New Caledonia rain forests 1598563 176007048 2007-12-05T21:16:40Z SmackBot 433328 Standard headings &/or gen fixes. using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] The '''New Caledonia rain forests''' are a [[terrestrial ecoregion]], located in [[New Caledonia]] in the [[Oceania|South Pacific]]. It is a [[Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|tropical moist broadleaf forest]] ecoregion, part of the [[Australasia ecozone]]. ==Setting== The ecoregion covers the [[windward]] eastern side of Grand Terre, New Caledonia's mountainous main island, as well as the smaller [[Loyalty Islands]] to the east and the [[Isle of Pines, New Caledonia|Isle of Pines]] to the south of Grand Terre. The ecoregion covers an area of 14,600 square kilometers (5,600 square miles). Grand Terre is a long island that runs approximately north-south, with a mountain range down the center with five peaks that exceed 1500 meters elevation. The Loyalty Islands and Ile des Pins are much lower. New Caledonia lies astride the [[Tropic of Capricorn]], between 19º and 23º south [[latitude]], 1,200 km east of Australia and 1,500 km northeast of New Zealand. The climate of the islands is [[tropical]], and [[rainfall]] is highly seasonal, brought by [[trade winds]] that usually come from the east. Rainfall averages about 1,500 mm yearly on the Loyalty Islands, 2,000 mm at low elevations on eastern Grand Terre, and 2,000-4,000 mm at high elevations on Grand Terre. The western slopes of Grand Terre, which are in the [[rain shadow]] of the central mountain range, are much drier, and are home to the [[New Caledonia dry forests]] ecoregion. New Caledonia is an ancient fragment of [[Gondwana]], the southern supercontinent. It separated from [[Australia]] 85 million years ago, and remained attached to [[New Zealand]] until 55 million years ago. It has been islolated from other land masses since then, although a number of plants and animals have been able to cross the straits separating New Caledonia from neighboring islands. ==Flora== The New Caledonia rain forests are made up of three predominant forest types. The lowland rain forests cover the Loyalty Islands, and the Iles des Pines and the lower elevations of Grand Terre. Montane forests cover the higher elevations of Grand Terre. The wet [[maquis shrubland|maquis]] forests of Grand Terre are low shrub forests found on rocky soils derived from [[ultramafic]] rocks. The predominant flora of New Caledonia rain forests is derived from the [[Antarctic flora]] of ancient southern Gondwana. Like the Australian rainforests and the temperate forests of New Zealand, [[conifer]]s of the southern hemisphere families [[Araucariaceae]] and [[Podocarpaceae]] are mixed with [[angiosperm]] trees, including the southern hemisphere genus ''[[Nothofagus]]'' and trees and shrubs of families [[Myrtaceae]] and [[Proteaceae]]. The lowland forests are a generally a mixed-species composition, interspersed with some single species stands. The predominant conifers are ''[[Araucaria]] columnaris'', ''A. bernieri'', ''[[Agathis]] lanceolata'', ''A. ovata'' (Araucariaceae), and ''[[Dacrydium]] araucarioides'', ''[[Dacrycarpus]] vieillardii'' and ''[[Falcatifolium]] taxoides'' (Podocarpaceae). Predominant angiosperm trees include ''Montrouziera cauliflora'', ''Calophyllum neocaledonicum'', ''Dysoxylum spp.'', ''Neogullauminia cleopatra'', and ''Hernandia cordigera'', together with species of the [[Proteaceae]] genera ''[[Kermadecia]], [[Macadamia]],'' and ''[[Sleumerodendron]]''. ''[[Araucaria]]'', ''[[Callistemon]]'', and ''Nothofagus'' predominate in the single-species stands. The Montane rain forests are also mixed-species, predominantly the conifers ''Araucaria'', ''Agathis'', ''Podocarpus'', ''Dacrydium'', ''Libocedrus'', and ''Acmopyle'', and the angiosperms ''[[Metrosideros]]'', ''[[Weinmannia]]'', ''[[Quintinia]]'', and ''[[Nothofagus]]''. The Maquis forests hold a great variety of species, with many [[endemic (ecology)|endemics]]. The ultramafic rocks, which formed in the deep ocean, are rich in metals, including [[nickel]], [[magnesium]], [[chromium]], and [[manganese]], which are toxic to many plants. The predominant trees are stunted Araucarias. ==Fauna== New Caledonia has one of the most enigmatic birds of the world, the endangered [[Kagu]]. It is related to the cranes and it lives very hidden. It is also the heraldic bird of the island. Another endemic bird is the [[New Caledonian Rail]]. This critically endangered bird could be extinct but many believe that it still persists. Both the [[New Caledonian Owlet-nightjar]] and the [[New Caledonian Lorikeet]] are believed to persist under similar circumstances. There are also another twenty or so endemic birds on the island, including the tool-using [[New Caledonian Crow]]. See [[Endemic birds of New Caledonia]] for more details. The seashells from New Caledonia are in great demand by collectors. ==Conservation== ==See also== [[Biodiversity of New Caledonia]] ==References== Flannery, Tim ([[1994]]). ''The Future Eaters''. Grove Press, [[New York City|New York]]. ==External links== *[http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/aa/aa0113_full.html New Caledonia rain forests (World Wildlife Fund)] [[Category:Australasia]] [[Category:Global 200 ecoregions]] [[Category:Geography of New Caledonia]] [[Category:Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]