On the flank of leeward Mauna Loa in South Kona, Manukā encompasses a wide range of habitats. These include subalpine shrublands and forests, mesic montane kipuka forests, wet montane forests, lowland mesic forests and lowland dry forests.

Recent lava flows add a variety of pioneer vegetation types, as well as uncharacterized and unsurveyed lava tubes. Concentrations of the Hawaiian hoary bat occur in the area. A rare lowland grassland and anchialine pools are included as well.