THE VEGETATION AND FLORA OF NAURU – 2007 Current Status, Cultural Importance and Suggestions for Conservation, Restoration, Rehabilitation, Agroforestry and Food, Health and Economic Security Report prepared for the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Resources and the Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation, Republic of Nauru R. R. Thaman1, D. C. Hassall2 and Shingo Takeda3 Secretariat of the Pacific Community Land Resources Division Suva, Fiji Islands January 2009 1 Professor of Pacific Islands Biogeography, Faculty of Islands and Oceans, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Islands. 2 Director, Yurrah Integrated Landscape Solutions, Windsor, Queensland, Australia. 3 GIS Consultant, School of Geography, Faculty of Islands and Oceans, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Islands. © Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) 2009 Original text: English Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cataloguing-in-publication data Thaman, R. R. The vegetation and flora of Nauru – 2007: current status, cultural importance and suggestions for conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, agroforestry and food, health and economic security / R. R. Thaman, D. C. Hassall and Shingo Takeda 1. Plant ecology – Nauru. 2. Botany – Nauru. I. Hassal, D. C. II. Takeda, Shingo. III. Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 581.509685 AACR2 ISBN 978-982-00-0314-9 Secretariat of the Pacific Community Suva Sub-regional Office Private Mail Bag Suva FIJI ISLANDS Tel: +679 337 0733 Fax: +679 337 0021 Email: [email protected] Printed by Quality Print Limited, Suva, Fiji Islands DEDICATION We dedicate this report to the late Joseph Detsimea Audoa, former Minister of Health and Education and Minister of Justice in the Government of Nauru, who, because of his vision and commitment to the culture and environment of Nauru, initiated and provided the financial support for the 1980s study of the flora of Nauru, and to the people of the Republic of Nauru who have had their precious island and its vegetation and flora destroyed and degraded as a result of wars and exploitation beyond their control. iii FOREWORD The rehabilitation of phosphate-mined areas is considered top priority under the Nauru National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) 2005-2025. This is further recognized in the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Government of Nauru Joint Country Strategy (JCS) 2008-2010, identifying the activity as requiring the assistance of SPC In response to the above, the Land Resources Division (LRD) of SPC, through its Forests and Trees Group, commissioned a survey of the vegetation and flora of Nauru as part of its support to the Government of Nauru towards the rehabilitation of the phosphate-mined areas. The survey is an update of a similar one undertaken in 1980-81 by Thaman, Hassal and Manner (Thaman et al. 1994). This publication documents the results of the survey, which among other things, include: • A discussion of the current state of the flora and vegetation of Nauru highlighting the most important changes that have taken place over the past quarter of century since the last in-depth survey in the early 1980s; • An updated account of culturally useful plants of, and weeds of potential danger to, Nauru; • Changes that have occurred and actions that need to be taken to protect the remaining indigenous plants and vegetation and associated Nauruan knowledge ; and • Identification of those species and areas of vegetation of cultural and ecological importance that are rare or threatened and in need of some form of conservation as part of the pre-planning for re-mining and continued human settlement on Nauru. In addition to this publication, a companion document, Plants of Nauru: Guide to the Indigenous and Introduced Plants of Particular Importance and Weeds of Pontential Threat to Nauru” providing illustrations, background information and pictures of some 180 species or groups of species within the the existing flora of Nauru, has also been published (Thaman, Hassall and Takeda 2008). It is hoped that both of these publications will be useful not only to the Government of Nauru in the planning and implementation of its rehabilitation programme of the island’s mined areas, but also to scientists, researchers, students and the ordinary Nauruans who may wish to further study the Nauru vegetation and flora. We wish to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Randy Thaman and his colleagues, Dr. David Hassall and Shingo Takeda for their tremendous contribution in undertaking the survey and documenting the results in an excellent document that will form the basis for Nauruans to protect and conserve their native plant species and effectively use them in the rehabilitation of their mined areas. iv Lastly, we would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Government of Nauru for giving SPC the opportunity to contribute to its efforts towards the rehabilitation of its mined areas, and also for the permission to publish the report for greater distribution. Aleki Sisifa