Historical accounts describe Mauritius as a verdant island once blanketed in dense, diverse forests rich in endemic hardwoods like ebony, tambalacoque, and bois de natte. Over centuries, widespread deforestation for agriculture, settlement, and timber severely reduced native forest cover, leaving less than 2% of original forests intact today.
Biodiversity-Related ODE Sites:
- Rodrigues Biodiversity: Terrestrial (Flora; Fauna); Coastal & Marine; Wetlands;
- Mauritius Biodiversity: Terrestrial (Flora; Fauna); Coastal & Marine; Wetlands;
- National Parks and Conservation Service: Flora; Fauna; Islet Biodiversity; Ramsar Sites - Wetlands; Protected Endemic Sanctuaries;
MAURITIUS FLORA | |
Mauritius once boasted dense tropical forests rich in endemic plant life, with nearly 691 native species, of which about 273 are endemic—meaning they exist nowhere else on Earth. The island’s diverse ecosystems ranged from lowland dry forests to upland mist forests, each supporting unique plant communities. Centuries of land clearing for agriculture, urban development, and the introduction of invasive species have drastically reduced native forest cover, with less than 2% of original forest remaining. Despite this, Mauritius remains a botanical treasure trove. Iconic species include the Bois de Natte, Bois Chandelle, and Tambalacoque (or "Dodo Tree"), believed to have once depended on the dodo for seed dispersal. Conservation programmes, including forest restoration, seed banking, and endemic plant nurseries, are helping to protect and revive the island’s rare flora, making Mauritius a leader in plant conservation in the region. |  Mauritius has a total of 691 native flowering plant species (angiosperms), of which 273 are endemic to the island—meaning they are found nowhere else in the world. An additional 150 species are shared endemics across the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, Rodrigues, and La Réunion). Of the 273 Mauritius-endemic plant species, 30 have already gone extinct, representing an extinction rate of approximately 11%. In total, 61 native species are considered extinct, which is 8.8% of the total native flora. These figures underline the island's exceptional botanical diversity, while also reflecting the significant pressures on native plant species from habitat loss, invasive species, and land conversion. Mauritius remains a critical priority for plant conservation in the Indian Ocean region. |
FLORA CONSERVATION
The 6th National Report on the Convention on Biological Diversity (2021) reports:
With regards to the status of flora conservation 61 of the country’s native plant species are already classified as extinct, 141 of the flowering Mascarene endemic plant species are classified as Critically Endangered, 55 species are Endangered and 98 are classified as Vulnerable.
Of the 192 native plants species were classified (in 2012) as Critically Endangered as per International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria (IUCN), of which only 43 have been successfully propagated and reintroduced.
There are about 200 species, subspecies and varieties of pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies), of which 13 species are endemic and 40 are extinct. There are 207 taxa lower plants consisting of 89 genera of mosses and 59 genera of liverworts (hepatics).
 Albizia Vaughanii - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Barleria observatrix at Mondrain Reserve - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Bois de natte - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Bois de rat - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Chassalia boryana-Bois corail - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Hibiscus genevii - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Vacoas on Ile aux Aigrettes - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Vacoas on Round Island - © Nik Cole |  Aerva congesta - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Bois bouquet banane - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Latanier bleu on Ile aux Aigrettes - ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Syzygium pyneii -- ©Mauritian Wildlife Foundation  Palmiste Bouteille sur l'Ile Ronde - © Nik Cole |
