The Louisiade Archipelago rain forests form a distinct ecoregion on a chain of islands in Papua New Guinea, lying southeast of New Guinea between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to the south; the largest islands, including Misima, Sudest (Tagula), and Rossel, are volcanic and frequently fringed by coral reefs. The islands carry a moist tropical climate and are largely covered with tropical moist broadleaf rainforest, though some low-lying coral islands are drier. Characteristic trees come from genera such as Hopea, Pandanus, Diospyros, Casuarina, and Castanopsis, with drier forests adding Pometia, Canarium, Terminalia, Syzygium, and Ficus. Isolation has produced notable endemism, with several endemic trees alongside endemic frogs, lizards, and birds; the Tagula honeyeater serves as the ecoregion's flagship species, and there are no formal protected areas. For gardeners, native genera here include the ornamental screwpines (Pandanus) and the casuarinas grown elsewhere as feathery, salt-tolerant trees.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 11.5°S, 153.5°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.8°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Australasia
Approximate area
623 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: