n vegetation on The individuals form a "scrub" or "chaparral" with open bare SM exclusive member. @ character of substrate between them. areas may be used, is restricted to those The "forest", if this designation cal factors such vidual species, rock substrate is such that a of the islets where the depth of the soil or > factors. distinct "water-lens" only of brackish water is formed. How- ué, major species, although Ochrosia oppositifolia and Cordia subcordata may, most exclusively 8, Pisonia grandis is the F formerly, have reached their maximum development in this type of vegetation, the vegetation F The coconut plantations were planted in the forest area where they were 3 1a argentea the # i.4 richer in -Slets, = Cordta Since there were two areas intensively studied, one on the leeward, having been ees, underlain by soil and in the high shrub type of vegetation. side of the atoll, these areas separately. which may one on the windward, and it may be useful to describe and discuss These descriptions should be read in conjunction with Figures 13 and 14, 8 well as seeq- & 23 are an KEITH. Underlying the entire islet appears to be a shelf of consolidated coral sand and shell rock which has its upper surface at about the high tide shrub level. This shelf rock is soft and easily broken and begins approximately at the beach, . OF three on the ocean side On the lagoon side it extends 100-200 feet lagoon- ward of the high tide line. Plants and The southeast half of the islet forms a shallow basin about 1-2 feet above Which seems to high tide level, Ir isolated I here that enclosed by a sandy ridge 3-8 feet above the floor of the basin. Within the basin the high scrub in the chaparral are generally only 1-2 meters high, though occasional larger shrubs occur. ‘ping vines, The individuals are generally 5-10 meters apart and numerous seedlings are present. also occurs 2 eeper-sandy are the only shrubby species found. They are subglobose in shape, with the lateral branches touching the ground. Between the shrubs may be found clumps of Tricholaena repens and Fimbristylis atollensis, ‘ve or six Messerschmidia and Scaevola The rim on the lagoon side carries the low vegetation with a preponderance of Scaevola, Triumfetta and icens and - Lepturus. Ipomoea tuba 7 seedlings corresponding to windrows of seaweed (a greater portion of which is strand j & aav subcor cordat data, a are nearly of Messerschmidia .Rurbinaria) washed up by the sea and the Trades. The rim on the ocean side is covered by the high shrub Messerschmidia and Scaevola, 13, On the lagoon side of the rim are distinct rows Triumfetta and I. tuba occur as scattered plants and Lepturus is almost entirely absent. The beach slope is nearly bare, with only scattered clumps of Triumfetta. 17 Sonne Re = SIRE ORAe ARE REET neg eR Soh: SVR ae Peoria meeRerin eA * * Serna= meNE