SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected Environmentcritically imperiled. Ohia shrubland falls between 2,400 and 2,800 feet. Dwarfed native trees andshrubs thrive here.The lowland wet community type in KTA is ohia shrubland. It is found between 1,640 and 2,000 feet.Dwarf native tree and shrub species thrive here. The native ohia forest is within the lowland forestzone. The general conditions are warm, moist to wet, and wind-sheltered in this area below theKoolau summit (1,900 to 2,000 feet). In addition to the dominant ohia, other common tree species includemanono (Hedyotis terminalis), mehame (Antidesma platyphyllum), and kolea (Myrsine spp).Also within the lowland forest zone is the uluhe shrubland, which is widespread on many of the HawaiianIslands, usually in wet lowland areas below 2,200 feet. The dominant plants in this communityinclude two ferns: uluhe (Dicranopteris linearis) and uluhe lau nui (Diplopterygium pinnatum).The KTA/KLOA ROI contains two lowland moist communities. Koa/Ohia forest is below 2,100 feetand in leeward areas of good drainage; the koa (Acacia koa) and ohia are dominant. Ohia lowlandmesic forest is an additional community dominated by ohia. Ohia makes up about 70 percent of thecanopy layer, but many other native plants are included in the community.Lama (Diospyros sandwicensis) forest is the only lowland dry community type in the KTA/KLOAROI. It is confined to cliffs and harsh aa lava flows in the Hawaiian Islands. KTA has small stands ofthis community type between 600 and 900 feet. The canopy is dominated by Diospyros sandwicensis,though other native trees are common.WetlandsThe U.S. Army Engineer District, Honolulu completed a wetland inventory of USAG-HI propertieson Oahu. The report (USACE 2005c) identifies four wetland areas on KTA and three on KLOA.Three of the four areas examined in KTA are concentrated in the high elevation areas of KTA nearthe installation’s southern boundary near Drum Road. On the south side of Drum Road, a ponded waterbody along Oio Stream was formed by water accumulating behind a landslide. Field verificationof the site found all three criteria for wetland determination to be present; however, it was determinedthe water body is a stream, and not a regulated wetland (USACE 2005c).Adjacent to Drum Road in the southern portion of KTA is an open water wetland referred to as OnionPond. Sites visits in 2003 and 2005 confirmed a persisent presence of open water supporting wetlandvegetation. All three criteria for wetland determination were present, and the Onion Pond is considereda regulated wetland (USACE 2005c).An area of open water in Kaunala Gulch is located on the inside of a 180-degree bend in Drum Roadin the southern portion of KTA. The area was investigated because it is visible on 1943 topographicalmaps; however, it was not locatable during site visits in 2003 and 2004. During the 2005 helicoptersurveys, standing water was observed, and subsequently located on the ground. The water body appearsto be formed by a blockage in the stream. Typical hydric vegetation was not seen during the sitevisit, and the area was determined not to be a regulated wetland (USACE 2005c).Three meadows dominated by California grass (Brachiaria mutica) centrally located between thenorth-south corner of training zones B1 and B2 of KTA. All three areas appear to support some accumulationof water; however, none of the areas support wetland soils or hydrology, and are not regulatedwetlands (USACE 2005c).February 2008 3–69 2/25th SBCT Final EIS