Santo Mountain Chain (27485)
Vanuatu, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e, B2
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Santo Mountain Chain
Central coordinates: Latitude: -15.1670, Longitude: 166.7810
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 500 to 1879
Area of KBA (km2): 1683.59791
Protected area coverage (%): 1.23
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site comprises the mountain chain running down the western side of Espiritu Santo. It includes the five highest mountain peaks in Vanuatu, Mt Tabwemasana (the highest peak at 1,879 m asl), Mt Kotamtam, Mt Tawaloala, Mt Santo and Mt Lolohoe. Montane forest begins at 500m asl and grades rapidly into stunted cloud forest on or near the summits.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: KBA identified by the 2012 CEPF East Melanesia Ecosystem Profile process.
April 2025. This site holds the only known populations of the Endangered tree species Plerandra cabalionii and Metrosideros tabwemasanaensis, which trigger criterion A1e. In addition, there are 19 bird species on the site that trigger criterion B2. Four bird species, three plant species and three mammal species represent legacy species.
Manageability of the site: The site is predominantly unmanaged, with little access to the interior. Communities that formerly lived in the upland areas have moved, in the last 100 years, to the coast for greater access to the outside world. There is an active NGO, The Santo Sunset Environment Network, that focusses on the west coast shoreline, and the west-facing slopes of the site. There is not, currently, a similar network of organisations representing the eastern slopes of the site.
Delineation rationale: The site extends throughout the Cumberland Ridge on Espiritu Santo, encompassing the Santo Mountain range down to the (arbitrarily decided) height of 500m asl, other than in the sparsely occupied north coast where the boundary extends to the shore.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 95 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist montane |
Additional information
Contributors: KBA originally identified using pre-existing criteria. Latest assessment of the KBA updated by BGCI and BirdLife International.