26:
38:
172:
The ecoregion includes the Tonga archipelago, a group of 170 islands that extends 800 km north to south between 15º to 23ºS latitude and 173º to 177º W longitude, and comprise the nation of Tonga. It also includes Niue, which lies 400 km east of Tonga at 19º S latitude and 169º W longitude.
266:
The ecoregion has a humid tropical climate. Mean daily temperatures generally range from 24º to 30 °C in
February, the warmest month, to 20º to 26 °C in August, the coolest month. Average annual rainfall is 2000 mm or more, and higher on windward slopes and at higher elevations.
455:
Mangrove scrub and mangrove forest are found in saltwater wetlands on coral atolls and around the shores of the larger islands' coastal lagoons. Mangrove scrub is found on estuaries and reef flats and on the edges of mangrove forests. The small- to medium-sized trees
1069:
Franklin, J., Wiser, S. K., Drake, D. R., Burrows, L. E., & Sykes, W. R. (2006). Environment, Disturbance
History and Rain Forest Composition across the Islands of Tonga, Western Polynesia. Journal of Vegetation Science, 17(2), 233–244.
191:
of the
Pacific Plate under the Australian Plate. The islands on the eastern side of the chain are mostly made up of uplifted coraline rocks lying atop blocks of oceanic or continental crust. Some of the larger eastern islands are
1121:
150:
70:
278:
Tropical lowland rain forests predominate below 500 meters elevation. Evergreen trees form a continuous canopy up to 30 meters in height. Common canopy trees include
248:
in the north. The highest peak in the islands is 1,030 metres on Kao. Many islands have fringing coral reefs, and others have become coral
906:
is now considered extinct. Fossil remains of an giant land iguana have been found, which became extinct after the first humans arrived.
255:
Niue is an uplifted coral atoll, with cliffs along the shoreline and without a fringing coral reef. It covers an area of 259 km.
25:
267:
Rainfall is generally higher between
December and April. Leeward lowlands can experience seasonal droughts between May and November.
1034:
497:. The climate is cooler and more humid than that of the lowland forests. Characteristic montane forest tree species include
1136:
1085:
Endemic plants of Tonga, from the World
Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) checklist builder. Accessed 10 December 2023.
116:
1097:
Endemic plants of Niue, from the World
Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) checklist builder. Accessed 10 December 2023.
1151:
1146:
1116:
1156:
1131:
1141:
775:
868:). Seabird breeding colonies are mostly limited to offshore islets free of rats, which prey on eggs and chicks.
513:
294:
641:
603:
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352:
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671:
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653:
436:
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330:
719:
685:
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On coastal dunes and relatively recent lava and ash deposits where soils are thinner and drier, forests of
302:
861:
711:
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611:
533:
480:
376:
364:
290:
754:
705:
619:
607:
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587:
326:
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1028:
871:
Niue has 12 native species of land birds and six species of seabirds, including two endemic subspecies.
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430:
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814:
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318:
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336:
53:
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767:
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grow closest to the coast in areas with salt spray. Immediately inland are coastal forests with
1016:
879:
458:
356:
340:
1098:
1086:
1006:
996:
417:
181:
914:
A 2017 assessment found that 117 km, or 21%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.
888:
802:
442:
348:
344:
810:
1011:
984:
853:
556:
There are 419 native species of vascular plants in the Tonga, and approximately 3% are
286:
184:
58:
1110:
360:
229:
213:
177:
798:) were introduced to the islands by humans, and have decimated the island's birds.
528:
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237:
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517:
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126:
1001:
791:
783:
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153:
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There are no native land mammals in the ecoregion. Native bats include the
472:
are dominant. Where conditions are favorable mangrove forests dominated by
201:
557:
499:
233:
875:
693:
550:
217:
205:
1071:
985:"An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm"
493:
Montane forests are found above 500 metres elevation on the island of
494:
245:
197:
897:
893:
527:
spp. Other montane plant communities are upland volcanic scrub on
249:
221:
157:
96:
65:
212:. Several of the islands on the western side of the chain are of
161:
101:
37:
801:
Tonga has native 20 species of land and freshwater birds. The
193:
1053:
Whistler, W. Arthur (1992). "Vegetation of Samoa and Tonga".
1099:
https://checklistbuilder.science.kew.org/reportbuilder.do
1087:
https://checklistbuilder.science.kew.org/reportbuilder.do
983:
Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; et al. (June 2017).
258:
The islands have been inhabited for about 3000 years.
844:
The islands are home to numerous seabirds, including
531:'s young volcanic slopes, and fernlands dominated by
374:. The understorey includes dense clumps of the fern
1081:
1079:
636:Several species are endemic to one or two islands:
135:
125:
115:
110:
89:
81:
76:
64:
52:
47:
18:
275:The natural vegetation is moist broadleaf forest.
