Lakeba
Encyclopedia
Lakeba is an island in Fiji
's Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It is fertile and well watered, and encircled by a 29-kilometer road. Its closest neighbors are Aiwa 12 km to the southeast and Nayau 28 km to the northwest. Separated by deep sea from the latter but only by shallow waters from the former, when sea level
s were lower during glacial episodes Lakeba and Aiwa formed one large island.
It has a population of around 2,100 in eight villages, the most important of which is the capital Tubou
which lies in the island's south. Near Tubou is the village of Levuka; not to be confused with its namesake
– Fiji's old capital –, Levuka on Lakeba is home to a fishing tribe whose ancestors came from Bau Island
. Another significant village is Nasaqalau
, located in the northern part of Lakeba.
shape. About 9 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide, it is circumscribed by a total shoreline of 32 kilometers. The island, which has a maximum altitude
of 219 meters, has a core of andesitic volcanic
rock of Miocene
age, with raised coral
rock (Futuna limestone) around it. The limestone
lies bare in places, forming karst
and – particularly on the north and north-west coasts – cliffs up to 76 meters high; the overall area taken up by bare limestone is about 4% of Lakeba's total land surface. A reforestation
programme has seen the planting of Lakeba's hills (formerly partially denuded by deforestation
) with Caribbean Pine
(Pinus caribea) trees.
The climate
of Lakeba is generally humid, with a wetter summer and a drier winter. The average annual precipitation
is somewhat over 2,000 mm as measured at Tubou
, but average monthly precipitation in the winter months – June, July and August – is only around 80 mm, and there can be large differences in rainfall between years.
The village of Nasaqalau
is noted for a number of cave
s, the most famous being Oso Nabukete, also known as the Pregnant Women's Cave. According to legend, a woman attempting to hide her pregnancy will not be able to escape through the mouth of the cave. It is adjoined by Qara Bulu, once used as a prison in times of tribal war. A third cave, Koro ni Vono, was once used as a place of banishment for tuberculosis
patients, who were left there to die. Other notable caves include the Tubou Cave, of interest to geologist
s, and Qara ni Puka where many remains of extinct bird
s have been found.
Vuanirewa
clan, which is based in Tubou
. The head of this clan takes the title of Tui Nayau
, and is the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands. The last Tui Nayau was Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
(1920–2004); he was Fiji's first Prime Minister and second President, and the most durable figure of Fijian politics
for more than three decades.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara is buried in the village of Tubou, as are Enele Ma'afu
(1816–1881) – a Tonga
n-Fiji
an warlord who conquered much of Fiji in the 19th century – and Fiji's first modern statesman Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna
(1888–1958).
Lakeba lies on a historical faultline between Fiji and Tonga
, and Tongan influence is seen in many aspects of Lakeban culture. Lakeban architecture features rounded houses rather than the square-ended ones elsewhere in Fiji. The Lakeban dialect of Fijian
also shows considerable Tongan influence. Tongan hymn
s are popular in polotu (an evening church service), and Tongan clothing styles are reflected in the mats tied around the waist on formal occasions. Tongan traditional dances called lakalaka
are also popular.
Archaeological excavations in the 1990s discovered a massive fortress, built around a thousand years ago. Large enough to house 2,500 people (more than the total population of the island), the fortress is believed to have been built as a bulwark against Tongan invaders.
The inhabitants of Nasaqalau
are famous for the ability of one of their clans to call shark
s from the sea. This clan originated in the village of Wainikeli on the island of Taveuni
.
production is the most important economic activity on Lakeba. There is also a coconut
mill four kilometers outside Tubou. Tourism is of lesser importance in Lakeba than in some other parts of Fiji.
on Lakeba has been strongly altered. Terrestrial mammal
s, not originally native, have been introduces as livestock
or stowaways, and today the island has horse
s, pig
s, cattle
, dog
s, cat
s, and Polynesian
(Rattus exulans) as well as Black Rat
s (R. rattus).
