Ta'u, American Samoa, as a Pacific-Asia Biodiversity (PABITRA) Site

W. A. Whistler

Lyon Arboretum, Honolulu, Hawai’i

Ta’u, American Samoa, the easternmost high island in the Samoan archipelago, has an area of 39 km² and an elevation of 930 m. It lies approximately 100 km to the east of the main island of American Samoa, Tutuila, and has a surface covered with a clay soil formed by the erosion of ancient lava flows that once covered the island. Its location (14^o S) in the wet tropics and steep cliffs on the windward (southern) side results in a high annual precipitation, particularly at the summit, which during the day is nearly always cloaked in clouds. Only three coastal villages, all on the northern side of the island, are present. Because of the small population and infrequent use of the interior, nearly the whole island is covered with secondary and primary forest, along with an unusual “summit scrub” vegetation at the top.

The native angiosperm flora of the island comprises about 224 species, which is relatively high for such a small island. A large part of Ta’u is already protected by its inclusion in the National Park of American Samoa. This protection, along with the presence of contiguous native vegetation running from the summit to the sea and recent biological studies there, makes Ta’u ideally suited as a PABITRA transect site.

Abstract from: XIX Pacific Science Congress, July 4-9, 1999, Sydney, Australia.