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Climate's Affect on Plants and Animals
Climate's Affect on Plants and Animals
How does climate affect the plants and animals living in your location (what adaptations do they have)?
Tonga has a very tropical climate which reflects on the plants and animals living there. Many of the animals that live there have adaptations that allow them to thrive in the hot heat as well as the wet and dry seasons (1) . One of the animals native to Tonga is the Tongan Whistler (Pachycephala jacquinoti) (2). This is a kind of bird that is specific to the Tongan islands and can mostly be found in primary and secondary forests in the area. This keeps them safe and away from people, gardens and villages because they are a near threatened species. On top of that, coconut palms are also very prominent in Tonga (3). Their tall height keeps them protected from any possible natural disasters that may cause harm to other plants and trees in the surrounding areas. This along with the Tongan rainforest have adapted to have incredible structure to keep everything protected on the island.
Tongan Whistler
Coconut Plantation
Biomes and Ecoregion
Biomes and Ecoregion
Which biome(s) and ecoregion(s) are found there?
Tonga's biomes are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This is mainly due to Tonga's location within the Pacific and how close it is to the equator. The eco regions in our ares are 1. Fiji Tropical Moist Forest, 2. Tongan Tropical Moist Forest, and 3. Fiji Tropical Dry Forest because it is within the Oceanic Region. All these factors tell you that Tonga is a thriving, warm, and moist ecosystem bursting at the seams with biodiversity (4).
Influence of Topography on Plant and Animal Distribution
Influence of Topography on Plant and Animal Distribution
The Red Shining Parrot
The Crested Iguana
Spectacled Fruit Bat
How does topography influence the distribution of plants and animals in your location?
Because of Tonga's location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and on the Tonga Trench, some of the islands that makeup the Kingdom of Tonga are formed by volcanoes making them high islands. Some islands are formed from coral limestone that has been uplifted by tectonic plate activity making them low islands (5). Due to the isolation of the islands, endemic species are common. Many species of birds exist here because they are able to easily move between islands and gain different benefits from each island. Lizards and bats are also common. Tonga is surrounded by reefs with the greatest diversity of corals in the world (6).
Factors Influencing Vegetation and Wildlife
Factors Influencing Vegetation and Wildlife
What factors (aside from climate) influence vegetation and wildlife in your location?
Tonga is originally a natural barrier of forests all around the island, some of the factors that influence vegetation and wildlife in Tonga is natural woody vegetation and this influences wildlife in our location by giving them a home to live in. Birds and mammal fauna contribute to pollination processes, and seed dispersal for many native tree species. The ecosystems provide an arrangement of food and shelter for the animals that is provided already from some of the plants that wildlife can feed on (7).
Environmental Threats
Environmental Threats
What environmental threats are there in your location? (pollution, climate change, invasive species, habitat loss, etc.)
There is a massive lack of proper trash disposal in Tonga because this water pollution has progressed. When the trash is disposed of, it is generally through open-air burning. Initially, this type of trash disposal was not an issue as the people of Tonga were burning natural supplies. However, as times change and artificial resources are introduced to the area, the burning of these supplies makes air pollution a significant issue. Land in Tonga is commonly used for farming. However, because this land has been overused, soil quality has significantly declined. Tonga is no stranger to natural disasters as it is located along the Ring of Fire. The area is filled with cyclones, floods, earthquakes, etc. (8)
Work Cited
1) http://www.met.gov.to/index_files/climate_summary_tonga.pdf
2) https://ebird.org/species/tonwhi1
3) https://www.virtualoceania.net/tonga/photos/flora/
4) https://www.fao.org/3/CA3503EN/ca3503en.pdf
5) http://southpacificspecialist.org/tonga-nature-geography/
6) https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/oceania-physical-geography/
7) https://www.oneearth.org/bioregions/fiji-tongan-tropical-islands-oc6/
8) https://www.friendsoftonga.org/cpages/who-we-are
*All pictures are linked directly, by clicking on each image
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