The Federated States of Micronesia is located in the western Pacific Ocean, encompassing most of the Caroline Islands with the exception of those included in the Republic of Palau. The country includes four states; Kosrae, Pohnpei (formerly Ponape), Chuuk (formerly Truk), and Yap. There are more than 600 islands, but only about 60 are inhabited. The total land area is only 702 km2, but the islands are scattered across about 2.5 million km2 of ocean.
The FSM has "high" hilly to mountainous islands of continental or volcanic origin and "low" ring-shaped coral atolls. Coral reefs and mangrove swamps surround most of the high islands. The soil on these islands is fertile. In contrast, the atolls generally have poor coralline soil and limited vegetation.
The FSM has an oceanic tropical climate that is uniformly hot and humid. The average daily temperature range is 22° to 32° C with little variation due to season. Rainfall ranges from about 4 500 mm on Yap to almost 8 000 mm in the mountains of Pohnpei. Periodic droughts can occur, which are particularly severe on the atolls. Periodic typhoons also occur, particularly in the western islands.
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a political unit of four states with 607 small islands in the Caroline Islands group, lying just above the equator, north of New Guinea and east of the Philippines. Each of the four States (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) centers around one or more high islands, and all but Kosrae (109 km2) include numerous atolls. Yap (100 km2) and Chuuk (72 km2) are dominated by plantations of coconut and breadfruit trees, and have little or no intact natural forest other than mangroves. Pohnpei (335 km2), the highest island of the Carolines (734 m), is the most forested in FSM. The following description of the vegetation types is derived from MacLean et al. (1988) and Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg (1998).
This strand forest is present along rocky shorelines, with such ubiquitous coastal taxa as Cordia subcordata, Guettarda speciosa, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Pandanus tectorius, Pisonia grandis, Thespesia populnea, Tournefortia argentea and Scaevola taccada.
Mangroves are extensive in tidally inundated areas and are composed of Rhizophora spp., Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Sonneratia alba, Lumnitzera littorea, Xylocarpus granatum, Nypa fruticans and Acrostichum spp., increasing in stature and declining in species richness eastwards.
Behind mangrove areas, freshwater swamps extend into the lowlands and form a canopy with Metroxylon amicarum, Terminalia carolinensis, Campnosperma brevipetiolata, Barringtonia racemosa and Hibiscus tiliaceus.
The higher moist forests are a diverse assemblage of the genera Glochidion, Myrsine, Elaeocarpus, Syzygium, Psychotria, Timonius, Gynotroches and Astronidium and tree ferns (Cyathea spp.) occupying upper slopes on the high islands. The palm genera Clinostigma and Ptychosperma, and occasionally Metroxylon, are common on the slopes.
Lower slopes not overtaken by secondary forest have remnant groves of Campnosperma brevipetiolata and Elaeocarpus spp., with Clinostigma ponapensis abundant on Pohnpei.
Predominantly occupying the lowlands and supplanting the naturally occurring vegetation types mentioned above are gardens of useful trees such as breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), coconut palms (Cocos nucifera), mango (Mangifera indica) and Pandanus tectorius cultivars.
Primary forest on lower slopes and lowlands of the high islands has been replaced by open savannah with scattered shrubs such as Myrtella bennigseniana (Yap) and the genera Melastoma, Timonius, Alphitonia, Hedyotis, Ambroma, and Commersonia.
On Chuuk, which was devastated by Second World War activities, large areas of upland forest are covered by the genera Macaranga, Commersonia, Acalypha and Hibiscus. Two mountaintops have small areas of diverse forest with the endemic Schefflera kraemeri, Semecarpus kraemeri and Atractocarpus carolinensis.
MacLean, C.D., C.D. Whitesell, T. G. Cole, and K. E. McDuffie 1988. Timber Resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Forest Resource Bulletin PSW-24. 8pp.
Mueller-Dombois, D. and F. R. Fosberg 1998. Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. Springer-Verlag, New York. 733 pp.
