Solomons-Vanuatu-Bismarck Moist Forests - A Global Ecoregion
More than 1,000 islands are contained within this ecoregion
Snapshot: Ecoregion 16
Size:
96,500 sq. km (370,000 sq. miles)
96,500 sq. km (370,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Geographic Location:
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu
Conservation Status:
Vulnerable
Quiz Time!
How much does the Great flying fox weigh?
Answer:
The great flying fox, a kind of fruit bat, weighs 3.5 pounds or 1.6 kg - very big indeed!
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: New Britain-New Ireland lowland rain forests; Vanuatu rain forests; Solomon Islands rain forests; New Britain-New Ireland montane rain forests.
More than 1,000 islands are contained within this ecoregion with each of these island groups harbouring its own unique array of species.For instance, the Solomon Islands have at least 148 species of land and freshwater birds alone, over 60 of which are endemic to the region. It is likely that more remain to be discovered here!
New Ireland and New Britain support diverse lowland rainforests on volcanic soils as well as higher elevation montane forests.
Local Species
Among the islands' rare mammals are a small wallaby called the Dusky pademelon and the Greater flying fox (Pteropus neohibernicus) - which is actually a bat.
Birds endemic to the ecoregion include Guadalcanal honeyeater (Guadalcanaria inexpectata), Mottled flowerpecker (Dicaeum tristrami), Rennell white-eye (Zosterops rennelliana), Matthias fantail (Rhipidura matthiae), and the Malaita fantail (R. malaitae).
Threats
Intensive logging on the part of multinational timber companies is devastating both lowland and montane forest habitats. Potential threats include conversion of forests to oil palm plantations and increasing population growth pressures. In additional, introduced species such as cats, dogs, rats, pigs, and cane toads can all be detrimental to native species.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
