The Pohnpei watershed forest reserve and mangrove forests conservation area project - Federated States of Micronesia - Proposal for support under the SPBCP

Abstract

The conservation values and biodiversity of Pohnpei's forests are perhaps as important as their hydrological buffering function. A combination of strong traditional respect for the upland forest, heavy human depopulation during the last century, and relatively difficult access to inland areas have spared the upland forests of Pohnpci Island from much of the disturbance and destruction that has occurred in the island's lowlands and on other Micronesian islands. These factors, along with the relative age and isolation of the island make the flora of Pohnpei's upland forests some of the most diverse in Micronesia, with a high level of endemicity.