Table 1 - Bibliographic references
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Federated States of Micronesia Forest Resource Fact Sheet 1999 |
Author |
Dept. of Resources and Development |
Year |
1999 |
Source |
http://mail.admin.gov.gu/agri/PIC/micrones_rfs.html |
Date of consult. |
06/23/00 |
Location (of publication) |
Printout in FRA 2000 Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Only gross forest area statistics available. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
Forest ownership |
|||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
Non-wood forest products |
|||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Report – 1988 Heads of Forestry Meeting |
Author |
Unknown |
Year |
1988 |
Source |
Heads of forestry meeting |
Date of consult. |
24/6/00 |
Location (of publication) |
In FRA Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Has a summary table of area of forest and agroforest by each of the four FSM states. Reliability unknown. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
X |
Forest ownership |
||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
Non-wood forest products |
|||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Vegetation Survey of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia |
Author |
Falanruw et al |
Year |
1987 |
Source |
USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin PSW-18 |
Date of consult. |
24/6/00 |
Location (of publication) |
In FRA Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Good quality although the figures are no doubt now out of date. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
X |
Forest ownership |
||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
Non-wood forest products |
|||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Vegetation Survey of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia |
Author |
Falanruw et al |
Year |
1987 |
Source |
USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin PSW-21 |
Date of consult. |
24/6/00 |
Location (of publication) |
In FRA Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Good quality although the figures are no doubt now out of date. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
X |
Forest ownership |
||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
Non-wood forest products |
|||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Vegetation Survey of Moen, Dublon, Fefan, and Eten, State of Truk, Federated States of Micronesia |
Author |
Falanruw et al |
Year |
1987 |
Source |
USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin PSW-20 |
Date of consult. |
24/6/00 |
Location (of publication) |
In FRA Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Good quality although the figures are no doubt now out of date. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
X |
Forest ownership |
||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
Non-wood forest products |
|||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Timber resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia |
Author |
Falanruw et al |
Year |
1988 |
Source |
USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin PSW-24 |
Date of consult. |
24/6/00 |
Location (of publication) |
In FRA Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Good quality although the figures are no doubt now out of date. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
X |
Forest ownership |
||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
X |
Non-wood forest products |
||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Country |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Title |
Vegetation Survey of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia |
Author |
Whitesell et al |
Year |
1986 |
Source |
USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin PSW-17 |
Date of consult. |
28/6/00 |
Location (of publication) |
In FRA Pacific Islands box |
Description of source
(including type of source, overall quality assessment and utility for FRA 2000)
Good quality although the figures are no doubt now out of date. |
Information content (check one or more topics as appropriate)
Natural Forest |
X |
Protected areas |
||
Plantations |
Biodiversity |
|||
Other wooded land |
X |
Forest ownership |
||
Forest area change |
Wood supply potential |
|||
Total volume |
Non-wood forest products |
|||
Total biomass |
Trees outside forest |
|||
Commercial volume |
Forest fires |
Name of reviewer: Jim Space
Table 2 - Description of forest inventories/surveys
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1999 |
Title of inventory |
Gross area figures on PIC web page |
Type of inventory |
Not known |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Not known |
Reporting level |
National |
Country coverage |
|
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
No |
Scale of the map |
|
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
||
Plantations |
Volume |
|||
All forests |
Biomass |
|||
Other wooded land |
Forest naturalness |
|||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
Area of Forest Land given as 127,500 acres (converts to 51,596 ha). Basis for this figure not known. Also give area of non-industrial private land as 69,500 acres and area under forest management plans as 10,730 acres. |
Reliability class |
3 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1998 |
Title of inventory |
Table in report |
