User:Techie Totoro/Native Flora of Hawaii

The Native Flora of Hawaii consists of a wealth of plant species, estimated to be around 1,100 native species of flowering plants and 400 species of native ferns. Of all native plants in the islands, 89% are endemic to Hawaii, meaning that they are not found anywhere else in the world. Some of these species are listed as threatened and endangered, due to introduction of alien species to the islands. In Hawaii, alien species have caused a tremendous amount of damage to the environment and native species, and they are the primary cause of loss of biodiversity and endangerment of most endangered and threatened native plants. 92 plant species are already extinct, with 270 on the endangered species list and 198 up for consideration. Similarly, 5 fern species are extinct, with 12 on the endangered species list and 9 up for consideration.

Origins
Native Hawaiian plants all arrived in the islands by natural means many years ago, by wind, ocean currents, and birds. Hawaii contains both indigenous and endemic species, although many more endemic species than indigenous. It is estimated that, before the arrival of any humans, a species would arrive in the islands and establish itself once every 70,000 years. This is due to intense geographic isolation, because Hawaii is so far from any other major landmass. Hawaii also hosts thousands of species not found anywhere else on the planet, also due to geographic isolation. Once a new species arrives here, the chance of it returning to where it came from or spreading somewhere else is very low.