Koroyanitu / Vaturu (20329)
Fiji, Oceania

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B2

Year of last assessment: 2018

National site name: Koroyanitu / Vaturu

Central coordinates: Latitude: -17.7167, Longitude: 177.6167

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 375 to 1195

Area of KBA (km²): 174.72604

Protected area coverage (%): 15.17

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Vaturu is the water catchment for the Vaturu Dam, the main water supply for the town and port of Nadi. Koroyanitu is the forested part of the Mt Evans mountain range to the west of Viti Levu’s central highlands, containing Mt Koroyanitu, Fiji’s third highest peak (1,195m asl). It is only 16 km from Lautoka, Fiji’s second largest city.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: Koroyanitu and Vaturu are important in conserving the geographical distribution of Fiji's restricted-range species. They have drier forests than those in eastern Viti Levu and support a different sub-set of Fiji’s forest birds.The nationally threatened Peregrine Falcon nests in the Koroyanitu cliffs and hunts over the IBA. A1 Globally threatened species * Friendly Ground-dove (VU) – fairly common at Vaturu * Black-faced Shrikebill (VU) – rare at Vaturu * Masked Shining Parrot (NT) – fairly common at Vaturu and Koroyanitu A2 Restricted-range species 22 species (out of 25 on Viti Levu), including two of the three endemic to Viti Levu. Non-bird biodiversity: Koroyanitu and the Mt Evans range is a hot-spot for endemic plants including two species found nowhere else in the world, Aglaia evansensis (CR) and Syzygium minus (EN). The vertebrate fauna of Koroyanitu includes the Fijian Tree Frog (NT), but no biodiversity surveys have been undertaken at Vaturu.

Other site values: The land tenure across the IBA comprises 86 Native Lands (totalling about 15,411 ha) and eight Crown Lands (about 1,584 ha).

Delineation rationale: 2015-10-20 (BL Secretariat): this IBA incorporates the 'Mount Vakarogasiu and Mount Koroyanitu, Mt Evans Range, Namosi Mountains' 2005 AZE and the 'Mount Evans - Koroyanitu' KBA (CEPF Ecosystem Profile 2007).

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Koroyanitu and Vaturu are the two largest forest blocks in the drier west of Viti Levu. The Vaturu catchment has been extensively logged but is mostly old-growth forest. This lowland forest is transitional between the dry forests at lower altitudes and the wet forests to the east, with a more open understorey than the wet forests of other IBAs in central and east Viti Levu. The reservoir has some fringing wetland vegetation and open water but is of little ornithological interest. The IBA boundaries include all the contiguous dense forest. The IBA is mostly montane rainforest, transitional between the dry forests of the western lowlands and the wet forests of the centre and east of Viti Levu. Forest remains on the steep slopes and peaks of the mountain range but the lower slopes have been cleared for agriculture, some becoming fire-maintained grasslands. The IBA follows NLTB in recognising the conservation area as including all forest above 300 m altitude.

Land use: agriculture | forestry | nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland | water management

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)	5
Forest	95

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Agricultural intensification/expansion; burning of vegetation; selective logging/cutting; invasive alien species

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Small-holder farming	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unspecified species	Ongoing
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying		Only in the future

Additional information