1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Basic data

The Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands is a French Overseas Territory. The archipelago consists of the island of Wallis on the one hand, and the islands of Futuna and Alofi on the other. The two groups are 230 km apart, situated within the triangle made by Fiji - Samoa - Tonga.

Table 1: Area and population of Wallis and Futuna Islands

1.2 The different types of forest and soil use

In the past, Wallis, Fortuna and Alofi islands were completely covered by natural forests - dense moist forest and coastal forest. These have been cleared to meet agricultural needs, in particular for rainfed slash and burn shifting cultivation, still practised nowadays. The main crops are: manioc (which covers by far the greatest area), coconuts, taro (rainfed and irrigated cutivation), banana, yam and other plants with tubers (Alocasia macrorrhiza, Xanthosoma atrovirens, Ipomea batatas) as well as Piper methysticum. Practically all cultivated areas are to meet domestic requirements, for food and - increasingly - for gifts and barter during customary fairs.

The following table 2 indicates the approximate area (in hectares and percent of the total area of the island) for the different types of forest, by island:

Table 2: The area of different types of forest

In the absence of recent data, these figures have been taken from an ORSTOM (Office for Overseas Scientific and Technical Research) study published in 1995: "Contribution to the knowledge about vegetation and flora on Wallis and Futuna" by P. Morat and J.M.Veillon. Certainly nowadays the areas of humid dense forests and secondary forests are smaller than those shown in the table. Also, since this date the population has increased, as well as pig livestock (fed mainly on manioc), which has inevitably led to an increase in cultivated land at the expense of forest.

The dense moist forest is not tall. The upper layer is rarely above 20 meters height, with stems less than 80cm diameter. The distribution of species is not the same on the three islands, and changes according to subsoil - limestone or otherwise. The following table gives an incomplete list of the species present:

Table 3: List of species found in dense moist forsts

* endemic species

Coastal formations

Mangrove, absent on Futuna and Alofi, occurs on some small muddy strips on Wallis. It exists as a formation of 3-4 m in height, fairly dense, containing two species: Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Rhizophora samoensis.

The psammophile groups occupy beaches and sandy backshores. Their distribution varies: from a simple strip of vegetation at the foot of some cliffs, or at the back of mangroves, or covering almost all low-lying isolated coral patches on Wallis lagoon. Trees and bushes found include: Acacia simplex, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cocos nucifera and Guettarda speciosa.

The coastal forest is found on poorly developed soils that form part of the coastal plains between an altitude of 0 and 20 metres. It forms stands of 15 to 20 metres in height comprising, in the upper layer, the following species: Barringtonia asiatica, Calophyllum inophyllum, Cordia subcordata, Ficus prolixa, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Inocarpus fagifer, Neisosperma oppositifolium, Terminalia samoensis and Thespesia populnea especially.

The secondary forests result from human pressures (fire, clearance, cultivation, settlements) on the natural forest. Many light demanders with rapid growth are found. The following list is not exhaustive:

Table 4: List of species found in secondary forests

The extent to which the forest becomes secondary varies. Transformation often reaches a distinct stage with a mixture of more or less abandoned cultivated species, such as: Aleurites moluccana, Artocarpus altilis, Carica papaya, Cocos nucifera, Mangifera indica, Musa spp.,and Psidium guajava.

The "toafa" (a term which can be translated as desert) is a fern moor that develops on ferralitic soils. Human action - clearance and fires - is probably the origin of this developmental stage on these types of soils. The "toafa" vegetation is predominantly made up of fern species, principally Dicranopteris linearis, topped by shrubby species that are more or less abundant, according to the extent of "toafa" development, such as: Decaspermum fructicosum, Melastoma denticulatum, Maoutia australis, Pandanus tectorius and Scaevola taccada.

Deforestation has been particularly important on Wallis Island, which is a low-lying island where the flat topography has left few areas that cannot be exploited for agriculture. On the other hand, on Futuna (and even more so on Alofi) - two high islands - the topography has resulted in the preservation of a greater area of forest. The consequences of decline in forest cover are relatively serious, with diminished water resources, less fertile soils, and more exposure to erosion.

For this reason, some plantations have been established. Pinus caribaea has been planted, almost exclusively, on the most eroded areas - the fern moors. The plantations were started in 1974 and have been continued until the present day at a rate of 20ha/year. Plantations currently cover 400 ha (stocking is 1100/ha). The growth of Pinus caribaea is good. In the oldest blocks, an undergrowth has developed made up of local trees, which include primary forest species. This appears to have a beneficial effect on the environment inasmuch as it has resulted in an increase of stream flow in the dry season at the foot of the plantations.

Furthermore, some small plantations of local species have been undertaken: Thespesia populnea, Flueggea flexuosa, Calophyllum neo-ebudicum, Calophyllum inophyllum, Cordia subcordata, Pandanus tectorius, Metroxylon vitiense and Neisosperma oppositifolium. These plantations have been tried mainly on the fern moors, but without shade, soil cultivation, fertiliser or maintenance. As a result, there has been an almost total failure of these trials.

