Republic of the Marshall Islands’ Forest Resources: Forest Inventory and Analysis, 2018
| Authors: | Julian Dendy, Olaf Kuegler, Ashley Lehman, Wendolin Roseo. Marquez |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Pacific Northwest Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.2737/pnw-gtr-1036 |
| Source: | PNW-GTR-1036. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 39 p. |
Abstract
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis program collected forest and tree measurements from 71 plots on 13 atolls and one island (Mejit) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Of these, 44 were remeasured plots first established in 2008, and 27 were newly established plots including 17 plots established in cooperation with the Micronesia Challenge program. We recorded a total of 20 tree species and 53 dominant vascular plant species, including three invasive plant species. We inventoried four forest communities (lowland rainforest, agroforest, strand forest, and mangrove) across the RMI.
Weather was the most prevalent disturbance category in 2018, and overall disturbance declined from about two-thirds of forest area in 2008 to one-tenth of forest area disturbed in 2018. Strand forest was the most disturbed forest community and the only community with more than one disturbance type. Invasive plant species covered about 1 percent of RMI forest area, and there were no invasive tree species observed. Damage from brown root rot (caused by the fungus Phellinus noxius) was observed in Cocos nucifera (ni, coconut palm) and Pandanus tectorius (bōb) trees. Pig damage to trees, vegetation, and soil was observed in <1 percent of forest area.
Forests in the RMI were moderately dense with about 700 stems per acre and were mostly composed of trees <3.0 inches in diameter at breast height. Mean tree diameter, tree height, and stem density per acre for RMI overall did not change significantly between 2008 and 2018, but mean basal area increased by about 7 square feet per acre. There was a slight decrease in the percentage of trees in the 13.0–14.9-inch diameter at breast height class, which is likely due to ongoing senescence and mortality of planted Cocos nucifera trees across the country.