The natural habitats in the Kohala district range across a wide rainfall gradient in a very short distance—from less than a year on the coast near Kawaihae, to more than a year near the summit of Kohala Mountain, a distance of just . At the coast are remnants of dry forests, and near the summit lies a cloud forest, a type of rainforest that obtains much of its moisture from cloud drip in addition to precipitation. These large cloud forests dominate its slopes. This biome is rare, and contains a disproportionate percentage of the world's rare and endemic species. The soil at Kohala is nitrogen-rich, facilitating root growth.