Fauna
& Flora
The fauna and the flora
The hiking trail will first follow the river that winds in the heart of Tahiti. Open your eyes because you will be able to admire sublime panoramas. Along the way, you can see various plants: Mape, Fara, Ylang ylang, Verbena, Purau, Auti, Papyrus.
Role of vegetation near rivers
Riparian forests of rivers play an important role:
They participate in the regulation of important fluvial flows (liquid and solid). By receiving large quantities of water during floods, they slow down the flood and clog up its maximum.
These forests can also serve as a temporary reservoir capable of storing excess water that the river can not evacuate in the moment.
The fundamental role of the root system of large trees, such as the Mape, is also to protect the banks from erosion, avoiding ice jams, high inputs of suspended matter in the stream.
The hunting and hunting function for wildlife (shelter, water source, corridor between forest areas, corbelling for fish and goats), especially for many protected birds (Green Pigeon, Martin hunter, yellow-billed phaeton (petea) , carpophage of the society (rupe) ...) and the flora (species specific to this type of environment, example: the protected fern Lindsaea tetragona) is also essential.
You will also come across many so-called miconia plants that look like turtle shells because of their bulging and ribbed appearance, as well as the Tulip trees of Gabon (Piss piss), the falcatas, the parasol trees. Collect them as much as you like, although these plants are beautiful, they parasitize the endemic ecosystem of the island and campaigns of destruction are regularly organized.
Lake Vaihiria is located in lush greenery and is surrounded by impressive mountains rising to more than 1700m. These green mountains are reflected in Lake Vaihiria, the show is all the more beautiful. The lake is home to many eels with ears that differ from other eels in the lakes of the island. Near Lake Vaihiria, there is the cascade of Fautaua.