Fiji tropical dry forests

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Fiji tropical dry forests
View of Mount Batilamu, Koroyanitu National Heritage Park, Viti Levu, Fiji - August 2016.jpg
Mount Batilamu in Koroyanitu National Heritage Park
Ecoregion OC0105 OC0201.svg
Location of the Fiji tropical dry forests (OC0201) in the Fijian islands.
Ecology
Realm Oceanian
Biome tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Borders Fiji tropical moist forests
Geography
Area6,757 km2 (2,609 sq mi)
Country Fiji
Conservation
Conservation status Critical/endangered [1]
Protected204 km² (3%) [2]

The Fiji tropical dry forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Fiji. The dry forests occupy the leeward northwestern portion of Fiji's two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Contents

Geography

The dry forests are in the rain shadow of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu's central mountains, which intercept the prevailing southeast trade winds. [1]

The Fijian islands are mostly volcanic in origin, with areas of uplifted coral limestone and sedimentary rock. The islands emerged from the sea between 5 and 20 million years ago. [1]

Climate

The climate is tropical and seasonally dry. Rainfall is from 1500 to 2250 mm annually, falling mostly during the December-to-April summer. The other months are relatively dry. Occasionally tropical cyclones hit the islands from the northwest between November and April. [1]

Flora

The natural vegetation of the ecoregion is tropical dry forest. The most widespread dry forest community was characterized Dacrydium nidulum and Fagraea gracilipes , with Myristica castaneifolia, Dysoxylum richii, Parinari insularum, Intsia bijuga, Syzygium spp., Aleurites moluccana, Ficus theophrastoides , the conifers Podocarpus neriifolius and Gymnostoma vitiense , the cycad Cycas seemannii and groves of bamboo ( Bambusa spp.). Forests of the endemic sandalwood Santalum yasi, Casuarina equisetifolia, Gymnostoma vitiense and the climbing fern Lygodium scandens are found in drier areas. [1]

Frequent burning of the forest and subsequent erosion have reduced the dry forests to fragments. A sparse grass-fern plant community called talasiga (meaning "sun burnt") is widespread in degraded areas. Talasiga is characterized by the grass Sporobolus indicus and the ferns Pteridium aquilinum and Dicranopteris linearis . Other formerly-forested areas have been converted to a shrub savanna, with the tree Casuarina equisetifolia and a brushy understory that includes Mussaenda raiateensis, Decaspermum vitiense, Dodonaea viscosa, C. seemannii, and the palm Pritchardia pacifica . [1]

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 204 km², or 3%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. [2] Protected areas include Koroyanitu National Heritage Park on Viti Levu.

Related Research Articles

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Fiji is a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, lying about 4,450 kilometres (2,765 mi) southwest of Honolulu and 1,770 km (1,100 mi) north of New Zealand. Of the 332 islands and 522 smaller islets making up the archipelago, about 106 are permanently inhabited. The total land size is 18,272 km2 (7,055 sq mi). It has the 26th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,282,978 km2 (495,361 sq mi).

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The Fiji snake, also known as the Bolo snake, is a species of snake in the family Elapidae. It is monotypic within the genus Ogmodon. It is endemic to Fiji, found only on the island of Viti Levu, and is strongly subterranean.

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<i>Metroxylon vitiense</i> Species of palm

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Metrosideros vitiensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a shrub or tree native to Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Samoan Islands.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Fiji tropical dry forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. 1 2 Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; et al. (June 2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545. doi: 10.1093/biosci/bix014 . PMC   5451287 . PMID   28608869.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) Supplemental material 2 table S1b.