Solomon Islands - Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Solomon Islands

Bauro Highlands of Makira-Ulawa Province - S10 38 E161 54 Mt. Maetambe region of Choiseul Province - S7 08 E156 57 Central caldera forests of Kolombangara of Western Province - S7 58 E157 4 Mt. Popomanaseu region of Guadalcanal Province - S9 42 E159 56 Mixed Cultural/Natural Property : The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Solomon Islands property is a natural serial site comprising representative tropical rainforest areas of Solomon Islands, including the Bauro Highlands of Makira-Ulawa Province, the central caldera volcanic skirt of Kolombangara in Western Province, the Mt. Maetambe area of Choiseul Province and the Mt. Popomanaseu area of Guadalcanal Province. The four sites that comprise the proposed property, which together cover over approximately 1500 km², are located within the Udvardy Papuan biogeographic province of the Oceanian realm. Nearly three quarters of the global diversity of birds exists within 4.5% of the Earth's land area (Stattersfield et al. 1998). Within this small, intensely rich fraction of the planet's surface, no other area of comparable size holds more unique bird species than the Solomon Archipelago. Sandwiched between the depauperate avifauna of an expansive South Pacific and the rich continental biotas of the Australasian region, the birds of the Solomon Archipelago inhabit a biogeographic crossroads that has played a disproportionate role in influencing the development of classical biogeographic and speciation theory (see Mayr and Diamond 2001; Mayr 1942, MacArthur and Wilson 1967).

Solomon Islands - Marovo - Tetepare Complex

The property is a mixed natural and cultural site encompassing the marine areas of the Marovo Lagoon and selected terrestrial areas of Vangunu and Gatokae Islands, the uninhabited island of Tetepare and its associated coastal marine areas, the marine and coastal areas of the southern tip and southwest coast of Rendova Island and the uninhabited barrier islands of Hele. The Marovo-Tetepare Complex encompasses more than 1600km2 of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. It is a landscape of dormant volcanoes, rugged interior ranges, extensive lagoon systems and numerous islands. Encompassing some of the best examples of all the Pacific biomes - coral reefs, estuarine and island complexes, mangrove forests, and sea grass beds, as well as a great diversity of forests types including montane forests and some of the last remaining tracts of lowland rainforest, the area is home to globally outstanding marine biodiversity. The area is part of the Bismarck Solomon Seas Ecoregion, a WWF Global 200 ecoregion and is part of the Coral Triangle - the global centre of coral diversity. It is also included in BirdLife International's Solomon Group Endemic Bird Area (EBA) and, along with New Guinea, is considered a Centre of Plant Diversity.