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Relatively few species were able to reach the Hawaiian archipelago before humans arrived, but those original colonizing species evolved into an incredible array of uniquely adapted species that gradually transformed the barren and rocky volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands into lush tropical islands full of life.
The extreme isolation of the Hawaiian Islands, more than 2,400 miles (3,862 km) from the nearest continental land mass, led to the evolution of thousands of endemic (unique) species of flowering plants, ferns, insects, birds, and marine life.
Native species of the Hawaiian Islands are divided into two categories: indigenous and endemic. Indigenous species are native to the Hawaiian Islands and also native to some other location. Without the aid of humans, they arrived in the Hawaiian Islands by “wind, wave, or wing”—in other words, they were carried by winds, the ocean, or birds.
Endemic species evolved in the Hawaiian Islands from an indigenous (native) species already established in the Islands. Endemic species are native to the Hawaiian Islands and nowhere else. Thus, all native Hawaiian species either came from somewhere else (indigenous), or evolved from species already established in the Hawaiian Islands (endemic).
A wonderful source for info on Hawaii's plants and animals is using Google. Once you have the key phrases you are interested in learning about, you can narrow down your focus. Or, expand it.
If you come to Hawaii to visit, you will get a much better idea of the land and the people than you would from a book. Experiencing the culture and the 'aina (land) pretty much have to be a hands-on experience to be worthwhile.
However, if you're mainly interested in the flora of Hawaii, there are some excellent photographic books available. Exotic Tropicals of Hawaii is one, published by Mutual Publishing of Honolulu; it gives good info on the plants, and has wonderful color photos taken by Jacob Mau. The text is well written and full of information from Angela K. Kepler, who has authored numerous books about the plants of Hawaii. It's one of my personal favorites, as is her Hawaiian Heritage Plants. If you Google Ms. Kepler or Mr Mau, you will find a wealth of information and beautiful photos.
There are other great books available, about lei making, folk medicine (la'au lapa'au), and the stunning Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Google will take you where you want to go.
Hawai'i Public Libraries are some of the best in the entire USA; I haven't actually visited libraries in all 50 states, but HI's libraries are well known throughout the profession as being very progressive. The quality of service, collections, and online resources in the local library in little Hilo far surpasses most of the public libraries in the crowded mainland city I used to live in.
More fun Hawaii trivia for the malihini: there are no native Hawaiian "land" mammals. There are the bats and monk seals, that's it. If it walks onto your property on 4 legs, it's not native. For the 2-legged ones, it's a different story...
As for plants, it totally depends on where you live. If the property is virgin forest, you don't have much to do. If it is full of grasses or weeds, it's all invasive. In some areas, you won't really be able to replant a native Hawaiian ecosystem because you need more than a residential property to get one established.
Indigenous plants and animals of a given area are also termed as native. In order to know which are the native plants and animals of a given area you will have to do research through Internet or books. Ways of encouraging them are conserving forests, preventing poaching etc.
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