Koa: the Warrior Tree

Koa trees have played a vital role in Hawai`i. As one of the more prominent native canopy trees in Hawaiian forests, it remains second in coverage and numbers only to `ohi`a, the wet forest dominant. The word "koa" means "warrior" or "fearless." Surely the tallest and strongest of the forest trees serves admirably as a metaphor for the standout warrior on the battlefields of old.

Habitat
Endemic to Hawai`i, that is, unique to the archipelago, today the tree grows in dry, mesic, and wet forests between sea level and 7,000 feet elevation on all of the main Hawaiian Islands except for Ni`ihau and Kaho`olawe.

Threats
Today, it is the premiere native hardwood in Hawai`i, finding its way into households as premium furniture, lumber, and fine carved art.

Without careful management, free-ranging cattle have probably done more to destroy thousands of acres of prime koa forest than any other single element of post-contact Hawai`i. Sad images from the turn of the century show open pasture under dying behemoth trees. Today, some of those same spots are unbroken grasslands with a few grey trunks lying on the ground. Little hint remains of the colossal koa and `ohi`a canopy, multiple layers of other native trees beneath, and a rich mixed understory of ferns and shrubs, alive with birds and thousands of other native species.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing to Help Protect the Koa
The Conservancy is working toward establishing one or more sustainable koa forestry projects on its preserves on the Island of Hawai`i, in partnership with the community and neighboring landowners.

Koa is a fast-growing and vigorous tree that responds well to disturbance in the landscape. If protected from over-grazing, it can establish a young canopy of foliage quickly and, in less than half a century, provide a harvestable stand.

As a dominant canopy tree, koa also can form the framework for biological restoration. Sustainable koa forestry that preserves koa and its associated forest flora and fauna is a promising plan towards the persistence of native forest ecosystems into the next millennium.