Type of inventory |
Not known |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Not known |
Reporting level |
National and sub-national |
Country coverage |
Complete |
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
No |
Scale of the map |
|
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
||
Plantations |
Volume |
|||
All forests |
Biomass |
|||
Other wooded land |
Forest naturalness |
|||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
How these figures were derived is not known. |
Reliability class |
3 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1975 updated |
Title of inventory |
Vegetation Survey of Pohnpei, Resource Bulletin PSW-18 |
Type of inventory |
Aerial photo interpretation supplemented by ground truth sampling |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Aerial photo interpretation supplemented by ground truth sampling |
Reporting level |
Sub-national |
Country coverage |
Partial |
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
? |
Scale of the map |
|
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
yes | |
Plantations |
yes |
Volume |
||
All forests |
yes |
Biomass |
||
Other wooded land |
yes |
Forest naturalness |
||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
Good quality but probably quite out of date by now. |
Reliability class |
2 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1976 |
Title of inventory |
Vegetation Survey of Yap, Resource Bulletin PSW-21 |
Type of inventory |
Aerial photo interpretation |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Aerial photo interpretation |
Reporting level |
Sub-national |
Country coverage |
Partial |
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
Yes (4) |
Scale of the map |
1:20,000 |
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
yes | |
Plantations |
Volume |
|||
All forests |
yes |
Biomass |
||
Other wooded land |
yes |
Forest naturalness |
||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
Good quality but probably quite out of date by now. |
Reliability class |
2 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1976 |
Title of inventory |
Vegetation Survey of Moen, Dublon, Fefan, and Eten; State of Truk [Chuuk]; Resource Bulletin PSW-20 |
Type of inventory |
Aerial photo interpretation |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Aerial photo interpretation |
Reporting level |
Sub-national |
Country coverage |
Partial |
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
? |
Scale of the map |
|
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
yes | |
Plantations |
Volume |
|||
All forests |
yes |
Biomass |
||
Other wooded land |
yes |
Forest naturalness |
||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
Good quality but probably quite out of date by now. |
Reliability class |
2 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1983 |
Title of inventory |
Timber Resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap; Resource Bulletin PSW-24 |
Type of inventory |
Aerial photo interpretation with ground plots |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Aerial photo interpretation of previous surveys was updated. 90 ground plots. |
Reporting level |
National |
Country coverage |
Complete* |
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
No |
Scale of the map |
|
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
yes | |
Plantations |
Volume |
yes | ||
All forests |
yes |
Biomass |
||
Other wooded land |
yes |
Forest naturalness |
||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
Good quality but probably quite out of date by now. |
Reliability class |
2 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Country |
FSM |
Reference year |
1976 updated |
Title of inventory |
Vegetation Survey of Kosrae, Resource Bulletin PSW-17 |
Type of inventory |
Aerial photo interpretation supplemented by ground truth sampling |
Field / aerial photos / satellite images / ...
Brief summary of methodologies used
Aerial photo interpretation supplemented by ground truth sampling |
Reporting level |
Sub-national |
Country coverage |
Partial |
National / sub-national |
Complete / partial | ||
Map output |
Yes |
Scale of the map |
|
yes / no (also indicate format: analogue / digital) |
Vegetation types included |
yes/no |
Additional information included |
yes/no | |
Natural forests |
yes |
Area by forest formation |
yes | |
Plantations |
yes |
Volume |
||
All forests |
yes |
Biomass |
||
Other wooded land |
yes |
Forest naturalness |
||
Forest biodiversity |
||||
Forest ownership |
||||
Wood supply potential |
Remarks
Good quality but probably quite out of date by now. |
Reliability class |
2 |
1=high 2=medium 3=low |
Table 3 - Area of woody vegetation according to national classification
Reference year: probably 1983 (report is 1998) Geographic Unit: FSM
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Area (000 ha) |
1.Closed forest – Timber (Chuuk 0.265, Kosrae 3.697, Pohnpei 16.717, Yap 3.647) |
24.326 |
2. Shrub – Secondary* (Chuuk 0.252, Kosrae 1.213, Pohnpei 1.843, Yap 0.553) |
3.861 |
3. Forest fallow – agroforestry* (Chuuk 3.055, Kosrae 2.614, Pohnpei 11.865, Yap 2.538) |
20.072 |
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
48.259 |
Subtotal other land |
21.941 |
Total land area |
70.200** |
Definitions: *Definition assumed to be the same as in the Forest Service Resource Bulletins, “...vines, shrubs and small trees”.
