Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services
The content of this biodiversity profile is still draft. The text below has been prepared by SCBD and remains subject to final approval by the Party concerned.
Nauru is a geologically young, isolated and small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. The country’s soils are thinly layered and nutrient poor and heavily depend on the regrowth and development of vegetation cover for their restoration and regeneration, especially on mined lands. As a result of phosphate mining over a hundred years, ancient indigenous forests have been cleared on Nauru’s central plateau that comprised about 80% of the island’s total land area. In response, the Government has instituted the National Rehabilitation Programme whose ultimate aim is the restoration of vegetation cover to improve soil fertility and water retention capacity for possible agriculture development. However, ongoing secondary phosphate mining and current activities stemming from the limestone industry may reduce available boulders and aggregates for constructing the rock bases to rehabilitate the land.
The country’s range of flora and fauna species is limited to 56 native species and 125 naturalized species, with no endemic species of global value. Nauru’s indigenous biota is considered generally low in terrestrial invertebrate species, high in the proportion of Pacific and worldwide insects, with a small proportion of island endemic insects and snails. The situation is similar in regard to Nauru’s flora. Similarly, Nauru has a low diversity of marine invertebrates (79 invertebrate species were recently recorded). Two species of giant clams (
Tridacna maxima) thought previously locally extinct have been found. Eight reptile species and 36 bird species have been recorded.
Nauru’s coral reefs have a low diversity of hard coral species (around 51 species) however coral cover is exceptionally healthy. Nauru also has a relatively low diversity of reef fish fauna (around 407 species). The abundance of reef fish is relatively high but signs of overfishing are revealed in the low numbers of large-size fish (i.e. large groupers and snappers). The whitetip reef shark is observed in abundance. Apart from a few strands of the
Rhizophora mangrove surrounding the anchialine ponds along the coastline in the district of Anabar, there are no other marine plants, mangroves or seagrasses found. Nauru is known to be a range state for at least 7 migratory species listed for protection under the CMS Appendices (e.g. whale shark, blue whale, humpback whale). The total Exclusive Economic Zone was known for its abundant tuna stocks, especially skipjack and yellowfin and, to a lesser degree, bigeye. However, tuna stocks are heavily influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation events, with more during El Niño periods and less during La Niña periods.
The phosphate mining industry in its heyday brought immense wealth and opportunities to the people of Nauru. However, with the closure of the mine in 2005, Nauru’s economy underwent a serious downturn. During the last decade, the fisheries have contributed about 10% to the country’s GDP. Notably, traditional knowledge and practices for cultivating and using a limited range of plants and animals on land and inshore marine resources, that were valuable social assets for the survival of the population in harsh environmental conditions in the past, have been revived as alternatives for food and livelihood in modern times.
Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)
The content of this biodiversity profile is still draft. The text below has been prepared by SCBD and remains subject to final approval by the Party concerned.
The following are key threats to Nauru’s biodiversity: phosphate mining and limestone industry; unsustainable population growth; climate change impacts; over-exploitation of land and marine resources; introductions of invasive species; ineffective pollution control and solid waste management; loss of traditional knowledge.
