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 left:ISS012-E-7340 Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov Niau With its green lagoon the Niau atoll looks like a giant eye looking out of the ocean. It is a ring-shaped atoll, whose landmass is not divided into motus. The lagoon comprises ca. 3,3 kmē in contrast to the land, which comprises only 2 km sq. A nearly 8 m thick deposit of phosphat on the bottom of the lagoon is the result from rainfall, that in the course of time washed the guano from the land rim into the lagoon. The Niau Atoll is to be going to transform into a makatea island, it is not surprising that it towers some metres higher out of the ocean than most other atolls in the Tuamotu archipelago. Almost the whole coastline is covered by the typically makatea blocks. In the course of time this island will arise more and more from the ocean, the lagoon may fall dry and the whole island will be covered by plants. At least one species of plant is endemic, furthermore here are two species resp. -subspecies of bird, which can by found nowhere else in the world. |
| Flora of Niau (almost complete) (fat = endemic, green = pictures) Achyranthes velutina, Acrostichum aureum, Allophylus rhomboidalis, Asplenium nidus, Asplenium polyodon, Boerhavia tetrandra, Calophyllum inophyllum, Canavalia sericea, Cassytha filiformis, Chamaesyce fosbergii, Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense, Cocos nucifera, Cordia subcordata, Cyclophyllum barbatum, Cyperus javanicus, Digitaria setigera, Digitaria stenotaphrodes, Eugenia reinwardtiana, Ficus prolixa, Fimbristylis cymosa ssp. umbellatocapitata, Glochidion tuamotuense, Grewia crenata, Guettarda speciosa, Heliotropium anomalum, Heliotropium foertherianum, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Ipomoea macrantha, Lepidium bidentatum, Lepturus repens, Melochia odorata, Microsorum grossum, Morinda myrtifolia, Myrsine niauensis, Nephrolepis biserrata, Nephrolepis hirsutula, Nesogenes euphrasioides, Operculina turpethum, Pandanus tectorius, Paspalum vaginatum, Pemphis acidula, Peperomia pallida, Pipturus argenteus var. tuamotensis, Pisonia grandis, Planchonella grayana, Portulaca lutea, Premna serratifolia, Pritchardia pericularum, Psilotum nudum, Psychotria sp., Scaevola taccada, Sesbania coccinea ssp. atollensis, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Sida fallax (?), Suriana maritima, Tarenna sambucina, Thespesia populnea, Thuarea involuta, Timonius polygamus, Triumfetta procumbens, Xylosma suaveolens ssp. pubigerum |
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