**From geographic description, above
Comments: These figurers match those in PSW-24.
Reference year: 1975 updated to 1983 Geographic Unit: Pohnpei
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Area (000 ha) |
1.Closed forest – Upland forest |
12.548 |
2.Closed forest – Palm forest |
1.383 |
3.Closed forest – Swamp forest |
.214 |
4.Closed forest – Mangrove forest |
5.525 |
5.Closed forest – Atoll forest |
0.006 |
6. Shrub – Dwarf forest |
0.001 |
7. Shrub – Secondary vegetation |
1.843 |
8. Forest fallow – agroforest |
1.945 |
9. Forest fallow – agroforest with coconuts |
9.796 |
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
33.267 |
Subtotal other land |
2.226 |
Total land area |
35.493** |
Definitions: See Resource Bulletin PSW-18
**From PSW-18. Includes 124 ha of coconut plantations and 125 ha of inland water.
Comments:
Reference year: 1976 Geographic Unit: Yap
Forest and other woody vegetation types |
Area |
1.Closed forest – Upland forest |
2.556 |
3.Closed forest – Swamp forest |
0.155 |
4.Closed forest – Mangrove forest |
1.171 |
5. Shrub – Secondary vegetation |
0.553 |
6. Forest fallow – agroforest |
1.515 |
7. Forest fallow – agroforest with coconuts |
0.864 |
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
6.814 |
Subtotal other land |
2.902 |
Total land area |
9.716** |
Definitions: See Resource Bulletin PSW-21
**From PSW-21. Includes 159 ha of coconut plantations and 38 ha of inland water.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference year: 1976 Geographic Unit: Moen, Dublon, Fefan and Eten; Chuuk
Forest and other woody vegetation types |
Area |
1.Closed forest – Upland forest |
0.677 |
3.Closed forest – Mangrove forest |
0.306 |
4.Closed forest – Palm forest |
0.002 |
7. Shrub – Secondary vegetation |
0.252 |
8. Forest fallow – agroforest |
0.066 |
9. Forest fallow – agroforest with coconuts |
2.312 |
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
3.615 |
Subtotal other land |
0.555 |
Total land area |
4.170** |
Definitions: See Resource Bulletin PSW-20
**From PSW-20. Includes 1 ha of mahogany plantations and 4 ha of inland water.
Reference year: 1983 Geographic Unit: FSM
Forest and other woody vegetation types |
Area |
1. Closed forest – Timberland (Chuuk 0.265, Kosrae 3.697, Pohnpei 16.717, Yap 3.647) |
24.326 |
2. Closed forest – Timberland (steep) (Kosrae 3.330, Pohnpei 2.713) |
6.043 |
3. Scrub – Scrub (Chuuk 0.044, Kosrae 0.069, Pohnpei 0.253, Yap 0.235) |
1.485 |
4. Shrub – Secondary vegetation* (Chuuk 0.252, Kosrae 1.213, Pohnpei 1.843, Yap 0.553) |
3.861 |
5. Forest fallow – agroforestry* (Chuuk 3.055, Kosrae 2.614, Pohnpei 11.865, Yap 2.538) |
20.072 |
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
54.903 |
Subtotal other land |
5.722 |
Total land area |
60.625** |
Definitions: **Includes plantations and inland water, but these figures not broken out separately in this report.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference year: 1976 updated to 1983 Geographic Unit: Kosrae
