Vol 3 Land Resource Inventory Report - Department of Environment ...

intertidal or supralittoral habitats and these taxa may not have been included in previous
Fijian land snail biodiversity estimates. According to Barker (2005), six of these 35
species are endemic, four are of unconfirmed status and 25 are native.
3.19 TRADED SPECIES
Some of the trade species of flora include Amunu (Dacrycarpus Imbricatus), Buabua
(Fragraea Gracilipes), Dakua Makdre (Agathis Vitiensis), Dakua Salusalu
(Deccussocarpus Vitiensis), Kuasi (Podocarpus Nerrifolius), Rosawa (Gmelina
Vitiensis), Yaka (Dacrydium Spp), Vesi (Intsia Bijuga), Dabi (Xlocarpus Spp), Damanu
(Calophyllum Spp), Dilo (Calophyllum Inophyllum), Nawanawa (Cordia Subcordata),
Raintree/Vaivai (Samanea Saman), Bauvudi (Palaquium spp), Kauceuti (Bleasdala
Vitiensis), Kaudamu (Myristica Castaneifolia), Kauvula (Endosperm Macrophyllum),
Mavota (Gonystylus Punctaus), Kaunicia (Canarium Vitiense), Sagali (Lumnitzera
Littorea), Dogo (Bruguiera Gymnorhiza), Vaivai-ni-veikau (Scrianthes Myriadenia),
Laubu (Garcinia Myrtifolia), Rosarosa (Heritiera Ornithocephala), Sacau (Palaguium
Hornei), Sasauira (Dysoxylum Spp), Tivi (Terminalia Spp), Yasidamu (Cleistrcalyx Spp),
Yasidravu (Syzgium Spp), Qumu (Acacia Richii) and Doi (Alphitonia Zizyphoides).
Government has important bans on the trade of fauna from Fiji (Ministry of Forest,
2006:35).
3.20 STATE OF RESEARCH AND GAPS IN EXISITNG LITERATURE
In terms of knowledge gaps lie in documenting cryptic bird distribution and population.
As local ornithologist, Dr Dick Watling stated in his Birds of Fiji publication, ‗...the basic
ecological and behavioural knowledge of almost all of our native birds is very poor, and
next to nothing is known about our rare visitors and vagrants‘. The local NGO, Nature
Fiji is currently documenting the Fiji Petrel and such research should be encouraged for
the other endemic bird species. Underpinning these research efforts is the need to
conserve native forests – the habitat and nesting sites of the birds of Fiji.
The total biodiversity of the islands of Fiji is therefore not known, nor is the total
distribution and abundance of the species known. Analysis of the literacy outcomes in
the area of land resources inventory of Fiji states that land resources inventory of Fiji has
been under researched in Fiji. In particular, less data is available on the biology and
ecology of indigenous and endemic plants. Majority of the data collected from the
Ministry of Forestry date back to the 1990s. This indicates that further studies need to be
carried to determine an approximate state of the most recent land inventory of Fiji. New
studies need to be undertaken to determine the fluctuations in the land resource inventory
of Fiji. It is essential that studies are continuously undertaken to determine the
endangered and extinct land resources of Fiji so that effective practices are undertaken to
stop the extinction of the land resources. Updated information for various categories of
Fiji forests is provided under the Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations,
(2010).
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