| Palau tropical moist forests | |
|---|---|
 Rock Islands of Palau | |
 Map of Palau | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Oceanian |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Geography | |
| Area | 463 km2 (179 sq mi) |
| Country | Palau |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered [1] |
| Global 200 | South Pacific Islands forests |
| Protected | 24.7% [2] |
The Palau tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Micronesia. It encompasses the nation of Palau.
The Palau Islands are an archipelago approximately 200 km in length, located 800 km north of the equator and 800 km east of the Philippines. Kayangel is the northernmost island in the archipelago, and the island of Angaur is the southernmost. Babeldaob, or Babelthaup, is the largest island (376 km2) in the archipelago, and is 70% of the ecoregion's land area. Much of the archipelago is enclosed in a barrier reef. [1]
Some islands, including Babeldaob and Koror, have a core of weathered volcanic rock. Much of the archipelago is composed of uplifted marine limestone, which has eroded into dramatic karstic landscapes.[ citation needed ]
The ecoregion also includes some outlying atolls stretching southwest of the Palau Islands, including The Sonsorol islands (Fanna, Sonsorol, Pulo Anna, and Merir), Tobi, and Helen.[ citation needed ]
The ecoregion has a humid tropical climate. The mean annual temperature in the capital city of Koror is 27º C, and the mean annual rainfall averages 3,730 mm. Rainfall is plentiful year-round, with more during the May through November summer rainy season, and less between February and April. [1]
The natural vegetation consists mostly of tropical moist broadleaf forests. The forests include eight main types – upland forest on the high volcanic islands, swamp forest, mangrove forest, atoll forest, casuarina forest, limestone forest, plantation forest, and palm forest. [1]
The forests on much of Babeldaob have been cleared and replaced with grassland. [1]
The ecoregion has 13 endemic species of birds – the Palau ground dove (Alopecoenas canifrons), Palau fruit dove (Ptilinopus pelewensis), Palau nightjar (Caprimulgus phalaena), Palau swiftlet (Aerodramus pelewensis), Palau scops owl ( Otus podarginis), Palau kingfisher (Todiramphus pelewensis), morningbird (Pachycephala tenebrosa), Palau cicadabird (Edolisoma monacha), Palau fantail (Rhipidura lepida), Palau flycatcher (Myiagra erythrops), Palau bush warbler (Horornis annae), giant white-eye (Megazosterops palauensis), and dusky white-eye (Zosterops finschii). [3] The Palau scrubfowl (Megapodius laperouse senex) is an endemic subspecies of Micronesian scrubfowl, which also inhabits the Marianas. [1]
24.7% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. [2]
The Republic of Palau consists of eight principal islands and more than 250 smaller ones lying roughly 500 miles southeast of the Philippines, in Oceania. The islands of Palau constitute the westernmost part of the Caroline Islands chain. The country includes the World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands. The total land area is 459 km2 (177 sq mi). It has the 42nd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 603,978 km2 (233,197 sq mi).
The Vanuatu rain forests are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion which includes the islands of Vanuatu, as well as the Santa Cruz Islands group of the neighboring Solomon Islands. It is part of the Australasian realm, which includes neighboring New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, as well as Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand.
Niau is a small atoll in French Polynesia, in the commune of Fakarava. This atoll has a broad fringing reef, a diameter of 8 km and an area of 53 km2.
The Southern Zanzibar–Inhambane coastal forest mosaic, also known as the Southern Swahili coastal forests and woodlands, is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of eastern Africa. It is a southern variation of Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic. The ecoregion supports habitats of forest, savanna and swamps. The southern portion of the ecoregion is not as well studied due to the 1977-1992 civil war in Mozambique.
The Huon Peninsula montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in New Guinea. The ecoregion covers the mountains of northeastern New Guinea's Huon Peninsula.
The Oaxacan montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in eastern Mexico. It includes a belt of montane tropical forest on the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ranges. These forests lie between the lowland Petén–Veracruz moist forests and Veracruz moist forests, and the pine–oak forests of the higher mountains.
The Fiji tropical moist forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Fiji and Wallis and Futuna. It covers the windward sides of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, Fiji's largest islands, as well as the smaller Fijian islands and the three islands that make up Wallis and Futuna, an overseas territory of France.
The Tongan tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion that includes the Tonga archipelago and Niue.
The Cook Islands tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion that covers the Southern Cook Islands in the Cook Islands.
The Tubuai tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in French Polynesia. It covers the Austral Islands.
The Society Islands tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.
The Marquesas tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.
The Tuamotu tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia and the Pitcairn Islands.
The Central Polynesian tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Polynesia. It includes the northern group of the Cook Islands, the Line Islands in Kiribati, and Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Kingman Reef which are possessions of the United States.
The Western Polynesian tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Polynesia. It includes Tuvalu, the Phoenix Islands in Kiribati, Tokelau, and Howland and Baker islands, which are possessions of the United States.
The Eastern Micronesia tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Micronesia. It includes the Marshall Islands, Banaba and the Gilbert Islands in Kiribati, Nauru, and Wake Island, a possession of the United States.
The Marianas tropical dry forests is a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregion on the Marianas Islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
The Carolines tropical moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Micronesia. It includes the central and eastern Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The Yap tropical dry forests is a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregion in Micronesia. It includes the Yap Islands and neighboring atolls in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The Jamaican moist forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in Jamaica.