Director, Land Resources Division Secretariat of the Pacific Community Suva, Fiji Islands v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Over the past quarter century there have been countless people who have assisted in many ways in the study of Nauru’s plants. Special thanks are given to our original local informants in relation to the cultural uses and Nauruan names of plants during the 1980s, all of whom are now deceased. They include the Reverend James Aingimea, Henry Michael Heine, Daphne Fotu, Jacob Gabwinare, Katarina Satto, Kenia Raidinen, Reynold Capelle, Eda Adam and Montiba Star. Others who have worked closely with us and supported us over much of this period include Leo Keke, Nelson Tamakin, Julie Olsson and Pene Agadio. Others who provided support and assistance include Joseph Cain, Anton Jimwereiy, Andrew Pitcher, Lagamot Harris, Bernard Dowiyigo, Lisle Newby, Felix Kun, Lawrence Stephen, Braro Detudamo, Obera Menke, Robert Kaierua, Dennis Ketner, Sio Fotu, Pine Harrison, John Brechtefeld, Rene Harris, Porthos Bop, Jacob Aroi, Delilah Capelle, Eddie Borak, John Healy, Gary Bailey, Leon Thompson, Benjamin Morgan, Tyrone Deiye, Alan Debao, Peter Jacob, Charleston Deiye, Dr. Ludwig and Ann Keke, Dr. Kiki Thoma, Dr. Edgar Rapisora, Alan Jordan, J. S. Aluwhalia, Khurshid Kasba, Philomena Dick, Pamela Scriven, Terry Amram, Edwin Tsitsi, Joseph Hiram, David Westover, Vollmer Api, Maggie Jacob, Rhonda Kinsela, Iosefa Elisala and Teaora Tabanou. Their support, friendship and hospitality over the past quarter century have made our work on Nauru extremely rewarding and enjoyable. Thanks are also owing to the organizations that have supported our work over the years. They include The University of the South Pacific (USP), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and AusAID. Special thanks also go to the former Department of Island Development and Industry (IDI), the Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC), the Nauru Island Council and, during the most recent trip, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Resources (MCIR) and the Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation (NRC). Our thanks also go to our co-authors on the Flora of Nauru, the late Emeritus Professor of Botany of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, whose knowledge of the Micronesian environment was unparalleled, and Dr. Harley Manner of the University of Guam, who played such an important role in the studies of the regeneration of vegetation of the mined areas of Topside. Thanks is also due to those people, who over the past 100 years, have collected and identified plants on Nauru; and to the late Saula Vodonaivalu of USP’s South Pacific Regional Herbarium of The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji who identified, preserved and curated the herbarium specimens collected by Thaman, Manner and Hassall. Without their efforts, this work would have been impossible. Similarly, we would like to thank The University of the South Pacific for the support it has provided throughout the duration of the study, both as the institution where the study was initiated and completed and as Nauru's own university of which it is one of twelve regional member countries. We also wish to thank Cenon Padolina and Sairusi Bulai of the SPC Forests and Trees Programme and Aleki Sisifa Director of the SPC Land Resources Division who vi commissioned the 2007 resurvey of Nauru’s flora and vegetation; Warea Orapa, of the Land Resources Division of the SPC who carried out a survey of weedy and potentially seedy species on Nauru in January 2007 and provided us with his lists; and Vinci Clodumar of the NRC and Bryan Star of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Resources, who were our main contacts and provided support during 2007. We wish to also thank Creedance Fritz, Lillibet Utenas, the manager of the Meneng Hotel, and the Nauru Police force for their assistance and kindness. To all of you we are very grateful. To others who helped in any way during our study, we also give thanks, and sincerely apologize for failing to mention you by name. Finally, we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the people of Nauru whose warmth and hospitality made our work on their beautiful but damaged island so enjoyable and worthwhile. We hope that this report does justice to you and will provide valuable information on the plants of Nauru, the understanding and appreciation of which, are critical as a foundation for sustainable living on your beautiful island. To all of you, TUBWA KOR, Randy Thaman, Dave Hassall and Shingo Takeda Suva, Fiji December 2008 vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Despite the extremely limited and degraded status of the vegetation and flora of Nauru, plants will remain one of the most important foundations for sustainable living and the survival of the rich Nauruan culture on the island of Nauru. This is particularly true given the recent economic crisis, increasing climatic variability and the need for the island to become more self-reliant in food and other products and services that can be provided by plants.