The Palau tropical moist forests cover the archipelago nation of Palau in western Micronesia (Oceania), a chain of islands lying roughly 800 km north of the equator and east of the Philippines, with volcanic Babeldaob as by far the largest island. Its vegetation spans eight forest types, including upland forest on the high volcanic islands along with swamp, mangrove, atoll, casuarina, limestone, and palm forest; canopy trees such as Campnosperma brevipetiolata, Parinari corymbosa, and Pterocarpus indicus dominate, and uplifted limestone supports endemic palms. The climate is humid and tropical, with a mean annual temperature near 27 degrees C in Koror and heavy rainfall that peaks from May through November. The forests harbor exceptional island endemism, with 972 native plant species (178 found nowhere else) and many endemic birds, the Palau fruit dove serving as the ecoregion's flagship. Much of Babeldaob's forest has been cleared for grassland, and the ecoregion is considered critically endangered despite a growing network of protected areas. For gardeners in warm, humid climates, native species like the ornamental shade tree Pterocarpus indicus are familiar tropical horticultural choices.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 7.5°N, 134.6°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
Oceania
Approximate area
178 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: