Biodiversity of the Coastal Littoral Vegetation of Rotuma Island, Fiji

The coastal littoral vegetation of Rotuma Island (Republic of Fiji) is very important for its ecological, cultural and medicinal values. A survey was conducted of the entire coast of the island using 50 representative sample sites, to obtain baseline information on the present composition of the littoral flora. Ninety-nine species were identified consisting of seven ferns and 92 angiosperms, of which 16 were monocotyledonous and 76 dicotyledonous. There were 51 families comprising of 80 genera, with biodiversity at the generic level being higher than at the species level. Thirty-seven per cent of the total littoral plant species growing along the coast of Rotuma were considered rare or threatened. The main reason for the rarity of these species was identified as the clearance of coastal forests for home building and plantation development. Public awareness programmes should be created to avoid the total loss of these threatened species, many of which have ecological, cultural and medicinal value.