176:The Tonga archipelago lies at the boundary of the
401:predominate, with low trees and shrubs including
1122:Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
252:as the central islands eroded away or subsided.
151:tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
71:tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
8:
978:
976:
1065:
1063:
1049:
1047:
1045:
1010:
1000:
923:
825:island. Other native birds include the
1026:
957:
955:
953:
951:
949:
947:
187:, and the islands were created by the
15:
945:
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939:
937:
935:
933:
931:
929:
927:
7:
1072:http://www.jstor.org/stable/4499169
878:in the ecoregion. They include the
1039:Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
809:) is an endemic species found the
14:
689:are endemic to 'Eua and Tongatapu
553:disturbed by human-caused fires.
85:549 km (212 sq mi)
563:Plants endemic to Tonga include
36:
24:
1057:(1992), vol. 46, no. 2: 159-178
963:"Tongan tropical moist forests"
874:There are 20 known species of
1:
1033:: CS1 maint: date and year (
701:is endemic to 'Eua and Vava'u
147:Tongan tropical moist forests
131:South Pacific Islands forests
19:Tongan tropical moist forests
490:replace the mangrove scrub.
1173:
452:as the predominant trees.
776:Pacific sheath-tailed bat
35:
23:
514:Hernandia moerenhoutiana
295:Calophyllum neo-ebudicum
807:Pachycephala jacquinoti
780:Emballonura semicaudata
642:Phyllostegia tongaensis
604:Pandanus tongatapuensis
566:Alphitonia franguloides
437:Casuarina equisetifolia
427:Hernandia nymphaeifolia
398:Casuarina equisetifolia
353:Pittosporum arborescens
969:. World Wildlife Fund.
967:Terrestrial Ecoregions
896:, and nine species of
884:Brachylophus fasciatus
862:bristle-thighed curlew
819:Megapodius pritchardii
733:are endemic to Vava'u.
672:Thelypteris macroptera
658:Hedycarya alternifolia
654:Didymocheton tongensis
534:Dicranopteris linearis
481:Xylocarpus moluccensis
377:Dicranopteris linearis
365:Pleiogynium timoriense
331:Didymocheton tongensis
291:Alphitonia zizyphoides
1002:10.1093/biosci/bix014
835:blue-crowned lorikeet
758:are endemic to Niue.
720:Atractocarpus crosbyi
686:Robiquetia tongaensis
549:in highland areas of
546:Miscanthus floridulus
431:Barringtonia asiatica
371:Cynometra grandiflora
315:Myristica hypargyraea
303:Elattostachys apetala
299:Cryptocarya turbinata
1137:Environment of Tonga
903:Tachygia microlepsis
866:Numenius tahitiensis
730:Pritchardia pacifica
712:Selaginella yunckeri
680:Dennstaedtia parksii
616:Pittosporum yunckeri
612:Phyllanthus amicorum
475:Bruguiera gymnorhiza
449:Excoecaria agallocha
424:Littoral forests of
389:Psychotria insularum
319:Zanthoxylum pinnatum
311:Maniltoa grandiflora
1152:Ecoregions of Tonga
1147:Environment of Niue
1117:Oceanian ecoregions
831:Prosopeia tabuensis
755:Dendrobium niueense
706:Psychotria kaoensis
698:Podocarpus pallidus
675:are endemic to 'Eua
650:Aglaia heterotricha
620:Psychotria euaensis
608:Pandanus vavauensis
596:Oldenlandia debilis
588:Guioa lentiscifolia
469:Lumnitzera littorea
337:Podocarpus pallidus
327:Neonauclea forsteri
323:Garcinia myrtifolia
121:Critical/endangered
117:Conservation status
1157:Ecoregions of Niue
1132:Geography of Tonga
892:, nine species of
827:red shining parrot
815:Niuafo'ou megapode
768:Pacific flying fox
715:are endemic to Kao
645:is endemic to 'Ata
540:Lycopodium cernuum
510:Bischofia javanica
506:Fagraea berteroana
463:Rhizophora stylosa
412:Hibiscus tiliaceus
408:Syzygium dealbatum
404:Pandanus tectorius
236:in the south, and
156:that includes the
30:Nuku Island, Tonga
1142:Geography of Niue
880:Lau banded iguana
772:Pteropus tonganus
752:, and the orchid
749:Myoporum nieuanum
739:Peperomia pallida
724:Casearia buelowii
630:Xylosma smithiana
624:Scaevola porrecta
600:Pandanus amicalis
592:Meiogyne amicorum
584:Grewia populoides
576:Arytera bifoliata
459:Rhizophora mangle
357:Garuga floribunda
341:Inocarpus fagifer
143:
142:
1164:
1101:
1095:
1089:
1083:
1074:
1067:
1058:
1051:
1040:
1038:
1032:
1024:
1014:
1004:
980:
971:
970:
959:
821:) is endemic to
418:Scaevola taccada
307:Litsea mellifera
160:archipelago and
40:
28:
16:
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1171:
1167:
1166:
1165:
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1107:
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1105:
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1068:
1061:
1055:Pacific Science
1052:
1043:
1025:
982:
981:
974:
961:
960:
925:
920:
912:
910:Protected areas
889:Candoia bibroni
858:Pterodroma alba
803:Tongan whistler
764:
727:, and the palm
683:and the orchid
669:, and the fern
580:Grewia amicorum
443:Pisonia grandis
383:Piper puberulum
380:and the shrubs
349:Pisonia grandis
345:Erythrina fusca
273:
264:
185:tectonic plates
170:
106:
43:
31:
12:
11:
5:
1170:
1168:
1160:
1159:
1154:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1129:
1127:Biota of Tonga
1124:
1119:
1109:
1108:
1103:
1102:
1090:
1075:
1059:
1041:
995:(6): 534–545.
