Kolombangara Upland Forest (23641)
Solomon Islands, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Kolombangara Upland Forest
Central coordinates: Latitude: -7.9820, Longitude: 157.0710
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1800
Area of KBA (km2): 312.6419
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site is an extinct volcano of nearly circular outline, about 32 km across, and almost perfectly symmetrical in relief. The proposed boundaries of this site follow an area agreed between AMNH, Kolombangara Forest Products Limited and landowning communities in the area. It covers the central caldera, high ridgelines of Mounts Rano and Veve, and several forest corridors down into the lowlands.
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. KBA identified by the 2012 CEPF East Melanesia Ecosystem Profile process. Taxonomy and threat status follow the 2011 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: The sole location for two endemics, Zosterops murphyi and Phylloscopus amoenus. Also 3 endemic subspecies of Turdus poliocephalus, Phlloscopus poliocephalus and Petroica multicolor. Evidence of daily commuting of montane birds between large, flowering lowland forest trees and high elevation roosts. Also Puffinus heinrothi and Pseudobulweria becki have been recorded in recent years offshore. Its quite possible that the former, at least, breeds in the high elevation forests of Kolombangara. Non-bird biodiversity: At least 3 bats (Emballanura raffrayana, Hipposideres dinops, Melonycteris fardoulis), one frog (Discodeles malukuna) and one skink (Tribolonotus ponceleti) have been identified as globally threatened on the IUCN red list. Recent surveys recorded 5 species of frog in the cloud forest, at least one of which is thought to be new to science.
Delineation rationale: 2015-06-10 (BL Secretariat): site area changed from 70000 ha to 30963 ha, following 2012 CEPF Ecosystem Profile.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: From patches of lowland rainforest to a uniform spread of cloud forest in the montane part of the proposed area.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Logging has reduced the area of lowland forest on the island substantially in the last 50 years.