RELATIONSHIPS AMONG WETLAND INDICATORS IN HAWAIIAN RAIN-FOREST

We applied established methods for wetland identification in lowland a nd montane wet forests (rain forests) on the island of Hawaii to deter mine whether rain forests exhibited wetland indicators specified in de lineation manuals and to examine relationships among indicators of hyd rophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology. Morphologica l characteristics and ferrous iron tests indicated pockets of hydric o rganic soils within areas mapped as Folists. Hydrophytic vegetation de cisions based on prevalence values agreed with hydric soil determinati ons more often than did decisions based on dominant plant species. Non e of the rain forest types we studied exhibited wetland indicators thr oughout, but some sites contained scattered small wetlands occupying m icrotopographic lows created by cracks, folds, and undulating flow pat terns in the lava bedrock. Further work is needed to identify reliable wetland indicators that can be used during drier portions of the year and to distinguish hydric from nonhydric organic rain forest soils.