Forest and other woody vegetation types |
Area |
1.Closed forest – Upland forest |
5.090 |
2.Closed forest – Swamp forest |
0.345 |
3.Closed forest – Mangrove forest |
1.562 |
4.Shrub – Dwarf forest |
0.069 |
5. Shrub – Secondary vegetation |
1.272 |
6. Forest fallow – agroforest |
1.659 |
7. Forest fallow – agroforest with coconuts |
0.926 |
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
10.923 |
Subtotal other land |
0.263 |
Total land area |
11.186** |
Definitions: See Resource Bulletin PSW-17
**From PSW-17. Includes 99 ha of inland water.
Table 4 - Comparability between country classification and FRA 2000 classification
Reference year: Unknown
Geographic Unit: FSM
Title of the inventory/survey: Heads of Forestry Meeting Report
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Corresponding FRA 2000 classes |
Closed forest – Timber |
Closed Forest |
Open Forest | |
Shrub – Secondary |
Shrub |
Forest fallow – agroforestry |
Forest fallow system |
Note: Open and closed forest make up “natural forest”; shrub and forest fallow make up “other wooded land”
Comments:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference year: 1975 update to 1983
Geographic Unit: Pohnpei
Title of the inventory/survey: Vegetation Survey of Pohnpei, PSW-18
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Corresponding FRA 2000 classes |
Upland forest Palm forest Swamp forest Mangrove forest Atoll forest |
Closed Forest |
Open Forest | |
Dwarf forest Secondary |
Shrub |
Agroforestry Agroforest with coconuts |
Forest fallow system |
Note: Open and closed forest make up “natural forest”; shrub and forest fallow make up “other wooded land”
Comments: From PSW-18
Reference year: 1976
Geographic Unit: Yap
Title of the inventory/survey: Vegetation Survey of Yap, PSW-21
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Corresponding FRA 2000 classes |
Upland forest Swamp forest Mangrove forest |
Closed Forest |
Open Forest | |
Secondary vegetation |
Shrub |
Agroforestry Agroforest with coconuts |
Forest fallow system |
Note: Open and closed forest make up “natural forest”; shrub and forest fallow make up “other wooded land”
Comments: From PSW-21
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference year: 1983
Geographic Unit: FSM
Title of the inventory/survey: Timber Resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap; PSW-24
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Corresponding FRA 2000 classes |
Timberland Timberland (steep) |
Closed Forest |
Open Forest | |
Scrub Secondary vegetation |
Shrub |
Agroforestry |
Forest fallow system |
Note: Open and closed forest make up “natural forest”; shrub and forest fallow make up “other wooded land”
Comments: From PSW-21
Reference year: 1975 update to 1983
Geographic Unit: Kosrae
Title of the inventory/survey: Vegetation Survey of Kosrae, PSW-17
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Corresponding FRA 2000 classes |
Upland forest Swamp forest Mangrove forest |
Closed Forest |
Open Forest | |
Dwarf forest Secondary |
Shrub |
Agroforestry Agroforest with coconuts |
Forest fallow system |
Note: Open and closed forest make up “natural forest”; shrub and forest fallow make up “other wooded land”
Comments: From PSW-17
Gross estimated area 119 ha Annual planting 5 ha
Species group |
Gross estimated area |
Purpose (%) |
Ownership (%) |
||||
ha |
% |
Public |
Private |
Others | |||
Acacia spp. |
Industrial |
100 |
100 |
||||
12 |
10.0 |
Non-Industrial |
|
|
|||
Eucalyptus spp. |
Industrial |
100 |
100 |
||||
30 |
25.0 |
Non-Industrial |
|
|
|||
Mahoganies |
Industrial |
100 |
100 |
||||
47 |
40.0 |
Non-Industrial |
|
|
|||
Tectona grandis |
Industrial |
100 |
100 |
||||
12 |
10.0 |
Non-Industrial |
|
|
|||
Terminalia spp. |
Industrial |
100 |
100 |
||||
6 |
5.0 |
Non-Industrial |
|
|
|||
Other Broadleaved spp. |
Industrial |
100 |
100 |
||||
12 |
10.0 |
Non-Industrial |
|
|
Acacia spp. A. auriculiformis, A. mangium
Eucalyptus spp. E. deglupta, E. saligna
Mahoganies Swietenia macrophylla, S. mahogani
Terminalia spp. T. brassii
Other Broadleaved spp. Cedrela odorata, Pterocarpus indica
Explanatory note on estimates for 2000 Total area of plantations reported in 1998 Micronesian Heads of Forestry Report is 109 ha, plus an additional 48 ha of scattered woodlots. This compares with a 1983 total plantation area of 7 ha (i.e. average annual planting rate = 6.8 ha). Report notes that land availability is a major constraint on plantation establishment thus it is assumed planting rate will slow. There is no formal report on species distribution. The proportions estimated above are approximated from Oliver’s 1992 qualitative assessment of distribution. |
Anon. 1998. Country Report – Federated States of Micronesia. Heads of Forestry Meeting, Nadi, Fiji; 21-25 September 1998.
