Nabukelevu (20334)
Fiji, Oceania
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Nabukelevu
Central coordinates: Latitude: -19.1167, Longitude: 177.9833
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 805
Area of KBA (km2): 84.63257
Protected area coverage (%): 0.09
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Nabukelevu is a spectacular isolated mountain rising steeply from the sea in west Kadavu. Its name is said to mean ‘giant yam mound’, an accurate description of this steep-sided massif. It is an andesitic volcanic lava dome which last erupted in the Holocene. The mountain is usually shrouded in cloud and receives a high level of rainfall.
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: Nabukelevu is the only known nesting site in Fiji for the Polynesian Storm-petrel (dates from 1876) and one of a handful of sites for the Collared Petrel (small numbers have been recorded overhead during Collared Petrel surveys, but there are no known active nesting burrows). It supports all the four species and eight subspecies endemic to Kadavu, including good numbers of Kadavu Honeyeaters and probably the largest population of the montane Island Thrush subspecies T. p. ruficeps. Current breeding colonies of seabirds on the headland west of Davigele and other rocky headlands are thought to be Wedge-tailed Shearwaters . Two other globally threatened species that occur on Kadavu, Friendly Ground-dove and Black-faced Shrikebill, are likely to be present in small numbers in old-growth forest at lower altitudes. Non-bird biodiversity: Nabukelevu is believed to support several species of plants endemic to the mountain itself as the high montane plateau is unique within Kadavu. Its herpetofauna and other biodiversity are poorly known. The moth Speiredonia strigiformis was found on the peak in April 2011 as part of recent surveys for Collared Petrel. This is the first record for this spectacular species, endemic to Fiji and not recorded anywhere since the 1980s, on Kadavu.
Other site values: Nabukelevu is under traditional ownership of local people. Daviqele, the chief village of the Nabukelevu Tikina, owns the south slope, Nabukilevuira owns the west side, and Lomati owns the north-eastern side and the summit, including the only trail to the top.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Many of the lower slopes around Nabukelevu have been cleared for agriculture and the IBA boundary starts at the lower boundary of the forest on the west, south and east. To the north, the IBA extends down to the sea as this very steep slope supports little human activity. Nabukelevu is the only area in west Kadavu that retains extensive old-growth forest although scattered, mostly degraded, forest does extend east to connect with the old-growth forests close to Vunisea. The north slope of Nabukelevu and some upper reaches of the west and south slopes are dominated by scrubby forest on boulder-strewn steep slopes, which is probably climax vegetation for these slopes which are susceptible to land-slides. The mid-altitudes on the west, south and east slopes have old-growth lowland rainforest. This is of higher stature on flatter land but much of the area is steep and any flatter areas at lower altitude have been cleared for agriculture. The plateau and the steep upper slopes are low-stature montane forest, which show no sign of human activity except for a rarely used trail to a summit clearing.
Land use: agriculture | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Agriculture - 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 | Named species | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2004) Fiji Programme IBA project field report No. 29. Unpublished report. CORREIA (1924) Whitney South Sea expedition diary N: 180 (in American Museum of Natural History).Unpublished. CORREIA (1925) Whitney South Sea expedition diary O: 1 (in American Museum of Natural History).Unpublished. FINSCH, O. (1877) On a new species of petrel from the Feejee islands. Proceedings of the London Zoological Society 722. Jenkins, J. A. F. (1986) The seabirds of Fiji. Australasian Seabird Group Newsletter 25:1–70. WRIGHT, S. AND CABANIUK, S. (1996) Towards an Integrated Environmental Conservation and Tourism Development Plan for Kadavu Province. Suva: Native Lands Trust Board. Unpublished Report.