Pacific Tropical Domain

The NEON candidate core site in the Pacific Tropical Domain is located on the slopes of Mauna Kea Volcano in the USDA Forest Service Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest on the Island of Hawaii. The site features large tracts of native-dominated forest containing habitat for myriad plant and animal species, including endangered species. Data from the NEON core and relocatable observing sites on the island will address questions related to biological invasions. The site in Hawaii pairs with the NEON Neotropical site at the Guánica Forest, Puerto Rico, to form a common research focus on wet and dry tropical forests.

Domain: Pacific Tropical (Domain #20)

Science Focus: Biological invasions.

Candidate Core Site Name: Laupahoehoe Forest Unit, Hawaii Experimental Tropical Forest

Representativeness: The site represents the largest native-dominated forest in the Hawaiian archipelago and contains examples of primary wet and rain forest as well as habitat for numerous endangered plant and animal species. The Laupahoehoe Wet Forest Unit is located on the slopes of Mauna Kea Volcano on the Island of Hawaii.

Location: Latitude: 19.930; Longitude: -155.289

Unique Feature: The Laupahoehoe Unit contains some of the best remaining examples of intact primary lowland to montane wet and rain forest ecosystems in Hawaii. It is part of the largest remaining native dominated forest in Hawaii.