Editing Molokai (section)

==Ecology==
[[File:Halawa Molokai.jpg|thumb|[[Halawa, Molokai|Halawa Bay]] Beach Park, located at the extreme east end of Moloka{{okina}}i]]
Moloka{{okina}}i is split into two main geographical areas. The low western half is very dry and the soil is heavily denuded due to poor land management practices, which allowed over-grazing by deer and goats.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boneza |first=Jenn |date=2021-01-24 |title=Lawmakers working to manage deer population in Maui County |url=https://www.khon2.com/local-news/lawmakers-working-to-manage-deer-population-in-maui-county/ |access-date=2021-01-25 |work=KHON2 |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128102303/https://www.khon2.com/local-news/lawmakers-working-to-manage-deer-population-in-maui-county/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It lacks significant ground cover and virtually the entire section is covered in non-native ''kiawe'' (''[[Prosopis pallida]]'') trees. One of the few natural areas remaining almost intact are the coastal [[dune]]s of [[Moomomi|Moʻomomi]], which are part of a [[The Nature Conservancy|Nature Conservancy]] preserve.

The eastern half of the island is a high [[plateau]] rising up to an elevation of {{cvt|4900|ft|m}} on Kamakou peak and includes the {{cvt|2774|acre|km2 sqmi|}} Molokai Forest Reserve.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/forestry/FRS/reserves/mauinuifr/molokai-forest-reserve |title=Division of Forestry and Wildlife |website=Division of Forestry and Wildlife |access-date=2011-09-27 |archive-date=2011-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115010823/http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/forestry/FRS/reserves/mauinuifr/molokai-forest-reserve |url-status=live }}</ref> The eastern half is covered with lush [[Hawaii wet forests|wet forests]] that get more than {{cvt|300|in|mm}} of rain per year. The high-elevation forests are populated by native ''ʻōhiʻa lehua'' (''[[Metrosideros polymorpha]]'') trees and an extremely diverse endemic flora and fauna in the [[understory]]. Much of the summit area is protected by the Nature Conservancy's Kamakou and Pelekunu valley preserves.

Below {{cvt|4000|ft|m|}}, the vegetation is dominated by introduced and invasive flora, including [[strawberry guava]] (''Psidium littorale''), eucalyptus (''[[Eucalyptus]]'' spp.), and cypress (''[[Cupressus]]'' spp.). Introduced [[Chital|axis deer]] (''Axis axis'') and [[feral pigs]] (''Sus scrofa'') roam native forests, destroying native plants, expanding spreading invasive plants through disturbance and distribution of their seeds, and threatening endemic [[insect]]s. Near the summit of Kamakou is the unique [[Pepeopae|Pēpēʻōpae]] [[Hawaiian tropical rainforests#Bogs|bog]], where dwarf ''ʻōhiʻa'' and other plants cover the soggy ground.

Moloka{{okina}}i is home to a great number of [[Endemism|endemic]] plant and animal species. However, many of its species, including the ''[[olomaʻo]]'' (''Myadestes lanaiensis''), ''[[Molokai creeper|kākāwahie]]'' (''Paroreomyza flammea''), and the [[Moho bishopi|Bishop's ‘ō‘ō]] (''Moho bishopi'') have become [[Extinction|extinct]]. Moloka{{okina}}i is home to a wingless fly among many other endemic insects.