Fiji- COMDEKS Country Programme Landscape Strategy Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Priority Area The proposed landscape for COMDEKS to be carried out in Fiji is the Natewa-Tunuloa Peninsula. Located on Vanua Levu, the country’s second largest island, the priority landscape lies in a north-east to south-west axis along the south-eastern section of the island and borders the southern coastline of Natewa Bay, the longest bay in the South Pacific. The priority landscape encompasses the two districts of Natewa and Tunuloa, whose boundaries roughly lie between latitudes 16°29' and 16°40' S and longitudes 179°44' and 179° 55' E and collectively cover an area of 25,243 ha or 252.43 km2. Both districts are collectively part of the Cakaudrove Province, one of the fourteen provinces making up Fiji and falls under the country’s northern division of administration. Topography The oldest island in the Fiji archipelago is Viti Levu, the largest island, containing some of the oldest rocks, island-arc volcanics of Late Eocene age (about 35Ma). The geological formation of the Fiji islands is complex, formed by westward subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Indo-Australian plate along a seduction zone north and east of Fiji. Vanua Levu, on which the priority landscape is located, formed around 7Ma and is composed of late Cenozoic lavas, breccias and volcanic sediments of the Natewa Volcanic Group. This Natewa Volcanic Group (see Fig 1.0) which dominates the priority landscape is of Mio-Pliocene age, comprising of andesite and reworked volcanic rocks. Flat land of narrow valleys, coastal plains and river deltas dominate the periphery of the Natewa-Tunuloa Peninsula, which then give rise to areas of rolling hills and finally the stretch of mountainous terrain running along the mid-section of the landscape. The mountain range of the Natewa-Tunuloa Peninsula lies closer to the western coast along the bay area, leaving less coastal flat land along this section. The highest elevation within the landscape is Mt Uluiqala, at 2730 ft or 832m above sea level. The landscape soils have predominately developed from the Natewa Volcanic Group of basic and intermediate andesite and other volcanics, and falls under the Suva Series of the soil classification for Fiji. The soils are described as Cumulic Hapludolls, being fine, smectitic, and isohyperthemic, due to the continuous humid landscape climate. Under the FAO-UNESCO soil classification, the landscape soils are described as Haplic Phaeozems, dark black soils rich in organic matter. The soil properties of the landscape are also characterised by being well drained, never waterlogging and not prone to water deficits in normal rainfall years. The known limitation of the soil however, is that they tend to be low in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Susceptibility to erosion tends to be low, but will form of slopes greater than 7 degrees. Under the land utilization categories for Fiji, about 8% of the landscape area falls under Class I, land areas deemed suitable for agriculture in its natural state. Much of the area under this class tends to be located along the coastal margins of the peninsula on the eastern coast and areas within the vicinity of freshwater systems, such as the Buca and 1 Koroivonu Rivers, the former being the major freshwater system and delta in the landscape. Classes II and III refer to soils requiring minor and major improvements in terms of soil conservation measures, prior to any form of permanent agriculture being undertaken. The bulk of the landscape land area falls under these two categories, roughly 55%, 15% to the former and 40% to the latter categories respectively. The final, Class V, refers to land classed unsuitable for any form of agriculture due to steepness and high erosion potential. The total area falling under this class within the landscape is 37%, recommended for permanent forest protection or stringent or limited use for productive forestry. Due to the geologic layout of the Natewa-Tunuloa Peninsula the landscape does not contain very expansive watersheds. At least 14 freshwater systems are contained within the landscape, the majority being first order creeks and streams. Only two are second order river systems, the Buca and the Koroivonu, both located on the eastern coast of the peninsula. 