The Western Polynesian tropical moist forests span scattered low islands across Tuvalu, the Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, Tokelau, and the United States' Howland and Baker Islands. Almost all are low islands of coralline sand ringing a central lagoon, or raised platforms of coralline limestone, so the vegetation is widespread coastal Indo-Pacific forest with relatively few endemic species: characteristic trees include Pisonia grandis, Pandanus tectorius, Guettarda speciosa, Cordia subcordata, and the silvery-leaved tree heliotrope (Heliotropium arboreum), grading into Scaevola scrub near the shore. The climate is tropical but markedly uneven, with Tuvalu and Tokelau receiving fairly regular rainfall while the Phoenix Islands and Howland and Baker are drier and prone to drought, storms, and salt spray. These islands are globally important seabird grounds, hosting millions of nesting birds and the Pacific imperial pigeon as a flagship species, and much of the ecoregion sits within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, one of the largest protected areas in the world. For gardeners in warm coastal climates, several natives here, such as screwpine (Pandanus), beach naupaka (Scaevola), and Calophyllum inophyllum, are familiar salt-tolerant ornamentals.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 2.8°S, 171.6°W. This ecoregion crosses the antimeridian.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.1°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
36 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Recover (Dinerstein NNH 3)
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: