Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
corrected (only partially buried) and the Gilbertese thought that they would not survive. Only
a few survived (McIntire 1960).
Anon. (1937) described Abariringa (Canton) as having only grass and shrubs with a few
clumps of tree heliotropes, noni trees, and 8 to 10 coconut palms. Ellis (1937) reported that
there was only 1 coconut tree on Abariringa (Canton) left from the earlier efforts of the
company (presumably the John Arundel Company).
Maude (1937) noted that the vegetation on Abariringa (Canton) was similar to that of the
Gilberts. The few coconut trees on Abariringa (Canton) were examined and showed no sign
of wasting. This suggested that trees had not been subjected to drought conditions.
Maude (1937) noted that heat radiation from Abariringa (Canton) split rain clouds and
resulted in higher rain fall in adjacent waters than on the atoll. This might be minimized with
additional plant ground cover.
In 1937 and later, banana and other plans were planted on Abariringa (Canton) (Bryan
1940b). The survival of these plants was yet to be seen.
As part of the 1938 Line Islands Expedition, Donaggho (1952 and 1953) visited Abariringa
(Canton) and that the surface was covered with bunch grass and low crawling plants such as
Sesuvium and Boerhaavia. A clump of kou was also observed.
Between March and July 1938, the Department of Interior sponsored a vegetative survey of
Abariringa (Canton) (Degener and Gillaspy 1955). Results were documented in Hatheway
(1955).
Bryan (1939) reported the presence of a few patches of Cordia, Tournefortia, and Morinda
trees, and Scaevola, Pemphis, and Sida schrubs on Abariringa (Canton).
In 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, Roger B. Taney, brought the following species of
plants (or their seeds) to Abariringa (Canton) (Bryan 1974): hau, Casuarina equisetifolia,
milo trees, Plumeria acutifolia, Geiger trees (Cordia subestena), crown flower (Calotropis
gigantea), Messerschmidia argentea, Pulchea indica, Prosopis (spineless Kiawe), Kentucky
wonder beans, watermelons, and tomatoes. In addition 15 tons of soil was delivered.
Fosberg (1939) noted that the grass, Digitaria pacifica, had been collected and identified
from both Abariringa (Canton) and Orona (Hull). Initially, the specimen from Abariringa
(Canton) had been misidentified as D. stenotaphrodes.
University of Hawaii’s Agricultural Extension Service sent down a greenhouse to Abariringa
(Canton) and tomatoes, papayas, lettuce, beets, carrots, and cucumbers were being grown
(Warner 1939). Plants were disease free and grown using pot-culture.
Bryan (1940b) reviewed the meager vegetation of Abariringa (Canton). Plants noted on
Abariringa (Canton) included the following:
1) bunchgrass, Lepturus repens,
2) purslane, Portulaca lutea,
3) trailing herb, Boerhaavia tetrandra,
4) ilima shrub, Sida fallax,
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