This ecoregion covers two of the most isolated specks of land in the Pacific: Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the tiny reef of Isla Salas y Gómez some 415 kilometers to its northeast, both belonging to Chile. Before Polynesian settlement, Rapa Nui carried a unique subtropical forest dominated by tall palms, above all the now-extinct giant Paschalococos, a relative of the Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis), alongside the toromiro tree (Sophora toromiro), Triumfetta (hau hau), and other broadleaf species; centuries of clearing, fire, rats, and grazing have since reduced almost all of it to open grassland with only scattered native remnants. The climate is warm and humid subtropical, mild year-round given the islands' oceanic setting, with temperatures ranging from roughly 15 degrees Celsius in winter to the high 20s in summer. The toromiro is a striking emblem of the ecoregion's loss: endemic to Rapa Nui and now extinct in the wild, it persists only in botanical collections such as Kew and the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, which underpin ongoing efforts to return it to the island. For gardeners, that legume's bright yellow flowers and cultural heritage make it a rare native worth knowing, even though it endures today only under cultivation.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 27.1°S, 109.4°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
Climate snapshot not available at this resolution — this ecoregion sits outside our detailed climate coverage (typically Antarctic interior or far-ocean island chains).
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Oceania
Approximate area
69 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
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: