| The Nuami islet which forms an emerged part of the fringing reef is the largest emerged stretch of the atoll. This atoll made up of fragments from the Australasian continent evolved in isolation just like the whole Caledonian archipelago. These particular geological and tectonic origins explain why the plant life and wildlife is so rich and unusual. The plant life of the four main ecosystems in New Caledonia (mangroves, savannahs, scrubland and forests) include 3 500 species and the known wildlife includes 6 500 species of molluscs, a thousand species of fish and 4 300 terrestrial species. However, on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List, which makes an inventory of the Earth's threatened species, France is amongst the 10 countries which have the highest number of threatened animal and plants. This is mainly because of the French overseas (administrative) territory. in tropical regions that are home to very large biodiversity. |