Kiribati - vulnerability to accelerated sea level rise: a preliminary study - 1992

Abstract

-- 25 \ ""'p..,nhisscrubc,~ ~mphis acidula forms dense thickets on many islands, particularly on the lagoonward 1 -:-- t1 res of atolls and in comparatively sheltered inland locations on reef islands (WoodroHe, ~ ~~~1). It OCCurseither on the dissected conglomerate platforms of the reef islands, or on an .. in~requentlYinundated substrate of medium angular coral rubble or coarse sand. Pemphis grows I... ~ . 104-5 m tall. forming ehher a continuous fringe up to 30 m wide. or a discontinuous belt ot .. ;"diveual shrubs. Iii Mixed - ~ ~ _, _ Ioumefortia (Messerschmidia,ArQusia),Scaevolaand Guettarda scrub This mixed scrub is a form of Scaevola scrub in which other shrubs are also dominant. e. Seagrass flats Seagrass flats are dominated by Thalassia. There are extensive areas of the lagoon over which there is no Thalassia, or only very sparse seagrass. Little seems to have been done on the ecologYof these areas (Zann, 1982), though they are important areas for the production of shellfish such as Anadara. 2.3. Soc