Hawaiian’s role is adapting ecosystems: Ancient Hawaiians played an important role in shaping and maintaining the ecosystems of Hawaii through their traditional land management practices. These practices, which included the use of fire, the cultivation of crops, and the management of natural resources, helped to sustain the diversity of plant and animal species on the islands and maintain the health of the ecosystems.
Indigenous watershed engineering: Hawaiians were great engineers of water resources, building “auwai” (water channels), dams, loi kalo (taro patches), and loko ia (fishponds). Click here to learn more about the Fishponds of Kula Kai.
Ancient Hawaiians played a vital role in shaping and maintaining the ecosystems of the islands through their traditional land management practices. These practices included the use of fire to promote the growth of certain plant species, the cultivation of crops such as taro and sweet potato, and the management of natural resources such as forests and streams.
Traditional Hawaiian agriculture was based on a complex system of land management practices that helped to sustain the diversity of plant and animal species on the islands and maintain the health of the ecosystems. These practices included the use of terracing and irrigation systems, the cultivation of multiple crops on the same land, and the use of natural fertilizers such as compost and animal manure.
Traditional Hawaiian land management practices had a significant impact on the diversity and distribution of plant and animal species on the islands. In most cases, these practices helped to maintain the health of the ecosystems and support a wide range of species, including many that are now endangered or threatened.
Ancient Hawaiians developed a complex system of land management called “ahupua’a,” which allowed them to adapt the ecosystems of Hawaii for food production. The ahupua’a system divided land into narrow strips that extended from the mountains to the sea, allowing different types of ecosystems to be used for different purposes.
In the upper elevations of the ahupua’a, the ancient Hawaiians cleared the forest to create terraced fields for growing taro, sweet potatoes, and other crops. They also built irrigation systems to channel water from the mountains to the fields. In the middle elevations, they managed the forest for resources such as firewood, medicine, and materials for building. In the lowland coastal areas, they developed fish ponds, salt pans, and other systems for harvesting fish, shellfish, and seaweed.
Additionally, Ancient Hawaiians practiced sustainable agricultural methods such as crop rotation, intercropping, and terracing to prevent soil erosion and conserve water. They also used traditional knowledge of the environment and the behavior of different species to manage their resources.
Overall, the ancient Hawaiians were able to adapt the ecosystems of Hawaii to meet their food production needs in a sustainable way.
Kihei Wetlands and their associated fishponds