Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 1. Physical Setting of the Islands
Draft 1 March 2007
1983a). Degener and Gillaspy (1955) provided details on soil mirco-habitats on Abariringa
(Canton).
Degener and Gillapsy (1955) noted that there were extensive areas of thin porous hardened
guano. In 1958, an expert from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service could not find a speck of
guano on Abariringa (Canton) (Degener and Degener 1959). In 1995, the Government of
Kiribati (1995) reported finding guano on Abariringa (Tuunaari) at Tebaronga, Uamari,
Tirieta, and Bikentabakea.
Soil analysis was completed at various sites including rapid rock analysis and quantitative
spectrographic analysis (see Degener and Degener 1959 for result details). Hatheway (1955)
reported that Abariringa (Canton) was derived from coral rock and calcareous sand. In all
places investigated there was a dark brown layer 18 to 38 cm (7 to 15 inches) thick under
either sand or coral rock. This dark layer contained a large proportion of guano.
McIntire (1960) provided a detailed description of the soils of Abariringa (Canton). Soil
samples were collected and analyses. Results were presented in Appendix 1 in McIntire
(1960). McIntire (1960) noted that many parts of the island had a hardpan found at various
depths. Plant taproots were not able to penetrate this layer.
McIntire (1960) noted that all materials on Abariringa (Canton) were derived from coral and
coralline algae, except for minor amounts of soil attached to plants brought in from Hawaii or
from trees that drifted to Abariringa (Canton). McIntire (1960) noted that on the windward
side of Abariringa (Canton), there were fragments of pumice up to 0.3 m (1 ft) diameter (see
also Degener and Gillaspy 1955). These presumably floated across the ocean to Abariringa
(Canton).
Guinther (1978) noted that the surface of inland flats was composed of a continuous sheet of
detrital limestone, commonly less than 1 cm thick. In the channel bed, the hardpan surface
was covered by a thin crumbly crust (dried cyanophytes).
Garnett (1983) noted that the soils on Abariringa (Canton) were composed of coral sand and
larger fragments of dead corals and other biogenic materials. Little or no humic material was
in the soil. Soil samples at most sites around Abariringa (Canton) were primarily sand
(Government of Kiribati 1995).
BIRNIE
Dimensions - Birnie is less than 1.2 km (0.75 mile) long (northwest and southeast) by 549 m
(600 yards) at its greatest width (Bryan 1941 and 1942).
The east side of the island was rocky with slabs of coral sandstone and broken coral (Bryan
1941 and 1942). The maximum elevation of the island was 6.1 m (20 ft).
A satellite image of Birnie is provided in Figure III-1.3 below.
Figure III-1.3. Birnie:
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