Except for a few plots ceded to the administration and the Catholic Mission, all the land has belonged to the local communities: the families and the villages. A part of common land (especially on Wallis) has been distributed among different families to allow for the population increase and the pressure exercised by Wallis and Futuna communities that are resident in New Caledonia (around 15 000 persons). The communal lands are made up of forests and fern moors, and are partially cultivated by families that, according to the village chiefs, do not have sufficient land. The decision on exploitation of private land rests with the owner (head of the family), with a certain control from the local authorities which make sure that agricultural production (both for food and for gifts and barter during customary ceremonies) is sufficient. In the absence of a land register, it is not possible to provide quantified data of the different types of owner.

1.3 Legislative and planning aspects

There is no regulatory text concerning conservation of forest resources, trees and terrestrial environment that is applicable in the Territory. The texts listed below concern phytosanitary and zoosanitary protection measures:

• Decree no. 93-275 of 22 September 1993 modified by Decree no. 95-120 of 27 March 1995 modified by Decree 96-183 of 1 April 1996 modified by Decree no. 97-100 of 28 February 1997, regulating the importation and exploitation of plants or parts of living or dried plants (hay, fodder, either packed or in powder), products of vegetable origin (earth, compost, dung, etc.), packaging serving or having served for the transport of the above products.

• Decree no. 95-245 of 29 May 1995 defining lists of plants and products of plant origin for which importation is prohibited; subject to previous authorisation; or not subject to previous authorisation.

• Decree no. 95-244 of 29 May 1995 modified by Decree no. 96-314 of 3 July 1996 modified by Decree no. 97-100 of 28 February 1997 defining the special conditions imposed on the importation of certain plants and products of plant origin.

• Decree no. 93-276 of 22 September 1993 modified by Decree no. 95-121 of 27 March 1995 modified by Decree no. 95-209 of 5 May 1995 regulating the importation and export to Asian of living animals and of products of animal origin.

• Decree no. 93-289 of 30 September 1993 defining the contents of zoosanitary certificates before accompanying importation of living animals.

• Decree no. 93-290 of 30 September 1993 defining the contents of zoosanitary certificates and health before accompanying importation of products of animal origin for human consumption.

• Decree no. 93-291 of 30 September 1993 defining the content of health certificates before accompanying imported products of animal origin destined neither for human nor animal consumption.

• Decree no. 93-292 of 30 September 1993 defining the special conditions imposed on importation of certain products of animal origin.

• Decree no. 93-300 of 30 September 1993 modified by Decree no. 94-154 of 19 May 1994 defining the lists of living animals whose importation: is not subject to previous authorisation; is prohibited; or is subject to a previous authorisation.

• Decree no. 94-153 of 19 May 1994 defining the special conditions imposed on the importation of certain living animals.

• Decree no. 93-297 of 1/30 19 September 1993 defining the list of products of animal origin for which importation: is prohibited; is not subject to previous authorisation; or is subject to previous authorisation.

The Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands, through France, is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to the International Undertaking on Phytogenetic Resources, and to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources. There has been no formal forestry policy and planning. There is no Code of Conduct for forest exploitation, nor are there directives to limit the effects of forest exploitation. Strictly speaking, there is no forest exploitation except for limited harvest of wood; the trees are usually cut, then burnt, during clearance for agricultural requirements.

1.4 Economic and ecological role of trees and forests

There is no formal forest/wood sector in place in the Territory. As in agriculture, harvest of trees and forest products is almost entirely carried out for local consumption: for construction of traditional housing (wood for posts, frameworks, and roofing tiles); for the needs of cottage industries (wood for carving, bark and fruits for making "tapa", and leaves for basket making); for food (fruits, leaves, cooking fuel), and for agriculture (fencing, stakes). It should be noted, however, that a small market exists for craft products (a very small amount is exported) as well as for foliage for traditional roofs.

Except for a small local production of sawn wood (carried out using chainsaws, and a Wallis mobile saw) all sawn wood is imported. The volume of sawn wood imported varies from 2 000 to 2 500 cubic metres approximately per year, mainly of Pinus radiata.

The primary ecological role of trees and forests is the capture of surface water, and the groundwater replenished by the surface water. On Wallis, groundwater provides reserves of fresh water. After establishment of plantations of Pinus caribaea regulation in rate of flow from ground water, downstream of plantations, has been noted. On Futuna, older people are agreed in noting a decline in the flow rate of rivers during the dry season following forest removal.

Forests represent equally a capital resource in terms of the soils they cover and protect. A stripped and exposed soil is subject to erosion following strong rains; the surface horizons, containing elements easily assimilated by plants, are swept away. This phenomenon is deplored by farmers who appreciate that declining soil fertility is linked to shorter and shorter fallow periods, which in turn do not allow regrowth of forest cover.