972:
922:
921:
919:
916:
911:
908:
854:Phoenix petrel
850:Anous stolidus
839:Vini australis
763:
760:
735:
734:
716:
702:
690:
676:
666:Plantago euana
662:Ixora yunckeri
646:
287:Rhus taitensis
272:
269:
263:
260:
214:stratovolcanos
169:
166:
141:
140:
137:
133:
132:
129:
123:
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119:
113:
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108:
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828:
824:
820:
816:
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799:
797:
796:R. norvegicus
793:
789:
788:Rattus rattus
785:
781:
777:
773:
769:
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400:
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385:
384:
379:
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373:
372:
367:
366:
362:
361:Ficus obliqua
358:
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346:
342:
338:
333:
332:
328:
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320:
316:
312:
308:
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261:
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203:
199:
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174:
167:
165:
163:
159:
155:
152:
148:
139:117 km² (21%)
138:
134:
130:
128:
124:
120:
118:
114:
109:
103:
100:
98:
95:
94:
92:
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67:
63:
60:
57:
55:
51:
46:
39:
34:
27:
22:
17:
1093:
1054:
1029:cite journal
992:
988:
966:
913:
901:
900:. The skink
887:
883:
873:
870:
865:
857:
849:
843:
838:
830:
818:
811:Vava'u Group
806:
800:
795:
787:
779:
771:
765:
753:
747:
743:
737:
736:
728:
718:
710:
704:
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684:
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640:
635:
628:
574:
570:
564:
562:
555:
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522:
504:
498:
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485:
479:
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467:
457:
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447:
441:
435:
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423:
416:
402:
396:
394:
387:
381:
375:
369:
335:
285:
279:
277:
274:
265:
257:
254:
242:Niuatoputapu
216:, including
175:
171:
146:
144:
111:Conservation
42:Map of Tonga
886:), the boa
846:brown noddy
518:Astronidium
487:X. granatum
334:(on 'Eua),
1111:Categories
989:BioScience
918:References
524:Reynoldsia
521:spp., and
189:subduction
182:Australian
127:Global 200
823:Niuafo'ou
792:brown rat
784:black rat
281:Diospyros
238:Niuafo'ou
210:Tongatapu
168:Geography
154:ecoregion
136:Protected
90:Countries
77:Geography
1021:28608869
876:reptiles
500:Syzygium
234:Fonualei
180:and the
59:Oceanian
1012:5451287
860:), and
782:). The
744:niueana
694:conifer
558:endemic
262:Climate
178:Pacific
48:Ecology
1019:
1009:
833:) and
813:. The
790:) and
774:) and
627:, and
571:obtusa
503:spp.,
495:Tafahi
466:, and
434:, and
415:, and
368:, and
284:spp.,
250:atolls
246:Tafahi
244:, and
232:, and
208:, and
202:Vavaʻu
198:Lifuka
898:skink
894:gecko
762:Fauna
569:var.
537:with
478:with
271:Flora
222:Tofua
158:Tonga
149:is a
97:Tonga
66:Biome
54:Realm
1035:link
1017:PMID
742:var.
709:and
692:the
551:'Eua
543:and
484:and
446:and
386:and
230:Late
218:'Ata
206:'Eua
162:Niue
145:The
102:Niue
82:Area
1007:PMC
997:doi
852:),
841:).
578:,
529:Kao
226:Kao
194:Foa
1113::
1078:^
1062:^
1044:^
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1027:{{
1015:.
1005:.
993:67
991:.
987:.
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