'Eua National Park

ʻEua National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
ʻEua National Park
Location	ʻEua Island, Tonga
Coordinates	21°24′06″S 174°54′27″W
Area	4.51 km^2 (2 sq mi)
Established	1992
Governing body	Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (Forestry Division)

ʻEua National Park is a national park on the island of ʻEua in Tonga. It is the country's only national forest park and covers an area of 4.51 km^2 (2 sq mi).[1][2] The park is located on the east coast of the island and covers an 800 metres (2,625 ft) band of tropical rainforest and is bordered on the west by sheer cliffs to the ocean, which have numerous caves and chasms.[3] It received national park status in 1992.[1] The area is protected by IUCN.[4]

Biodiversity

Endemic flora

• Aglaia heterotricha
• Arytera bifoliata
• Discocalyx listeri
• Dysoxylum tongense
• Guioa lentiscifolia
• Phyllanthus amicorum
• Pittosporum yunckeri
• Podocarpus pallidus, a rare and endangered conifer (approximately 1,000 trees) found in this location.
• Polyalthia amicorum
• Robiquetia tongensis
• Syzygium crosbyi
• Xylosma smithiana

Endemic fauna

• Lepidodactylus euaensis (Eua forest gecko), a rare and endangered gecko.
• Prosopeia tabuensis (red shining-parrot or red-breasted Koki), a species of parrot.
• Aerodrarnus spodiopygius (white rumped swiftlet)
• Phaethon lepturus (white-tailed tropicbird)

Further reading

• Bellingham, P. J.; Fitzgerald, Gerard (1996). Draft Management Plan for ʻEua National Park : Kingdom of Tonga. Landcare Research New Zealand, New Zealand. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Drake, Donald R.; Motley, Timothy J.; Whistler, W. Arthur; Imada, Clyde T. (1996). "New Zealand Journal of Botany". Rain Forest Vegetation of ʻEUA Island, Kingdom of Tonga. 34: 65–77.

See also

• National parks of Tonga
• List of National Parks

References

1. "'Eua National Park in Tonga". protectedplanet.net. Archived from the original on 14 September 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
2. "'Eua National Park Reserve". The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
3. "Tonga Parks & Marine Reserves". Jasons.com. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
4. Paine, James R., ed. (1991). IUCN Directory of Protected Areas in Oceania. International Union for Conservation of Nature. pp. 260–261. ISBN 9782831700694.