"Puna" has several meanings depending on the context:
- Geographically, Puna is one of the nine districts of Hawaii County on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is located on the windward (east) side of the island and is known for its floriculture, macadamia nuts, and papaya crops. It is also a volcanic area subject to frequent lava eruptions from Kilauea Volcano.
- In South America, the puna is a high-altitude grassland ecosystem in the Andes Mountains, found above the treeline and below the permanent snow line. It spans regions of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. This ecosystem includes distinct ecoregions such as wet puna, dry puna, and desert puna, characterized by unique flora and fauna adapted to high elevations.
- Linguistically, "puna" comes from Spanish and Quechua origins and refers to these alpine biological communities in the Andes.
- According to dictionaries, "puna" can mean a treeless, windswept tableland or basin in the higher Andes, essentially a cold, high-altitude plateau.
- In Hawaiian culture, Puna is considered the workshop of Pele, the volcano goddess.
- In Maori language, "puna" means a spring or pool of water.
So, "puna" can refer to a geographic district in Hawaii, a type of high- altitude grassland in the Andes, or a natural water spring depending on cultural and geographic context. The term is associated mainly with highland or volcanic environments.
