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Air Tahiti Magazine 64
©p. bacchet fregate ariel - lesser frigatebird l atoll abrite d etonnantes forets dites primaires dont la remarquable preservation suscite l interet de botanistes internationaux. elles sont dites « primaires » car leur equilibre naturel n a pas ete modifie par les interventions humaines. en s aventurant sur les terres de poea au nordest ou celles de hitirari situees au sud-ouest de l atoll, les visiteurs decouvrent ce paysage si particulier ou s enchevetrent fougeres nid d oiseaux (aslenium nidus), tamanu (calophyllum inophyllum), puatea (pisonia grandis) pouvant atteindre une trentaine de metres, tafano (guettarda speciosa) petit arbre dont le bois est d une robustesse exceptionnelle, fara (pandanus tectorius), tahinu (argusia argentea), purau (hibiscus taliaceus) et tou (cordia subcordata)... cette nature foisonnante se rapproche de l idee tant vehiculee du paradis insulaire vert et sauvage. en l absence d exploitations et de constructions humaines perturbatrices, ces forets primaires offrent un spectacle fascinant ou l observation de nombreux oiseaux terrestres et marins est rendue possible. une foret primaire, habitat d oiseaux rarissimes ©h. barnaud mataiva s primary forests, a perfect habitat for rare birds mataiva atoll holds wonderfully thriving primary forests that are so well preserved that they have sparked much interest with international botanists. the forests are called primary because their fragile balance hasn t been modified by humans. by exploring the forested lands of poea to the northeast of the atoll or those of hitirari at the southwest, visitors will discover a very unusual landscape that is tangled with bird s nest ferns (aslenium nidus), tamanu (calophyllum inophyllum, called kamani in hawaii), puatea (pisonia grandis) which can grow up to 30 meters (98 feet), tafano (guettarda speciosa, beach gardenia in english) a little tree with exceptionally hard wood, fara (pandanus tectorius, pandanus in english), tahinu (argusia argentea, octopus bush in english), purau (hibiscus taliaceus, sea hibiscus in english) and tou (cordia subcordata). with all this abounding flora, the forests are like a cliche of a wild paradise brought to life. because they aren t tainted by human construction or disturbances, these primary forests are fascinating observation points to see numerous terrestrial and sea birds. 22 revue de bord n°64 / air tahiti / on-board magazine n°64
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