HONOLULU (KHON2) -- In the forests of O'ahu, something unusual is happening. When people hike through these forests, they might think they are walking through untouched nature. The trees smell like cinnamon and pepper, and colorful birds chirp all around. But in truth, these forests are not fille d with many native Hawaiian plants or animals. Almost everything here has come from somewhere else, brought in by people over the last century. Many of the native plants and animals that once lived on O'ahu are gone. People cut down trees to make farms and brought animals that destroyed native species. Today, trees like guava and cinnamon, which come from other countries, have taken over. Even the birds you hear singing come from places like Asia and South America. Yet somehow, these new plants and animals have created a working forest, one that no one planned and that has never existed before. These are freakosystems. What are freakosystems? Scientists call these kinds of strange forests novel ecosystems. That means they’re wild, but they look different from what used to be there. People didn’t create them on purpose. Instead, they came about because of changes humans made. For example, when southern plantation owners left the U.S. south and came to Hawaiʻi to establish plantations in the late 1800s, they razed Oʻahu. By doing this, they created a massive drought because without trees, there is no rain. So, to fix the problem, they ventured out across the Pacific in all directions to bring plant life back to the island. The resultant ecosystems include a mix of native and non-native species. Some of them were brought accidentally, like seeds stuck to clothes or pets that escaped. Others came on purpose, like the ones described above. Over time, these mixed communities started to act like real ecosystems. Birds and insects began doing jobs like pollinating flowers or spreading seeds, just like they would in a natural environment. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You 1. They are not natural, but they are wild: These forests aren’t original Hawaiian ecosystems, but they’ve grown on their own and can survive without people managing them every day. 2. They are made up of species from all over the world: Birds from Asia, trees from South America, and plants from Australia now live together in Hawaii’s forests. 3. They work like regular ecosystems in surprising ways: Even though the species are new to the island, they have taken on important roles. Birds eat fruit and spread seeds, just like the now-extinct native birds once did. 4. They help us see the future of Earth’s nature: Scientists believe these new, mixed ecosystems show what much of the planet might look like in the future as climate change and human development continue. 5. They can't go back to the way they were: With so many native species gone, there is no way to fully restore these forests. The changes are permanent. 6. They challenge how we think about conservation: Is it better to remove all non-native species, or to work with them to protect what’s left? There’s no easy answer. 7. They reveal both danger and hope: While some non-native species cause harm, others are helping native plants survive by doing things like spreading seeds. 8. They are teaching scientists how to protect other places: By studying these forests, experts learn which species are helpful or harmful—and how to manage new ecosystems elsewhere in the world. The rise of invasive species One big concern in these new environments is the rise of invasive species. These are non-native animals or plants that cause harm to the ecosystems they enter. Some spread quickly and crowd out native species. Globally, invasive species are now one of the top reasons animals and plants go extinct. But even invasive species can play important roles in freakosystems. On O'ahu, for example, some native plants now rely on non-native birds to spread their seeds. That creates a tricky situation: should conservationists remove the non-native birds and risk losing the native plants? Or leave the birds and accept the changes? Can we restore nature? In the past, conservation experts tried to fix damaged ecosystems by restoring them to how they looked before humans changed them. But that’s not always possible anymore. On islands like O'ahu, so many species have gone extinct that full restoration isn’t realistic. Instead, scientists now talk about "practical unrestorability". This is the idea that some ecosystems have changed too much to ever go back. That means we may need new ways to protect nature, even if it doesn’t look like it used to. Some experts now use sound recordings to attract birds to areas where native plants grow. Once the birds arrive, they eat the fruit and spread the seeds. It’s a creative way to help native plants survive, using the new birds that now live on the island. What O'ahu teaches the rest of the world The forests of O'ahu are a kind of living laboratory. They show how life can reorganize itself even after major disruptions. Scientists now use the island to test ideas that might help protect nature elsewhere—before other places reach the same level of change. By learning how to manage freakosystems wisely, we might still have a chance to protect biodiversity in a world where change is constant. While we may not be able to turn back time, we can shape what comes next. You can click here to learn more about Hawaii's man-made ecosystems. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8 So next time you walk through a forest filled with unfamiliar trees and birds, remember: you might just be looking at the future of Earth’s wild spaces. ...read more read less