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10 - Montane cloud forests on remote islands of Oceania: the example of French Polynesia (South Pacific Ocean)

from Part II - Regional floristic and animal diversity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2011

By
J.-Y. Meyer
Edited by
L. A. Bruijnzeel ,
F. N. Scatena  and
L. S. Hamilton
J.-Y. Meyer
Affiliation:
Délégation à la Recherche
L. A. Bruijnzeel
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
F. N. Scatena
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
L. S. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

ABSTRACT

Small, isolated patches of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) are found in many remote islands of the Pacific region (Oceania). French Polynesia comprises 37 high volcanic islands and islets, all located at more than 5000 km from the nearest continents. TMCFs are found on 12 of them (Huahine, Moorea, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Tahiti in the Society Islands, Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva, Tahuata, Ua Huka, and Ua Pou in the Marquesas Islands, and Rapa in the Austral Islands), with a total area of up to 8000 ha. Their current individual extent ranges from less than 20 ha (Huahine, Rapa, Tahaa) to c. 1000 ha (Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva) and more than 5000 ha (Tahiti), the other islands having less than 100–200 ha each. TMCFs are located between 300–400 m.a.s.l. and up to 1600–1800 m.a.s.l. (Tahiti), but are more often found above 800–900 m.a.s.l. They are generally located on the upper slopes of valleys, on high-elevation plateaux, and in gullies and ridges below the summits, with annual rainfall ranging between 3000 and 8500 mm. TMCFs are floristically the most diverse of all plant communities in French Polynesia, with the highest endemism and number of biological types. Between 60% (Moorea, Tahiti, and Rapa) and more than 70% (Raiatea, Hiva Oa, Ua Pou, and Ua Huka) of the endemic vascular plant species are found in the TMCFs, and between 25% (Moorea and Rapa) and 50% (Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva, and Ua Pou) of these endemics are restricted to these habitats. […]

Type
Chapter
Information
Tropical Montane Cloud Forests
Science for Conservation and Management
 , pp. 121 - 129
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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