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'Eua National Park
Eua National Park is a national park on the island of Eua in Tonga. It is the country's only national forest park and covers an area of . The park is located on the east coast of the island and covers an band of tropical rainforest and is bordered on the west by sheer cliffs to the ocean, which have numerous caves and chasms. It received national park status in 1992. The area is protected by IUCN. Biodiversity Endemic flora * ''Aglaia heterotricha'' * ''Arytera bifoliata'' * ''Discocalyx listeri'' * ''Dysoxylum tongense'' * ''Guioa lentiscifolia'' * ''Phyllanthus amicorum'' * ''Pittosporum yunckeri'' * ''Podocarpus pallidus'', a rare and endangered conifer (approximately 1,000 trees) found in this location. * ''Polyalthia amicorum'' * ''Robiquetia tongensis'' * ''Syzygium crosbyi'' * ''Xylosma smithiana'' Endemic fauna * ''Lepidodactylus euaensis'' (Eua forest gecko), a rare and endangered gecko. * ''Prosopeia tabuensis'' (red shining-parrot or red-breasted Koki) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polyalthia Amicorum
''Polyalthia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. There are approximately 90 species distributed from Africa to Asia and the Pacific.''Polyalthia''. Flora of China. These are trees and shrubs. The flower has six petals in two whorls, the inner petals curving inward over the centre. The name ''Polyalthia'' is derived from a combination of Greek words meaning ‘many cures’ with reference to the medicinal properties of certain species. Species This large genus was known to be , with many species having been separated and reassigned to other genera. Species have also been transferred into this genus (''e.g.[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Parks Of Tonga
Tonga was the first South Pacific country to put a conservation programme in place with a series of national marine reserves. The country has four national parks which are administered by Forest Division, which falls under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. National parks 'Eua National Park The 'Eua National Park, located on the island of ʻEua, was established in 1992. It covers area on the east coast of the island. It encompasses a wide band of tropical rainforest, bordered on the west by sheer cliffs that drop down to the ocean. The coordinates of 'Eua National Park are 21.4026° S, 174.9050° W. Mount Talau National Park The Mount Talau National Park, located on the island of Vava’u, was established in 1995. It was named after the flat-topped mountain that rises behind the Port of Refuge. Mount Talau National Park was established to preserve the local tropical rainforest. The park is home to the Lau banded iguana (''Brachylophus fasciatus''), as well as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinkhole
A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openings where surface water enters into underground passages known as '' ponor'', swallow hole or swallet. A '' cenote'' is a type of sinkhole that exposes groundwater underneath. A ''sink'' or ''stream sink'' are more general terms for sites that drain surface water, possibly by infiltration into sediment or crumbled rock. Most sinkholes are caused by karst processes – the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks, collapse or suffosion processes. Sinkholes are usually circular and vary in size from tens to hundreds of meters both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. Sinkholes may form gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide. Formation Natural processes Sinkholes may capture ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White-tailed Tropicbird
The white-tailed tropicbird (''Phaethon lepturus'') or yellow-billed tropicbird is a tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It also breeds on some Caribbean islands, and a few pairs have started nesting recently on Little Tobago, joining the red-billed tropicbird colony. In addition to the tropical Atlantic, it nests as far north as Bermuda, where it is locally called a "longtail". Taxonomy French zoologist François Marie Daudin described the white-tailed tropicbird in 1802. "White-tailed tropicbird" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). Its closest relative is the red-tailed tropicbird (''P. rubricauda''), the split between their ancestors taking place about four million years ago. Six subspecies are recognised by the IOC: * ''P. l. lepturus''—found a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoidea ("true" parrots), the Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and the Strigopoidea (New Zealand parrots). One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with higher aggregate extinction risk ( IUCN Red List Index) than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere, as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia. Characteristic features of parrots include a strong, curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in the visual spectrum. They form t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maroon Shining Parrot
The maroon shining parrot or red shining-parrot (''Prosopeia tabuensis''), is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni in Fiji and was introduced to the islands of southern Tonga in prehistoric times. The species is sometimes considered conspecific with the crimson shining-parrot of Kadavu. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. Taxonomy The maroon shining parrot was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other parrots in the genus ''Psittacus'' and coined the binomial name ''Psittacus tabuensis''. Gmelin based his description of the ''Tabuan parrot'' that the English ornithologist John Latham had described and illustrated in 1781 in his ''A General Synopsis of Birds''. The maroon shining parrot is no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gecko
Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards for their vocalisations, which differ from species to species. Most geckos in the family Gekkonidae use chirping or clicking sounds in their social interactions. Tokay geckos (''Gekko gecko'') are known for their loud mating calls, and some other species are capable of making hissing noises when alarmed or threatened. They are the most species-rich group of lizards, with about 1,500 different species worldwide. All geckos, except species in the family Eublepharidae lack eyelids; instead, the outer surface of the eyeball has a transparent membrane, the cornea. They have a fixed lens within each iris that enlarges in darkness to let in more light. Since they cannot blink, species without eyelids generally l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lepidodactylus Euaensis
''Lepidodactylus euaensis'', also known as the Eua scaly-toed gecko or Eua forest gecko, is a species of gecko. It is endemic to ʻEua Island in Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in .... References Lepidodactylus Reptiles described in 1988 {{gecko-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xylosma Smithiana
''Xylosma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Salicaceae. It contains around 100 species of evergreen shrubs and trees commonly known as brushhollies, xylosmas, or, more ambiguously, "logwoods". The generic name is derived from the Greek words ξύλον (''xylon''), meaning "wood," and ὀσμή (''osmé''), meaning "smell," referring to the fragrant wood of some of the species. The Takhtajan system places it in the family Flacourtiaceae, which is considered defunct by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Description The leaves are alternate, simple, entire or finely toothed, long. The flowers are small, yellowish, produced on racemes long, usually dioecious, and have a strong scent. The fruit is a small purple-black berry in diameter that contains 2 to 8 seeds. Range The genus is predominantly native to the tropics and subtropics, from the Caribbean, Central America, northern South America, the Pacific Islands, southern Asia and northern Australasia. Two species, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Syzygium Crosbyi
''Syzygium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. Its highest levels of diversity occur from Malaysia to northeastern Australia, where many species are very poorly known and many more have not been described taxonomically. Most species are evergreen trees and shrubs. Several species are grown as ornamental plants for their attractive glossy foliage, and a few produce edible fruits that are eaten fresh or used in jams and jellies. The most economically important species, however, is the clove ''Syzygium aromaticum'', of which the unopened flower buds are an important spice. Some of the edible species of ''Syzygium'' are planted throughout the tropics worldwide, and several have become invasive species in some island ecosystems. Several species of ''Syzygium'' bear fruits that are edible f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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