New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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The flora and vegetation of mesic forest at Dogotuki, Vanua Levu, Fiji Islands

Gunnar Keppel

Biology Division
School of Biological, Chemical and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science and Technology
University of the South Pacific
Suva, Fiji

Present address: School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 472, Australia. g.keppel@uq.edu.au

Isaac A. Rounds
Nunia T. Thomas

Institute of Applied Sciences
University of the South Pacific
Suva, Fiji

Abstract  The flora and vegetation of an area in north-eastern Vanua Levu that is part of Fiji's last major system of mesic forest were studied and revealed a mosaic of vegetation types, including mesic sclerophyll forest, transition forest, stunted Dacrydium nidulum forest, mangrove forest, montane forest, brackish and freshwater wetlands, and disturbed landscapes. This is much more diverse than indicated by the previous "dry forest" label. The flora comprises more than 268 native species, several of which are rare or narrowly distributed. Relatively large and undisturbed stretches of vegetation and the presence of rare and novel species and vegetation types suggest that the landowners should be given every possible assistance in protecting this unique landscape

Keywords  Dacrydium nidulum; Gymnostoma vitiense; Fagraea beteroana; Fiji; Melanesia; mesic forest; sclerophyll; South Pacific; transition forest; vascular flora; vegetation analysis

B05035, Received 16 August 2005; accepted 6 June 2006; Online publication date 13 September 2006
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2006, Vol. 44: 273–292
0028–825X/06/4403–0273  © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006

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