Isolated and vulnerable

The history and future of Pacific Island terrestrial biodiversity

authored by

Gunnar Keppel, Clare Morrison, Jean Yves Meyer, Hans Juergen Boehmer

Abstract

Islands in the tropical Pacific have a rich and unique biota produced by island biogeographic processes and modified by recent anthropogenic influences. This biota has been shaped by four overlapping phases: natural colonization and dynamics (phase 1), impacts of indigenous (phase 2) and non-indigenous (phase 3) settlers, and increasing environmental awareness (phase 4). Island ecosystems are resilient to natural disturbance regimes but highly vulnerable to invasive species and other human-related influences, due to comparatively low alpha diversity, isolated evolution and the absence of certain functional groups. Habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive alien species and pollution continue to threaten terrestrial biodiversity, compounded by limited environmental awareness, minimal conservation funding, project mismanagement, limited local capacity and inadequate and/or unsuitable conservation policies. To achieve effective conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in the region, biophysical threats need to be mitigated with improved scientific, institutional and management capacity.

External Organisation(s)

University of South Australia
Griffith University Queensland
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Government of French Polynesia

Type

Article

Journal

Pacific Conservation Biology

Volume

20

Pages

136-145

No. of pages

10

ISSN

1038-2097

Publication date

01.08.2014

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Nature and Landscape Conservation

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 15 - Life on Land

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1071/PC140136 (Access: Unknown)