Places in Hawaii

What is a potential or current human impact and population, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Hello, I am doing a very important project in my school. I am in 8th grade. I need to know about a potential or current human impact in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I also need to know the population of people there, and what ways have the park officials have tried to minimize the impact? I will be so grateful to anyone who is so kind to help me. I am very stressed out and I can't find the information.

Public Comments

1. That's a tough question to answer because Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been managed by the National Park Service since 1916. Humans cannot do anything within the park without permission from the NPS. The Kilauea volcano has been erupting since 1983 and at this point I would say that the volcano has had a greater impact on people than people have had on it. I've seen prehistoric structures built by the ancient Hawaiians disappear under the lava. I've also seen buildings built within the last 50 years disappear under the lava. Humans can only stand by and watch as the lava seeks a path to the ocean. There is very little documentation on the internet regarding human impact on the park. If any detailed studies were ever done they're probably buried in a government archive somewhere. I did come across this document - http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/pdf/Hawaii.pdf Read the sections on Conservation Management and Management Constraints. You have to read "between the lines" and draw some conclusions of your own. The greatest impact of humans is they are primarily responsible for introducing foreign species (plants and animals) into the eco system which has caused great harm to the indigenous species. Remember that the root cause of all the damage wrought by foreign plants and animals is humans. Here's some information on population within the park - http://www.aresllc.com/zip-codes-finder/hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-hi-96718.html You've got a tough assignment because of the lack of information but I suspect your teacher is more interested in your thought processes and writing skills than in the information you produce. I hope the little information I provided here at least gets you started. Good luck!