Among land birds, bird
species
disappeared from Lakeba in prehistoric times, probably after the upland forests were largely cleared away; introduced rat
s as well as hunting probably also contributed to their demise. Others managed to adapt to the alteration of habitat
by humans, though they are generally not as common as on Aiwa where there has been no significant deforestation
. For the most part, the avifauna
of Lakeba is more similar to that of Samoa
and Tonga
than to that of the main group of Fiji
. Quite commonly seen are the White-rumped Swiftlet
(Collocalia spodiopygia), Polynesian Starling
, (Aplonis tabuensis, either the West Fijian subspecies
vitiensis or the subspecies tabuensis from the southern Lau group and Tonga), Vanikoro Flycatcher
(Myiagra vanikorensis), and the Slaty Monarch
(Mayrornis lessoni) which is endemic to Fiji. Two honeyeater
s, the endemic Orange-breasted Myzomela
(Myzomela jugularis) and the widespread Eastern Wattled Honeyeater
(Foulehaio carunculatus carunculatus), have adapted well to human settlement and are rather common in the coconut
plantations. The Collared Lory
(Phigys solitarius), endemic to Fiji in modern times, also frequents this habitat, but is a rather rare species on Lakeba.
At least three species formerly found on Lakeba are now completely extinct: the Lakeba Imperial-pigeon (Ducula lakeba) might also have occurred on Viti Levu
and perhaps on the Tongan islands of [[ʻEua]], Foa
and Lifuka
. If so, it probably was generally widespread in western Polynesia
, but until now it is only known with certainty from Lakeba and Aiwa. A hitherto undescribed Gallirallus
rail also inhabited Lakeba and Aiwa in the past; as this bird was flightless
it represents an endemic species. The Consumed Scrubfowl (Megapodius alimentum), a species rather widely distributed throughout Fiji and Tonga, also occurred on Lakeba and Aiwa in the past; as scrubfowl
were widely transported across islands by settlers, this species might have been brought here by humans, but altogether this is not too likely.
However, on Aiwa a single bone was found, probably referrable either to the Viti Levu Scrubfowl (M. amissus) or the Pile-builder Megapode
(M. molistructor); the latter species occurred on Tonga and New Caledonia
, while the former, which lived on Viti Levu and perhaps Kadavu of the western group of Fiji, possibly survived to modern times. Considering that only one bone was found and that M. alimentum was numerous on Lakeba and presumably also Aiwa, it may well be that the second Megapodius species was indeed imported as food by Polynesians
and never had a self-sustaining population; in that regard it may be noted that unlike M. alimentum, M. amissus was a weak flier or even flightless. Parrot bones found on Lakeba might be of the Oceanic Eclectus Parrot
(Eclectus infectus); biogeography
suggests that this species was formerly native to at least some islands in Fiji, as it occurred on Tonga to the east and Vanuatu
to the west. In addition, there remains a batch of songbird
bones from several species that have not been identified; these might be of birds not found on Lakeba anymore but it is not too likely that they contain any entirely extinct forms.
Also found on Aiwa was a single bone of a Porzana
rail. Apparently this was yet another distinct species, and if so it is likely to have occurred on Lakeba too. But until more material turns up and is studied, nothing can be said with certainty, particularly in respect of the fact that the White-browed Crake
(P. cinerea) and the Spotless Crake
(P. tabuensis) formerly occurred on Lakeba. Finally, a single bone of the Striated Heron
(Butorides striata) was found on Lakeba; the species does not occur there today, but unless more bones are found it is not sure that it had a self-sustaining population on this island rather than being merely an occasional visitor. Peale's Imperial-pigeon
(Ducula latrans), the Southwest Pacific Peregrine Falcon
(Falco peregrinus nesiotes) and the Fiji Shrikebill
(Clytorhynchus vitiensis) breed on much smaller Aiwa but not on Lakeba; though no bones of these species have been found here to date, it is likely that they formerly occurred on Lakeba too.
The former upland forest was largely cleared after the initial settlement to make room for agriculture
; only about 5 km² (1.9 sq mi) of it remain. A total 40% of Lakeba's surface is used for cultivation of Caribbean Pine
(Pinus caribaea), the rare cycad
("sago palm") Cycas seemannii, Coconut Palms (Cocos nucifera
) and other crop
s. The remaining vegetation of Lakeba is dominated by dicots
; it can be classified as follows, progressing from the peak to the shore:
Plants found on Lakeba that are endemic to Fiji are Alangium vitiense, Buchanania vitiensis, Connarus pickeringii, Davallia solida var. fejeensis, Diospyros vitiensis var. longisepala, Dysoxylum tenuiflorum, Elatostema tenellum, Eragrostis scabriflora, Ficus fulvo-pilosa, Ficus masonii, Geissois ternata, Geniostoma uninervium
, Glochidion seemannii, Homalium pallidum, Maniltoa floribunda, Melicope cucullata, Melochia vitiensis, Myristica gillespieana, Phaleria pubiflora, Polyalthia laddiana and Psychotria cf. pickeringii. Plants tentatively identified as the Fijian endemics Barringtonia seaturae, Citronella vitiensis, Cyathocalyx insularis and Elaeocarpus storckii grow on Lakeba, but whether it is really these species requires confirmation.
None of the described endemic species occurs exclusively on this island, but there is an unidentified Syzygium
similar to Syzygium gracilipes and another member of this genus that almost certainly is a hitherto unknown species. These might indeed be found on Lakeba only.
Interesting non-endemic plants found on Lakeba are the endangered
Aglaia saltatorum
and the rare (though not endangered) Burckella richii. In 1999-2001 the first Fijian record of Macropiper timothianum outside the large northwestern islands was made on Lakeba, as well as the first records for Fiji of Suicide Tree (Cerbera odollam
) and Garuga floribunda. Whether Canarium vanikoroense, otherwise known in Fiji only from the large islands, occurs on Lakeba remains to be verified.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
's Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It is fertile and well watered, and encircled by a 29-kilometer road. Its closest neighbors are Aiwa 12 km to the southeast and Nayau 28 km to the northwest. Separated by deep sea from the latter but only by shallow waters from the former, when sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
s were lower during glacial episodes Lakeba and Aiwa formed one large island.
It has a population of around 2,100 in eight villages, the most important of which is the capital Tubou
Tubou
Tubou is a village on the Fijian island of Lakeba. One of eight villages on Lakeba, it is considered the capital of the Lau Islands, being the seat of the Vuanirewa clan, a powerful chiefly family from which Fiji's longtime Prime Minister and President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and one of Fiji's...
which lies in the island's south. Near Tubou is the village of Levuka; not to be confused with its namesake
Levuka
Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. It was formerly the Capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population of 1,131 , about half of Ovalau's 8,360 inhabitants...
– Fiji's old capital –, Levuka on Lakeba is home to a fishing tribe whose ancestors came from Bau Island
Bau Island
Bau is a small island in Fiji, off the east coast of the main island of Viti Levu.-History:With the aid of Charlie Savage, who brought firearms to Bau Island, the Bauan people quickly established themselves as an undefeatable military force...
. Another significant village is Nasaqalau
Nasaqalau
Nasaqalau is one of eight villages on the island of Lakeba, in Fiji's Lau archipelago.The Original inhabitants of Lakeba Island are those that reside in Nasaqalau they came from Waimaro of the Dreketi clan through Matuku and onto Nasaqalau...
, located in the northern part of Lakeba.
Geography
Situated at 18.20° South and 178.80° East, Lakeba has an irregular ovalOval
An oval is any curve resembling an egg or an ellipse, such as a Cassini oval. The term does not have a precise mathematical definition except in one area oval , but it may also refer to:* A sporting arena of oval shape** a cricket field...
shape. About 9 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide, it is circumscribed by a total shoreline of 32 kilometers. The island, which has a maximum altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 219 meters, has a core of andesitic volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
rock of Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
age, with raised coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
rock (Futuna limestone) around it. The limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
lies bare in places, forming karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
and – particularly on the north and north-west coasts – cliffs up to 76 meters high; the overall area taken up by bare limestone is about 4% of Lakeba's total land surface. A reforestation
Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
programme has seen the planting of Lakeba's hills (formerly partially denuded by deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
) with Caribbean Pine
Caribbean Pine
The Caribbean Pine, Pinus caribaea, is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, which include both lowland savannas and montane forests...
(Pinus caribea) trees.
The climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
of Lakeba is generally humid, with a wetter summer and a drier winter. The average annual precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is somewhat over 2,000 mm as measured at Tubou
Tubou
Tubou is a village on the Fijian island of Lakeba. One of eight villages on Lakeba, it is considered the capital of the Lau Islands, being the seat of the Vuanirewa clan, a powerful chiefly family from which Fiji's longtime Prime Minister and President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and one of Fiji's...
, but average monthly precipitation in the winter months – June, July and August – is only around 80 mm, and there can be large differences in rainfall between years.
The village of Nasaqalau
Nasaqalau
Nasaqalau is one of eight villages on the island of Lakeba, in Fiji's Lau archipelago.The Original inhabitants of Lakeba Island are those that reside in Nasaqalau they came from Waimaro of the Dreketi clan through Matuku and onto Nasaqalau...
is noted for a number of cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s, the most famous being Oso Nabukete, also known as the Pregnant Women's Cave. According to legend, a woman attempting to hide her pregnancy will not be able to escape through the mouth of the cave. It is adjoined by Qara Bulu, once used as a prison in times of tribal war. A third cave, Koro ni Vono, was once used as a place of banishment for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
patients, who were left there to die. Other notable caves include the Tubou Cave, of interest to geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s, and Qara ni Puka where many remains of extinct bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s have been found.
History and culture
Lakeba is known as a chiefly island, being the home island of the chieflyRatu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Vuanirewa
Vuanirewa
The Vuanirewa is the ruling tribe of the Lau Islands, a scattered group of more than a hundred islands and reefs along the eastern edge of Fiji.- Origins :...
clan, which is based in Tubou
Tubou
Tubou is a village on the Fijian island of Lakeba. One of eight villages on Lakeba, it is considered the capital of the Lau Islands, being the seat of the Vuanirewa clan, a powerful chiefly family from which Fiji's longtime Prime Minister and President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and one of Fiji's...
. The head of this clan takes the title of Tui Nayau
Tui Nayau
Tui Nayau is the title held by the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated Tui Nayau means Lord of Nayau, an island north of Lakeba, the latter accepted by many to be the chiefly island in the Lauan...
, and is the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands. The last Tui Nayau was Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
(1920–2004); he was Fiji's first Prime Minister and second President, and the most durable figure of Fijian politics
Politics of Fiji
Politics of Fiji takes place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. Fiji has a multi-party system with the Prime Minister of Fiji as head of government. The executive power is exercised by the government...
for more than three decades.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara is buried in the village of Tubou, as are Enele Ma'afu
Enele Ma'afu
Enele Ma'afu'otu'itonga, commonly known as Ma'afu, was a man of two kingdoms being traditionally a Tongan Prince and a self forged Fijian chief.-A Brief History:...
(1816–1881) – a Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n-Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an warlord who conquered much of Fiji in the 19th century – and Fiji's first modern statesman Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna
Lala Sukuna
Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, KCMG, KBE was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the post-independence leadership of Fiji...
(1888–1958).
Lakeba lies on a historical faultline between Fiji and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, and Tongan influence is seen in many aspects of Lakeban culture. Lakeban architecture features rounded houses rather than the square-ended ones elsewhere in Fiji. The Lakeban dialect of Fijian
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
also shows considerable Tongan influence. Tongan hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s are popular in polotu (an evening church service), and Tongan clothing styles are reflected in the mats tied around the waist on formal occasions. Tongan traditional dances called lakalaka
Lakalaka
The lakalaka is a Tongan group dance where the performers are largely standing still and make gestures with their arms only. It is considered as the national dance of Tonga and part of the intangible human heritage...
are also popular.
Archaeological excavations in the 1990s discovered a massive fortress, built around a thousand years ago. Large enough to house 2,500 people (more than the total population of the island), the fortress is believed to have been built as a bulwark against Tongan invaders.
The inhabitants of Nasaqalau
Nasaqalau
Nasaqalau is one of eight villages on the island of Lakeba, in Fiji's Lau archipelago.The Original inhabitants of Lakeba Island are those that reside in Nasaqalau they came from Waimaro of the Dreketi clan through Matuku and onto Nasaqalau...
are famous for the ability of one of their clans to call shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s from the sea. This clan originated in the village of Wainikeli on the island of Taveuni
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
.
Economy
CopraCopra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
production is the most important economic activity on Lakeba. There is also a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
mill four kilometers outside Tubou. Tourism is of lesser importance in Lakeba than in some other parts of Fiji.
Ecology
Due to the extensive and long-lasting settlement, the original ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
on Lakeba has been strongly altered. Terrestrial mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, not originally native, have been introduces as livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
or stowaways, and today the island has horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s, pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, and Polynesian
Polynesian Rat
The Polynesian Rat, or Pacific Rat , known to the Māori as kiore, is the third most widespread species of rat in the world behind the Brown Rat and Black Rat. The Polynesian Rat originates in Southeast Asia but, like its cousins, has become well travelled – infiltrating Fiji and most Polynesian...
(Rattus exulans) as well as Black Rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
s (R. rattus).
Birds
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
disappeared from Lakeba in prehistoric times, probably after the upland forests were largely cleared away; introduced rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s as well as hunting probably also contributed to their demise. Others managed to adapt to the alteration of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
by humans, though they are generally not as common as on Aiwa where there has been no significant deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
. For the most part, the avifauna
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
of Lakeba is more similar to that of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
than to that of the main group of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Quite commonly seen are the White-rumped Swiftlet
White-rumped Swiftlet
The White-rumped Swiftlet is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu...
(Collocalia spodiopygia), Polynesian Starling
Polynesian Starling
The Polynesian Starling is a species of starling of the family Sturnidae. It is found in American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, the Santa Cruz Islands, and Wallis and Futuna Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and tropical moist forests...
, (Aplonis tabuensis, either the West Fijian subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
vitiensis or the subspecies tabuensis from the southern Lau group and Tonga), Vanikoro Flycatcher
Vanikoro Flycatcher
The Vanikoro Flycatcher, Myiagra vanikorensis is a species of monarch flycatcher in the family Monarchidae. It has a slightly disjunct distribution, occurring in Santa Cruz Islands in the southern Solomon Islands and the islands of Fiji...
(Myiagra vanikorensis), and the Slaty Monarch
Slaty Monarch
The Slaty Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Fiji.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Mayrornis lessoni) which is endemic to Fiji. Two honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s, the endemic Orange-breasted Myzomela
Orange-breasted Myzomela
The Sulphur-breasted Myzomela , also known as the Orange-breasted Myzomela or Orange-breasted Honeyeater, is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.-Description:...
(Myzomela jugularis) and the widespread Eastern Wattled Honeyeater
Wattled Honeyeater
The Wattled Honeyeater is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is the only species in the genus Foulehaio....
(Foulehaio carunculatus carunculatus), have adapted well to human settlement and are rather common in the coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
plantations. The Collared Lory
Collared Lory
The Collared Lory is a monotypic species of parrot in the Psittacidae family, and it is the only species in the genus Phigys. It is endemic to the islands of Fiji. It is the only Fijian rainforest bird to adapt to urban landscapes and can be found in urban Suva...
(Phigys solitarius), endemic to Fiji in modern times, also frequents this habitat, but is a rather rare species on Lakeba.
At least three species formerly found on Lakeba are now completely extinct: the Lakeba Imperial-pigeon (Ducula lakeba) might also have occurred on Viti Levu
Viti Levu
Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
and perhaps on the Tongan islands of [[ʻEua]], Foa
Foa
Foa is an island in Tonga. It is located within the Haapai group in the centre of the country, to northeast of the national capital of Nukualofa.Foa is linked to adjacent Lifuka Island by a causeway, and is located 640 meters northeast of Lifuka....
and Lifuka
Lifuka
Lifuka is an island in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located within the Haapai Group in the centre of the country, to northeast of the national capital of Nukualofa...
. If so, it probably was generally widespread in western Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
, but until now it is only known with certainty from Lakeba and Aiwa. A hitherto undescribed Gallirallus
Gallirallus
Gallirallus is a genus that contains about a dozen living species of rails that live in the Australasian-Pacific region. Many of these, including the most well-known one - the bold and inquisitive weka of New Zealand - are flightless or nearly so; others, such as the Buff-banded Rail, can go for...
rail also inhabited Lakeba and Aiwa in the past; as this bird was flightless
Flightless bird
Flightless birds are birds which lack the ability to fly, relying instead on their ability to run or swim. They are thought to have evolved from flying ancestors. There are about forty species in existence today, the best known being the ostrich, emu, cassowary, rhea, kiwi, and penguin...
it represents an endemic species. The Consumed Scrubfowl (Megapodius alimentum), a species rather widely distributed throughout Fiji and Tonga, also occurred on Lakeba and Aiwa in the past; as scrubfowl
Scrubfowl
The scrubfowl are the genus Megapodius of the mound-builders, stocky, medium-large chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. They are found from south-east Asia to north Australia and islands in the west Pacific.They do not incubate their eggs with their body...
were widely transported across islands by settlers, this species might have been brought here by humans, but altogether this is not too likely.
However, on Aiwa a single bone was found, probably referrable either to the Viti Levu Scrubfowl (M. amissus) or the Pile-builder Megapode
Pile-builder Megapode
The Pile-builder Megapode is an extinct species of megapode. The fossil remains were found by Jean-Christophe Balouet and Storrs L. Olson in caves on New Caledonia and Tonga.-Description:...
(M. molistructor); the latter species occurred on Tonga and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, while the former, which lived on Viti Levu and perhaps Kadavu of the western group of Fiji, possibly survived to modern times. Considering that only one bone was found and that M. alimentum was numerous on Lakeba and presumably also Aiwa, it may well be that the second Megapodius species was indeed imported as food by Polynesians
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
and never had a self-sustaining population; in that regard it may be noted that unlike M. alimentum, M. amissus was a weak flier or even flightless. Parrot bones found on Lakeba might be of the Oceanic Eclectus Parrot
Oceanic Eclectus Parrot
The Oceanic Eclectus Parrot is an extinct parrot species which occurred on Tonga, Vanuatu and possibly on Fiji. The only living relative in the genus is the Eclectus Parrot which has proportionally larger wings than the Oceanic Eclectus Parrot...
(Eclectus infectus); biogeography
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
suggests that this species was formerly native to at least some islands in Fiji, as it occurred on Tonga to the east and Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
to the west. In addition, there remains a batch of songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
bones from several species that have not been identified; these might be of birds not found on Lakeba anymore but it is not too likely that they contain any entirely extinct forms.
Also found on Aiwa was a single bone of a Porzana
Porzana
Porzana is a genus of birds in the crake or rail family, Rallidae. It has a global distribution, contains 13 living species, and 4-5 recently extinct ones...
rail. Apparently this was yet another distinct species, and if so it is likely to have occurred on Lakeba too. But until more material turns up and is studied, nothing can be said with certainty, particularly in respect of the fact that the White-browed Crake
White-browed Crake
The White-browed Crake is a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It is found in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vanuatu.Its natural...
(P. cinerea) and the Spotless Crake
Spotless Crake
The Spotless Crake is a species of bird in the rail family, Rallidae.It is found in American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga.-References:* BirdLife...
(P. tabuensis) formerly occurred on Lakeba. Finally, a single bone of the Striated Heron
Striated Heron
The Striated Heron, Butorides striata, also known as Mangrove Heron, Little Heron or Green-backed Heron, is a small heron. Striated Herons are mostly non-migratory and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to...
(Butorides striata) was found on Lakeba; the species does not occur there today, but unless more bones are found it is not sure that it had a self-sustaining population on this island rather than being merely an occasional visitor. Peale's Imperial-pigeon
Peale's Imperial-pigeon
The Barking Imperial Pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae.It is endemic to Fiji, where is occurs on most of the medium and large islands....
(Ducula latrans), the Southwest Pacific Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
(Falco peregrinus nesiotes) and the Fiji Shrikebill
Fiji Shrikebill
The Fiji Shrikebill is a songbird species in the family Monarchidae. The Manu'a Shrikebill, subspecies powelli may have gone extinct in the 1990 due to habitat destruction....
(Clytorhynchus vitiensis) breed on much smaller Aiwa but not on Lakeba; though no bones of these species have been found here to date, it is likely that they formerly occurred on Lakeba too.
Plants
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
; only about 5 km² (1.9 sq mi) of it remain. A total 40% of Lakeba's surface is used for cultivation of Caribbean Pine
Caribbean Pine
The Caribbean Pine, Pinus caribaea, is a hard pine native to Central America, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, which include both lowland savannas and montane forests...
(Pinus caribaea), the rare cycad
Cycad
Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
("sago palm") Cycas seemannii, Coconut Palms (Cocos nucifera
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
) and other crop
Crop
Crop may refer to:* Crop, a plant grown and harvested for agricultural use* Crop , part of the alimentary tract of some animals* Crop , a modified whip used in horseback riding or disciplining humans...
s. The remaining vegetation of Lakeba is dominated by dicots
Dicotyledon
The dicotyledons, also known as dicots, are a group of flowering plants whose seed typically has two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. There are around 199,350 species within this group...
; it can be classified as follows, progressing from the peak to the shore:
- Upland forest on volcanic soil. Little remains today, mostly in ravineRavineA ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s and on ridgeRidgeA ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
s. Contains such species as Alyxia stellataAlyxia stellataAlyxia stellata is a plant in family Apocynaceae. Its white bark gives away a certain distinctive smell and bitter taste. This plant grows wild in the forests and in the fields of mountainous area...
, Alphitonia zizyphoides, Barringtonia edulis, Dysoxylum richii, Ficus scabra, Grewia crenata, Micromelum minutum, Pittosporum arborescens, Vavaea amicorum, and Geissois ternata which is only found on volcanic soils. - talasiga grasslandGrasslandGrasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and scrub. This is a plant community that contains mainly herbaceousHerbaceous plantA herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
and small woodyWoody plantA woody plant is a plant that uses wood as its structural tissue. These are typically perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced adjacent to the vascular tissues. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of...
species; it grows where forest had been cleared away in the past. In locations that have suffered much erosionErosionErosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
it persists; elsewhere it is gradually being replaced with forest again. Dominant plant species are Dicranopteris linearisDicranopteris linearisDicranopteris linearis is a common species of fern known by many common names, including Old World forked fern and uluhe . It is one of the most widely distributed ferns of the wet Old World tropics and adjacent regions, including Polynesia and the Pacific...
