O Le Pupu-Pu'e National Park (23807)
Samoa, Oceania
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: O Le Pupu-Pu'e National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: -13.9895, Longitude: -171.7300
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1158
Area of KBA (km2): 42.15032
Protected area coverage (%): 99.93
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The OLPP National Park is located on the south coast of Upolu and extends from the coast all the way to the interior of Upolu. The site therefore has the full range of ecosystems from the littoral forests on the rugged coastal ridges, to the lowland rainforest, extending to the ridge rainforests along the watershed area to the montane forests. The majority of the site is made up of the Lefaga volcanic rock which has not full weathered, making soil very infertile.
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: The most surveyed of all sites in Samoa, mainly due to its status as a National Park. It was first surveyed in 1972 during the process of identification of potential sites for a National Park. Four of the 8 globally threatened species of Samoa are present, as well as 11 restricted range species. Non-bird biodiversity: Pteropus samoenses, Clinostigam samoense and Thaumatodon hystricelloides have been identified on site.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site has never been logged or cleared for any developments. However, Cyclones in 1990 and 1991 caused a lot of damage to the lowland forests, which are now mixed with secondary growth after the trees were destroyed.