Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating lesson in ecology and the state of paradise
Review: Many visitors arrive in Honolulu from Japan on planes decorated with one of the most exotic of Hawaiian birds, the scarlet i'iwi. But they will not see an i'iwi on Oahu. To see one they will have to treck to a remote tract of forest on one of the outer islands. Why are there almost no native Hawaiian birds left outside mountain forests? How did the i'iwi develop its spectacular shape? And what happened to the flightless birds whose remains have accumulated in lava tubes? To understand such things requires some understanding of the the geology, climate, and flora as well as the history of the islands. Ziegler's book makes all of these things accessible, especially to readers with some prior knowledge of one or more of these fields. It covers everything from the volcanic origins of the islands to the agricultural practices of the Polynesian settlers and the impact of alien species. It gains greatly from being written by a single author with a consistent, learned but readable style and format. As a linguist I was impressed by the care taken with the Hawaiian language: Hawaiian terms and names for species are provided and explained wherever possible. The book thus makes an unexpected but welcome contribution to the ongoing revival of the Hawaiian language, as well as to ecology and island biogeography. A paperback edition would help greatly to promote wider appreciation of the fragile natural world of the Hawaiian islands.