy