Kadavu Island, Fiji Photograph by John Morrison   Fiji, Wallis, and Futuna Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   4,500 square miles (11,600 square kilometers) -- about the size of Connecticut Critical/Endangered

· Fiji's Flora and Fauna
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

Fiji's Flora and Fauna

The tropical islands of Fiji, Wallis, and Futuna lie in the Pacific Ocean east of Australia. You could spend years exploring the more than 300 islands that are home to the forests of this ecoregion. And, in the process, you'd encounter a dazzling array of life. You'd see 24 species of palm trees found here and nowhere else, masked shining parrots, collared lories, and much, much more.

Special Features

Most of the islands in this ecoregion are remnants of once-active volcanoes. The oldest of these islands have been exposed for 5 to 20 million years, but the youngest island, Taveuni, last erupted only 2,000 years ago. All of these islands enjoy a stable, tropical climate with little seasonal variation in rainfall or temperatures. Rainfall averages about 98 inches (250 cm) a year in most areas, although higher elevations may receive as much as 197 to 394 inches (500 to1,000 cm).

	When a small breeding population of Fiji petrels was spotted in the cloud forest on Gau Island, they surprised and delighted tropical ecologists. That's because these birds had not been seen since 1855!

Wild Side

As you climb in elevation, you'll pass from lowland rain forests to montane rain forests to cloud forests. Fiji tree frogs cling to branches, Fiji ground frogs hop in the undergrowth, and Fijian crested iguanas skitter across fallen logs. You'll see a number of endemic birds on these islands, including pink-billed parrotfinches, Peale's pigeons, red-throated lorikeets, and the extraordinary silktails. Beautiful orange doves, golden doves, and whistling doves feed on fruits. Monkey-faced fruit bats and mastiff bats, both endemic, flutter in the night.

Cause for Concern

Logging and land clearing for plantations and agriculture are major threats to this ecoregion. More than 50 percent of the natural forests have been cleared; since the 1960s, about 15 percent of the remaining forest has been completely cleared, and much more is now at risk. Less than one percent of the natural forest is protected. Introduced cats, rats, and mongoose kill many species of native wildlife. The island of Tavemi has no mongooses yet, and the native birds are noticeably more abundant than on other islands.

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