ʻEua National Park
ʻEua National Park
LocationʻEua Island, Tonga
Coordinates21°24′06″S 174°54′27″W / 21.40167°S 174.90750°W / -21.40167; -174.90750
Area4.51 km2 (2 sq mi)
Established1992
Governing bodyMinistry 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 km2 (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

Attractions

  • Lokupo observation deck, located above a cliff and provides a view of the Lokupo Beach.
  • Big Ovava Tree (minimum of 800 years old)
  • Hafu pool
  • ʻAna ʻAhu (Smoking Cave), a 70 metres (230 ft) vertical sinkhole with a waterfall cascading into it – the mist rising up from the sinkhole gives it its name.
  • ʻAna Kuma (Rats Cave), a 10 metres (33 ft) deep cave
  • Funga Teʻemoa – the island's highest peak at 312 metres (1,024 ft)

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

References

  1. 1 2 "'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.


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