Oliver, W. 1992. Plantation forestry in the South Pacific: A compilation and assessment of practices: Project RAS/86/036: UNDP-FAO. 121 pp.
USDA Forest Service. 1983. Timber resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Resource Bulletin PSW Forest and Range Experimentation Station.
Table 6 - Volume data (of natural forests)
Reference year:
Part 1 : Forest Inventory Description
Name of the Inventory: Timber Resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (PSW-24)
National Forest Inventory (Yes or No): Yes
Geographic location:
Total inventoried area (000 ha): 60.625
Sketch map attached (Yes or No): No
Part 2: Inventory methodology
Stratification criteria: Stratified by land class and by forest type within land class.
Sampling design: Mapping from aerial photos with ground plot sampling
Sampling intensity (%): 90 plots
Species coverage: All
Minimum diameter: 12.5 cm DBH
Type of volume measured:
(including or excluding branches, underbark or overbark, etc.)
Part 3: Inventory results (by reporting unit)
Reporting Unit name: FSM (main islands)
Area (ha): 24,326
Average volume per hectare (m3/ha): 129
Sampling error for average volume per hectare at 95% probability (%): Confidence intervals by type given in publication; no overall estimate of sampling error.
Stand and stock tables attached (Yes or No): No
Comments:
Table 6A - Volume of woody vegetation according to national classification
Reference year: 1983 Geographic Unit: FSM
Forest and other woody vegetation types (country classification) |
Volume (1 000 m3) |
Biomass (1 000 m3) |
1.Timberland (Pohnpei, 2,688; Kosrae, 338; Chuuk, 5; Yap, 116) |
3147 |
|
Subtotal of country classes corresponding with FRA 2000 forest and other wooded land |
3147 |
Definitions: See PSW-24
For information on invasive plant species, see http://www.hear.org/pier/mreport.htm,. http://www.hear.org/pier/kreport.htm and http://www.hear.org/pier/creport.htm
Ha |
Year |
Source |
Remarks |
2000 |
|||
8,600 |
1995 |
Ellison, J.C. (1995) Status report on Pacific Island Mangroves. In: Marine and Coastal Biodiversity in the Tropical Island Pacific Region. Volume 1: Population Development and Conservation Priorities. Maragos, J.E.., Peterson, M.N.A., Eldredge, L.G., Bardach, J.E. and Takeuchi, H.F. (Eds.). East-West Center, Honolulu, USA. |
|
8,564 |
1983 |
MacLean, C.D., Whitesell, C.D., Cole, T.G., and McDuffie, K.E. (1988) Timber Resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Forest Service Resource Bulletin PSW-24. |
Compilation of previous studies (listed below) based on aerial photos dated 1976 combined with some field sampling 1983. 5,525 ha on Pohnpei; 1,562 ha on Kosrae; 1,171 ha on Yap; 306 ha on Truk. Of the total, 8,259 ha were classified as timberland and 305 ha as scrub. |
5,525* |
1983 |
MacLean, C.D., Cole, T.G., Whitesell, C.D., Falanruw, M.V. and Ambacher, A.H. (1987) Vegetation Survey of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Resource Bulletin PSW-18. |
*Pohnpei only. Equivalent to 28% of forest area on Pohnpei. 3,484 ha were classified as size class 1 (trees averaging less than 30cm in dbh but larger than 12.5 cm dbh) and density class High (crown closure > 70%) and 1,806 ha as size class 2 (trees averaging > 30cm dbh) and density class High (crown closure > 70%). |
1,562* |
1983 |
Whitesell, C.D., MacLean, C.D.; Falanruw, M.C., Cole, T.G. and Ambacher, A.H. (1986) Vegetation Survey of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Resource Bulletin PSW-17. |
