Animals:
Endangered species
The nene (or Hawaiian goose) is one of the most threatened and isolated birds known to man. It is currently the sixth most endangered water fowl in the world. Some current threats are scarcity of food, collisions with vehicles, predators and habitat loss. Recovery efforts have been taking place in the park as well as the rest of the island in order to restore the Hawaiian goose population.
Plants:
Invasive Species
One of the most invasive plants in the park and Hawaii is the miconia, or purple plague. The tree was native to tropical America and was introduced to Hawaii in 1959 as an ornamental. However, it spread extremely rapidly to forests all over, where it disrupted the ecosystem. The plants 40 inch long leaves cover other plants, blocking sunlight and eventually killing the plants around it.