Near Kimbe, New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea Photograph by John Morrison   Papua New Guinea, in the western Pacific Ocean. Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   13,600 square miles (35,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of New Hampshire and Connecticut combined Critical/Endangered

· Bat Haven
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

Bat Haven

New Britain and New Ireland, two islands that dominate a group called the Bismarck Archipelago, are marked by two very different kinds of activity. On a large scale, many volcanoes on these islands are still active, rumbling and erupting and disrupting life for both humans and wildlife. On a smaller scale, the lowland rain forests are filled with bats, flying mammals that rarely get the respect they deserve.

Special Features

New Britain and New Ireland are both long and narrow and contain mountain ranges that trap rainfall. As a result, the climate is wet overall, but the amount of rainfall varies greatly depending on the location. In addition to rain forests, mangrove forests and freshwater swamplands also characterize this ecoregion. The islands are known for their diversity of plant life, but they are also interesting for the trees they do not have: For example, two species of conifer that are found in nearby New Guinea do not grow here.

	The variable flying fox is the smallest of the 63 species of flying foxes in the world. Males weigh 1-2 pounds (0.4-0.9 kg), and have a wingspan of 3.5-4 feet (1-1.2 m).

Wild Side

Of the 47 mammal species in the ecoregion, 36 are bats, including the Gilliardās flying fox and the Bismarck trumpet-eared bat. Flying foxes were so-named because their faces resemble those of small foxes. These mammals play a key role in maintaining and regenerating healthy forests. Those bats that feast on nectar fertilize the flowers of trees, enabling them to make seeds. Those that eat fruit spread tree seeds in their droppings as they fly. Rodents, such as the New Britain water-rat, make up the second largest group of mammals in this ecoregion. Also native to the area÷but rarely seen flying overhead÷are the uncommon yellow-legged pigeon and Bismarck sparrowhawk.

Cause for Concern

Much of this ecoregion has been logged and converted to palm plantations for the production of copra (the source of coconut oil) and oil palm. Primary forest remains in only a few parts of the ecoregion. Hunting threatens some of the unique flying foxes in this ecoregion.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.