Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
Sovi Basin is a large basin or amphitheatre of low rolling hills ringed by steep volcanic peaks rising to 1,185 m. The hills in the western third of the basin are mostly between 300 m and 600 m, otherwise between 80 m and 300 m and drain through a narrow gorge to the east. The basin is composed of plutonic granite surrounded by andesite volcanics while the basin soils are infertile red-yellow podzols. Rainfall has been estimated at over 2,800 mm in the wet season (November–April) and 1,200—1,600 mm in the dry season, and lowland temperatures average 25°C.
As the largest (proposed) protected area in Fiji, it supports the largest protected populations of many of Fiji’s restricted-range species. Further survey work is necessary to clarify the status of the Long-legged Warbler and of the 'missing' species, Red-throated Lorikeet. The nationally threatened Peregrine Falcon is often reported and is likely to breed.
A1 Globally threatened species
* Long-legged Warbler (EN) – three sightings (29–31 March 2005)
* Friendly Ground-dove (VU) – uncommon
* Black-faced Shrikebill (VU) – uncommon
* Pink-billed Parrotfinch (VU) – generally rare but locally uncommon
* Masked Shining Parrot (NT) – fairly common
A2 Restricted-range species
24 species (out of 25 on Viti Levu), including all three endemic to Viti Levu.
Non-bird biodiversity: The endemic Fijian Burrowing Snake (VU) is known historically from Sovi and several other endemic reptiles occur including Green Tree Skink and Fijian Copper-headed Skink. The Fijian Tree Frog (NT) also occurs. Recent PABITRA surveys suggest that the basin supports about 680 species of vascular plants, one third of Fiji’s total. This includes large numbers of Schefflera euthytrica (DD) in a very rare lowland rainforest formation on plains around creeks dominated by Verbenaceae trees.
The outer boundaries of the IBA follow the edge of the contiguous dense forest, which includes the outer slopes of the basin. The Viti Levu Southern Highlands, is separated by the cultivated Waimanu valley, and the Rairaimatuku Highlands IBA is across patchy agriculture and degraded forest remnants to the north. The basin has 11 different lowland forest types, 45% of the wet forest types in Fiji. These are all old-growth forests except for small areas of previously cleared land along the main rivers. The canopy in the basin is about 20–25 m high with emergents up to 30 m, but is only 7–20 m high on the steep high-altitude slopes.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Invasive alien species - Logging - Agriculture - mining
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Sovi Basin has been the subject of ongoing action to secure agreement for conservation instead of logging. By 2005, all the land-owners had signed up to cancelling the logging concession and were negotiating a compensatory conservation trust fund, largely from the Global Conservation Fund. This project has been lead by Conservation International in collaboration with other institutions, notably the National Trust of Fiji. Assuming the success of these negotiations, the forests of Sovi look set to be conserved as the largest protected area in Fiji. The trust fund will resource some conservation actions, the most important being an assessment of the impact of invasive alien species. Sovi has fewer invasive alien species than most sites because it is a large block of forest without roads but it has most of the harmful species on Viti Levu, notably mongoose and Black Rat. Sovi would be an ideal place to conduct research on the impact of these species and to undertake trial actions to control them.
Proposed conservation area. Site of National Significance.
Sovi Basin is under traditional ownership of 13 mataqali, belonging to the three Tikina; Waimaro (97%), Nadaravakawalu and Namosi. As well as these Native Lands, there are eight small Crown Lands (totalling about 1,306 ha) and two Freehold Lands (80 ha). The basin was inhabited a few generations ago but abandoned because of poor soils and accessibility into the basin. Sovi is only 35 km from the capital, Suva.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sovi Basin (Fiji). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sovi-basin-iba-fiji on 22/11/2024.
