Data Zone
Country/territory: Micronesia, Federated States of
IBA criteria met: -
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 2,263 ha
Site description (baseline)
The Biosphere Reserve is located on the relatively flat and narrow coastal plain extending from the foothills to the shore. The wetland forest has different kinds of green ferns, and also harbours the only remaining stand of Ka trees (Terminalia carolinesis) in the world. The core area, which is mainly composed of mangrove and marine areas, has been designated with the main objective to protect the area thus prohibiting any human activities including harvesting of natural resources. The terrestrial buffer zone protects the core area against external pressures and the marine buffer zone is protected as a no-take zone. The biosphere reserve has 24 different archaeological sites. The core, buffer, and transition core areas are managed by land use regulations and the Marine Resources Act 2000 (UNESCO-MAB, 2006).
Key biodiversity
Non-bird biodiversity: • Terminalia Swamp Forest (the only remaining stand of Ka trees (Terminalia carolinesis) in the world) • Mangrove Forests • Kosrae Flying Fox • Low-elevation Broadleaf Forest
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Utwa-Walung Conservation Area. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/23709 on 03/06/2023.