, Hopseed (Dodonaea viscosaDodonaea viscosaDodonaea viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.-Description:...
), Pandanus tectoriusPandanus tectoriusPandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus that is native to Malesia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Common names include Thatch Screwpine, Hala , Bacua , and Vacquois ....
and Pteridium esculentumPteridium esculentumPteridium esculentum, commonly known as Austral bracken or simply bracken, is a species of the bracken genus native to a number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere....
; grassGrassGrasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es include Bothriochloa bladhiiBothriochloa bladhiiBothriochloa bladhii is a neotropic grass in the Poaceae family, found primarily in tropical Africa, and tropical and temperate Asia, and Australia...
, Brachiaria subquadripara, Southern Sandbur (Cenchrus echinatusCenchrus echinatusCenchrus echinatus, common names southern sandspur, southern sandbur, Mossman River Grass is a member of the Poaceae or grass family. It is native to north and south America....
), Indian Goosegrass (Eleusine indicaEleusine indicaEleusine indica is an invasive species in the grass family Poaceae. It is a small annual weed distributed throughout the warmer areas of the world to about 50 degrees latitude...
), Eragrostis scabriflora, Eriochloa procera, Imperata conferta, Miscanthus floridulusMiscanthus floridulusMiscanthus floridulus is a species of perennial grass in a the Poaceae family....
, Paspalum conjugatum, P. orbiculare, Pennisetum polystachion and Themeda quadrivalvis. Regenerating forest is initially dominated by Cyclophyllum barbatum, Geissois ternata, Geniostoma rupestre, Leucosyke corymbulosa, Maesa tabacifolia and Myristica gillespieanaMyristica gillespieanaMyristica gillespieana is a species of plant in the Myristicaceae family. It is endemic to Fiji.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
. - Upland forest on calciticCalciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
soil. This is essentially secondary forestSecondary forestA secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
in various stages of successionEcological successionEcological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
, but rich in Fijian endemics. Dominated by Alphitonia zizyphoides, Buchanania vitiensis, Dysoxylum richii, D. tenuiflorum, Maniltoa floribundaManiltoa floribundaManiltoa floribunda is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Fiji.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
, Melicope cucullata and Pouteria grayana. - Wetlands vegetation. Most freshwaterFreshwaterFresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
wetlandWetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
on Lakeba is used for taroTaroTaro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
cultivation. Otherwise, dominant plants include Ludwigia octovalvis and Mikania micranthaMikania micranthaMikania micrantha is a tropical plant in the Asteraceae. It is also known as the Bitter Vine in the Commonwealth of The Northern Marianas Island....
. - Lowland swamp forest. Dominated by Inocarpus fagiferInocarpus fagiferInocarpus fagifer, commonly known as the Tahitian Chestnut, Polynesian Chestnut, Aila or Mape tree, is a species of flowering plant in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family, Fabaceae...
. - Coastal forest. Characterized by Diospyros elliptica, D. samoensis, Pouteria grayana, Syzygium richii and Xylosma simulans.
- Mangrove forest. MangroveMangroveMangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
s are widespread on the eastern coast of Lakeba, comprising about 7% of the island's total area. Dominant plant species are Black Mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhizaBruguiera gymnorrhizaBruguiera gymnorrhiza is a small tree up to 10 m high and belongs to the family Rhizophoraceae. It is found on the seaward side of mangrove swamps, often in the company of Rhizophora. Bark is rough and reddish-brown. The tree develops short prop-roots rather than long stilt-roots. Flowers are...
) landwards, and Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangleRhizophora mangleRhizophora mangle, known as the red mangrove, is distributed in estuarine ecosystems throughout the tropics. Its viviparous "seeds," in actuality called propagules, become fully mature plants before dropping off the parent tree...
