The native plants that have evolved here are so distinctive that the Hawaiian Islands are considered a separate biological province, unique in the world. The Na Pali Coast State Park provides many examples of the ways that native Hawaiian plants and animals have adapted to their environment to produce distinctive species and ecosystems. Adaptation occurs when living things change in response to their environment. Plants in dry areas evolve drought resistance. Flowers change to attract pollinators.
Seeds develop features that enhance dispersal.
Just about every feature of a plant or animal can change to enhance survival and reproduction in different habitats. Adaptation is one of the major ways new species evolve. When a species faces a variety of different habitats, adaptation can create several different species. In the Hawaiian Islands, there are habitats from extremely dry to constantly saturated, from sea level to alpine elevations, and from flat terrain to vertical cliffs. The combinations of moisture, elevation and topographic factors are so numerous that the opportunities for adaptations are extremely abundant.