The Peculiar Flora of Motu Motiro Hiva (Salas Y Gómez, Chile) and Its Similarities with Other Small Remote Uninhabited Eastern Pacific Islands

Abstract

<p dir="ltr">Motu Motiro Hiva or Salas y Gómez (Chile) is a small and remote uninhabited island in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean near Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua or Easter Island, Chile). Its terrestrial flora remains poorly known, with few scattered records and uncertainty on some species identification due to sporadic and brief visits by naturalists during the past century. We describe the vascular flora and assess the species status and relative abundance based on several field surveys conducted between 2011 and 2022. Motu Motiro Hiva, one of the most isolated small uninhabited islands in the world, harbors a surprisingly poor flora compared to its relatively diverse and unique avifauna and arthropod fauna. In contrast to most other Pacific islands, it remains a relatively pristine terrestrial ecosystem, which highlights its world conservation value and the importance of its continued monitoring and protection, especially for the potential effects of sea-level rise.</p>