*Kosrae only. Equivalent to 22% of the forest area on Kosrae. Based on 1976 aerial photos at scales of 1: 5,000 to 1:16,000 updated through ground sampling in 1983. About two thirds are classified as size class 2 (trees averaging > 30cm dbh) and one third as size class 1(trees averaging less than 30cm in dbh but larger than 12.5 cm dbh). All stands classified as medium (> 30%) or high . 70%) crown cover. |
1,000* |
1980 |
Spalding, M.D., Blasco, F. and Field, C.D. (Eds.) (1997) World Mangrove Atlas. The international Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan. 178 pp. |
* Yap only. Taken from USDI (1983) Topographic map of the Yap Islands (Waqab), Federated States of Micronesia. 1:25:000. United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. Based on aerial photos of 1969 with field checking in 1980 |
1,171* |
1976 |
Falanruw, M.C., Whitesell, C.D., Cole, T.G., MacLean, C.D., Ambacher, A.H. (1987) Vegetation Survey of Yap, federated states of Micronesia. USDA Resource Bulletin PSW-21. |
*Yap only. Equivalent to 30% of the forest area on Yap. Based on aerial photos at 1:10,000 taken in 1976. The majority (944 ha) were classified as size class 2 (trees averaging less than 30cm in dbh but larger than 12.5 cm dbh) and density class High (crown closure > 70%). |
306* |
1976 |
Falanruw, M.C., Cole, T.G., Ambacher, A.H., McDuffie, K.E. and Maka, J.E. (1987) Vegetation Survey of Moen, Dublon, Fefan, and Eten, State of Truk, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Resource Bulletin PSW-20. |
*Truk only. Equivalent to 31% of the forest area on Truk. Based on aerial photos at 1:10,000 taken in 1976. 149 ha on Moen; 69 ha on Dublon and 88 ha on Fefan. |
Mangroves are extensive in tidally inundated areas and are composed of Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Sonneratia alba, Lumnitzera littorea, Xylocarpus granatum, Nypa fruticans and Acrostichum spp., increasing in stature and declining in species richness eastwards. The mangroves of Kosrae differ from those of other islands in occurring behind a protective strip of coastal strand vegetation. Mangroves are coastal only on the northwestern coast. The main species found in Kosraen mangroves is Sonneratia alba with some individuals obtaining heights of 25 to 30 m with diameters of 1.5 m. Rhizophora mucronata is usually found at the mouth of rivers and channels, with R. apiculata and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza common, along with Sonneratia, toward the interior of the mangrove. Numerous patches of Nypa fruticans and Xylocarpus granatum occur toward the landward edge of the mangrove in Kosrae.
MacLean, C.D., Whitesell, C.D., Cole, T.G., and McDuffie, K.E. 1988 Timber Resources of Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Forest Service Resource bulletin PSW-24.
Mueller-Dombois, D. and F. R. Fosberg 1998. Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. Springer-Verlag, New York. 733 pp.
Stemmerman, L., Proby, F. 1978. Inventory of wetland vegetation in the Caroline Islands, Volume I. Honolulu, HI: Pacific Ocean Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 231 p. Cited in Whitesell et al. (1986)
Whitesell, C.D., MacLean, C.D.; Falanruw, M.C., Cole, T.G. and Ambacher, A.H. 1986. Vegetation Survey of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. USDA Resource Bulletin PSW-17.