2 Figure 1 : Map of Natewa-Tunuloa Peninsula Climatic Conditions Fiji, under the Koppen-Geiger System of climate classification, has a wet equatorial climate, dominated by the presence of the Inter-tropical convergence zone (ITZ). The ITZ when close to the Fiji archipelago induces more rainfall, and is also responsible for the relatively uniform temperature throughout the year. The other influencing climatic variable over the archipelago is the predominant South East Trade Winds, which result in the orographic effect on larger high islands, such as Vanua Levu, creating a distinct windward wet eastern side and leeward dry western side for these islands. The Natewa-Tunuloa Peninsula is located on the wetter windward side of Vanua Levu, and receives between 2000-3200 mm of rainfall annually and on average the annual temperature range in the area is between 19.6°C- 29.3°C. The drier, cooler months last from May to October and the warmer, wetter months last from November to April during which cyclonic occurrences and depressions usually feature. It should be noted that Fiji is also influenced by the ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) phenomenon, which occasionally induces below average rainfall throughout the country and droughts. Biodiversity Wet zone vegetation dominates the landscape due to it being located on the windward side of Vanua Levu. The combination of climate and topography provides for various natural terrestrial habitats and ecosystems, from littoral coastal shrub-land and mangroves, to low and montane forests as one ascents the terrain. The estimated forest cover area for the landscape is 70% (17,740 ha), of which roughly 35% is old growth lowland and montane forest and the remaining 35% comprising of remnant, scattered, multiple use forest and timber production plantation forest. The remaining non-forest 30% of the landscape includes coconut plantations, community agricultural areas, and grassland. The forest within the landscape supports various unique assemblages of plant and animal species and is listed as a site of national significance under Fiji National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBSAP). The area has been prioritised for conservation not only as a national terrestrial biodiversity hotspot but also due to the area being one of the last few places in Fiji which retains forest with an intact range from lowland to montane habitats. The forest is noted to support endemic tree species such as the Masiratu (Degeneria vitiensis), Kaudamu (Myristica spp), Kauvula (Endospermum macrophyllum), Yasiyasi (Syzygium spp) and the Vure (Weinmannia exigua). Also included is the endemic understory palm species, Balaka macrophyla. The landscape forest is also noted to still support abundant standing populations of indigenous timber tree species such as Dakua (Agathis macrophylla), Kaunicina (Canarium sp) and the Sa (Parinari insularum). Due to the landscape’s intact forest range the area also retains very high bird diversity of which 21 of the 28 species present are endemic to Fiji. This includes the landscape’s flagship and endemic species, the threatened Vanua Levu subspecies of Silktail (Lamprolia v.kleinschmidti), whose habitat is confined to the Peninsula, and the globally threatened 4 friendly ground dove and black throated shrikebill. The landscape also supports flying fox and fruit bat populations in the area as a foraging ground. The forest has also been recorded to support unique ground dwelling species such as endemic terrestrial molluscs and cicadas, and is recommended as a high conservation value area based on invertebrate abundance and representativeness. The endangered large flax snail species, Placostylus hoyti, for instance retains an isolated population within a habitat restricting area in the landscape. The freshwater systems in the landscape are also noted for biodiversity. The major river system in the landscape, the Buca, is noted for its high diversity of freshwater icthyofauna and retention of endemic gobies. The river system presently supports the largest recorded breeding population of the endemic orange-spotted scaleless goby (Schismatogobius chrysonotus). Despite the various indications of the area’s biodiversity significance, to date the landscape remains poorly researched or surveyed highlighting a need to collate a more comprehensive record of its natural biological assets. Socio-Economic Conditions The 2007 national census records the total resident population for the collective two districts (Natewa and Tunuloa) as 3,428 (male population-1,753 and female population- 1,675). The projected landscape population growth rate is low (0.1-from 1996 to 2007) and likewise population has a relatively low population density 13.6 persons per km2. In terms of landscape demographics the population is primarily agrarian, predominately indigenous, and contained within traditional rural village settings. Of the landscapes total population, the indigenous Fijians (iTaukei) make up 97.8%, whilst Fijians of Indian descent (0.4%) and Fijians of other ethnicities (1.8%) make up the remainder. The landscape remains largely undeveloped, the closest urban locality being the township of Savusavu, 60 km to the south west.