), Spotted Mangrove (R. stylosa) and their sterileInfertilityInfertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
hybrid R. × selala seawards. - Littoral forest. These trees are able to withstand seawaterSeawaterSeawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
and most are even dispersedDrift seedDrift seeds and drift fruits are seeds and fruits adapted for long distance dispersal by water. Most are produced by tropical trees, and they can be found on distant beaches after drifting thousands of miles through ocean currents...
by the sea; they grow in a narrow strip along the beach. Dominant plants are Sea Poison Tree (Barringtonia asiaticaBarringtonia asiaticaBarringtonia asiatica is a species of Barringtonia native to mangrove habitats on the tropical coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean from Zanzibar east to Taiwan, the Philippines, Fiji, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia...
), Ballnut (Calophyllum inophyllumCalophyllum inophyllumCalophyllum inophyllum is a large evergreen. It is native from East Africa, southern coastal India to Malesia and Australia.-Distribution and description:...
), Hernandia nymphaeifoliaHernandia nymphaeifoliaHernandia nymphaeifolia is a species of plant in the Hernandiaceae family. Its common name is Lantern Tree.-Description:Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a tree with 5-22 m high. The leaves are narrowly or broadly ovate or subcircular. The 5-9 veins are palmate. The flowers are white or greenish ,...
, Beach Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), Phaleria disperma and Sea Almond (Terminalia catappaTerminalia catappaTerminalia catappa is a large tropical tree in the Leadwood tree family, Combretaceae. The tree has been spread widely by humans and the native range is uncertain. It has long been naturalised in a broad belt extending from Africa to Northern Australia and New Guinea through Southeast Asia and...
). - Littoral scrub. The low-lying and mainly herbaceous beach vegetation. Dominated by Oceanblue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indicaIpomoea indicaIpomoea indica is a species of morning glory known by several common names, including Blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower.-Description:...
), White-flowered Beach Morning Glory (I. littoralis), Beach Morning Glory (I. pes-capraeIpomoea pes-capraeIpomoea pes-caprae, also known as Beach Morning Glory or Goat's Foot, is a common pantropical creeping vine belonging to the family Convolvulaceae. It grows on the upper parts of beaches and endures salted air. It is one of the most common and most widely distributed salt tolerant plants and...
), Pandanus tectorius, Paspalum vaginatum, Scaevola taccadaScaevola taccadaScaevola taccada, also known as Beach Cabbage, Sea Lettuce, Beach Naupaka, Naupaka kahakai , Merambong and Ngahu is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae found in open coastal locations of the tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific...
and Vigna marina.
Plants found on Lakeba that are endemic to Fiji are Alangium vitiense, Buchanania vitiensis, Connarus pickeringii, Davallia solida var. fejeensis, Diospyros vitiensis var. longisepala, Dysoxylum tenuiflorum, Elatostema tenellum, Eragrostis scabriflora, Ficus fulvo-pilosa, Ficus masonii, Geissois ternata, Geniostoma uninervium
Geniostoma uninervium
Geniostoma uninervium is a species of plant in the Melmoth family. It is endemic to Fiji.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
, Glochidion seemannii, Homalium pallidum, Maniltoa floribunda, Melicope cucullata, Melochia vitiensis, Myristica gillespieana, Phaleria pubiflora, Polyalthia laddiana and Psychotria cf. pickeringii. Plants tentatively identified as the Fijian endemics Barringtonia seaturae, Citronella vitiensis, Cyathocalyx insularis and Elaeocarpus storckii grow on Lakeba, but whether it is really these species requires confirmation.
None of the described endemic species occurs exclusively on this island, but there is an unidentified Syzygium
Syzygium
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific...
similar to Syzygium gracilipes and another member of this genus that almost certainly is a hitherto unknown species. These might indeed be found on Lakeba only.
Interesting non-endemic plants found on Lakeba are the endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
Aglaia saltatorum
Aglaia saltatorum
Aglaia saltatorum is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is found in Fiji, Niue, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna Islands.It is a threatened species due to habitat loss.-References:...
and the rare (though not endangered) Burckella richii. In 1999-2001 the first Fijian record of Macropiper timothianum outside the large northwestern islands was made on Lakeba, as well as the first records for Fiji of Suicide Tree (Cerbera odollam
Cerbera odollam
Cerbera odollam, commonly known as the Suicide tree, Pong-pong, and Othalanga, is a species of tree native to India and other parts of Southern Asia. It grows preferentially in coastal salt swamps and in marshy areas. It grows wild along the coast in many parts of Kerala, India and has been grown...
) and Garuga floribunda. Whether Canarium vanikoroense, otherwise known in Fiji only from the large islands, occurs on Lakeba remains to be verified.