Cocos groves, up to 50 palms, drift-derived and plantation 

 remnants, generally close to the shoreline (Pis. 29, 30), occur 

 on 1 1 motus. 

 4. Mixed Forest with Cocos (6.24 ha) 



This forest type is a simplified version of more complex 

 and varied mixed forests that occur on most inhabited atolls. 

 Composed of both anthropogenic and native elements, it 

 contains a high proportion of Cocos (50-80%) mingled with 

 variable proportions of Tournefortia. Pisonia and Pandanus. 

 This forest type occurs primarily in southern Nake (Fig. 14), 

 but also on Emerald, Shark, and southwest Long, where it 

 mixes with Cordia and Tournefortia. 



House Site: A single clearing on Motu Ana-Ana, 

 approximately 40 m x 70 m, contains a few Cocos adjacent to 

 a vegetable garden and thatched living quarters (PI. 53). 



Associations with Seabirds : Coros-dominated habitats 

 were the most depauperate on Caroline: only brown noddies 

 and white terns breed there (PI. 54). The noddies nest high 

 within the frond and inflorescence bases, whereas the white 

 terns preferred lower sites. The absence of other species 

 suggests that the anthropogenic Cocos forests seriously inhibit 

 seabird use and may continue to do so for decades until they are 

 replaced by native vegetation. 



Absent Plant Communities 



Caroline's impoverished flora and simple geology has 

 resulted in a limited variety of ecosystems. The atoll is thus 

 notable not only for its grand Pisonia forests, extensive 

 monotypic stands of Tournefortia, and presence of Cordia 

 groves, but also for the absence of several ecosystems that are 

 generally considered typical of Pacific atolls: 

 /. Sesuvium flats; 



2. Pemphis, Scaevola, and Sida scrub (two Scaevola plants 

 are present, and the only two Sida records are from 1884 and 

 1990); 



3. Barringtonia, Calophyllum, Guettarda, Hernandia, and 

 Ochrosia forests; 



4. Plant associations (except Cocos) typical of native cultures 

 on atolls: breadfruit groves (Artocarpus alt His), taro pits 

 ( Cyrtosperma chamissonis, Colocasia esculenta, Xanthosoma 

 sagittifolia), cultivated ornamentals (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. 

 Plumeria spp., et cetera), or weedy grasslands/wastelands 

 (Paspalum, Sporobolus. Wedelia, Vigna, et cetera). Even 

 widespread introduced strand species such as Terminalia 

 catappa and Casuarina equisetifolia are absent. 



In addition, there are no mangroves, peat bogs, marshes, 

 ponds, salt flats, or other habitats associated with fresh or 

 brackish water. Poorly represented are: 

 /. Lepturus grassland. Although Lepturus is present in 

 coastal herb mats, and occasionally in patches w ithin the forest 

 understory, it does not form a separate plant community. 

 However, it may once have covered the extensive clearings on 

 South Island (PI. 2). 



2. Mixed forest. Though 6.24 ha of mixed forest (with 

 Cocos) occurs (primarily on Nake), it is of such minor 

 importance to Caroline's overall vegetation that it is treated as 

 a subsection of coconut woodlands. 



Description and Ecology of the Motus 



These islet accounts synthesize the history, physiography, 

 vegetation patterns, ecology, seabird colonies, miscellaneous 

 biota, and the effects of human activity (if any) on Caroline's 

 39 motus (Fig. 2). Mapping is based on the coast-to-coast 

 transects, perimeter surveys, complete surveys (smaller motus), 

 color transparencies, and aerial photographs. 



All motus are detrital reef islets representing many 

 evolutionary stages from barely emerged coral rubble to large 

 islets with relatively fertile "soils" supporting lush vegetation. 

 There is one tiny old reef platform in its final stages of erosion. 



We discuss and map them in geographic order beginning 

 in the north with Nake and progressing down the windward reef 

 through Long and the 13 Windward Islets to South Island. 

 Beginning anew in the north, we move south through 7 South 

 Nake Islets, 1 1 Central Leeward Islets, and finally the 

 5 Southern Leeward Islets. 



Because of the variety of islet shapes, "long" or "length" 

 refers to the longest dimension lying parallel to the outer reef 

 edge (normally north-south) and "wide" or "width" to the 

 longest dimension perpendicular to the outer reef edge (normally 

 east-west). South Island, the only exception, is considered to 

 lie adjacent to the southern reef edge, so its "length" is measured 

 east-west. Seabird numbers are from Subchapter 1 .2. Table 1, 

 this volume. For convenience in locating particular islets, the 

 order is as follows: 



/. Nake Island (Fig. 37) 

 2. Long Island (Fig. 38) 



South Nake Islets 



17. 

 18. 

 19. 



20. 

 21 

 22 

 23 



Pandanus (Fig. 52) 

 Danger (Fig. 52) 

 Booby (Fig. 52) 

 Coral (Fig. 52) 

 Lone Palm (Fig. 52) 

 Kota(Fig. 52) 

 Mouakena (Fig. 52) 



34 



