Rapa Nui, Chile Photograph by John Morrison   Oceania Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   100 square miles (200 square kilometers) -- about the size of Rhode Island Critical/Endangered

· Earth's Most Famous Island
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Earth's Most Famous Island

Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is one of the most famous islands on Earth. You've probably seen pictures of the famous rock statues that stand on the island. Those statues have long fascinated people and have driven them to wonder how people living thousands of years ago could have managed to create and transport these rock monoliths with only simple materials and tools. Today, the past and present biodiversity of Rapa Nui also fascinate people as they try to piece together why a place that was once fully forested and home to a diverse array of trees, shrubs, ferns, and grasses became almost completely covered with grass.

Special Features

Rapa Nui is the most geographically isolated island on Earth. Its climate is subtropical, with average temperatures ranging from 66˚ F (19˚ C) in winter to 75˚ F (24˚ C) in summer. Rainfall averages 50 inches (1,250 mm) each year, with a winter rainy season delivering much of that moisture. Rapa Nui is the youngest and westernmost of a chain of submarine volcanoes. It contains three main volcanic summits.

	Pollen records have revealed intriguing insights into the biological history of Rapa Nui. For example, a woody shrub known as Triumfetta semitriloba was once thought to be introduced to the island. But pollen records show the shrub has been growing on the island for at least 35,000 years!

Wild Side

Compared to other subtropical volcanic islands, Rapa Nui has few species of native plants. That's because it is extremely isolated from any other landmass. Scientists estimate that more than 70 percent of its native plants were introduced by passing birds that brought seeds to the islands in their droppings. Many plants that once covered the island--including the toromiro and the Jubaea palm--are now extinct in the wild. Scientists believe that climatic changes and/or the overexploitation of resources by people caused the massive devastation of the island's biodiversity. Today the island is covered with grasses and a few ornamental trees and shrubs. It is home to four land birds, three marine birds, two land reptiles, several butterflies, and no native mammals, though there are introduced rodents, goats, and carnivores.

Cause for Concern

The first Polynesians reached Rapa Nui in the 5^th century AD. By the time Europeans arrived in the early 18^th century, the island was already nearly deforested. Current environmental problems include damage from archaeological investigations, soil erosion, and damage such as trampling and soil compaction caused by tourism. Islanders do not always heed regulations for a large protected area called Rapa Nui Park and are prone to carry on traditional practices over conservation. Chile has recently announced plans to increase the pace of development on the island.

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