Rapa



ID


827

Author(s)


J. Hales


Countries


French Polynesia

Major Habitat Type


Oceanic Islands

Drainages flowing into


Pacific Ocean


Main rivers to other water bodies


Crater lakes Kau, Raraku and Aroi



Description

Boundaries

Rapa Nui (27° 9′ 0″ S, 109° 25′ 30″ W), also known as Easter Island, is a remote Polynesian island in the South Pacific Ocean 3500 km from Chile.

Topography

Rapa Nui is a volcanic high island that is a summit of an underwater mountain range. Terevaka is the largest and highest volcano on the island at 507 m asl, followed by Poike at 370 m asl. The landscape is characterized by gently rolling hills.

Freshwater habitats

Rapa contains no permanent rivers or streams, but it does have some temporary streams and the crater lakes Rano Kau, Rano Raraku, and Rano Aroi.

Terrestrial habitats

Rapa Nui subtropical broadleaf forests historically covered the island (WWF 2001).

Description of endemic fishes

This ecoregion contains no endemic species.

Justification for delineation

This ecoregion was delineated based on its isolation and distinctive fish faunas.


References

  • Gillespie, R.G.;D.A. Clague (2009). "Encyclopedia of Islands" Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
  • Köppen, W. (1936). "Das geographische System der Klimate" Köppen W. and R. Geiger (Ed.) Handbuch der. Klimatologie ( (Vol. 1, pp. 1–44 ) Berlin, Germany: Gebrüder Borntröger.
  • World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (2001) \Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World\ "<"http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial_nt.html">"