The ecoregion is exclusive to the US state of Hawaii and occurs on all the main Hawaiian islands (Kauai, Oaha, Molakai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii) on the more moist windward (eastern) slopes or in their higher altitude areas.
On most of the islands, the only adjacent ecoregion is the Hawaii Tropical Dry Forests (OC0202). On Maui, it borders a small area of Hawaii Tropical High Shrublands (OC0701). On windward slopes of the islands, the ecoregion is coastal.
Description of the Ecoregion
A detailed description of the ecoregion can be found at WWF’s site (the map above is a screen shot from that Wildfinder site). There may also be additional information to be found on this ecoregion’s page at Wikipedia.
As described by WWF, the ecoregion is comprised of mixed mesic forests (about 750 to 1,250 m elevation), rain forests (found above mixed mesic forests up to 1,700 m), wet shrublands, and bogs in swampy areas. Moist to wet forests are commonly found on the windward lowland and montane areas of the larger islands and on mountain tops of some of the smaller islands.
Birds of the Ecoregion
WWF notes that many of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, an endemic group of birds that displays many specialized adaptations to different food and plant resources, were found in mesic and wet forests of this ecoregion. The ecoregion is the main habitat for other forest birds including the Hawaiian Hawk, Hawaiian Crow, Hawaiian honeyeaters (many now extinct), and Hawaiian thrushes.
The expected species of this ecoregion will be most of the species in the list for Hawaii (see under Hawaii Tropical Low Shrublands), with those partial to moist forest areas being the most characteristic and those typical of dry scrubland or grassland habitats being the least likely to occur.