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- World-wide, the largest number of documented extinctions
- The decline of the biodiversity of the Pacific islands began with the arrival of the first humans.
- The most vulnerable area affected by global warming is the coral reefs of the Pacific region- that’s Okinawa. Davies et al, 7
- coral diseases have been reported recently in many reefs, and these might also be related to the current environmental deterioration.
- There is no time for delay if coral reefs are to recover their healthy condition and to maintain the ecosystem function and services on which so many Pacific societies depend.
Okinawa VulnerablePacific species are the most vulnerable to extinction. Kitakyushu, 2k- Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific 2000 (9/5/00, “Biodiversity Issues In the Pacific Islands,” http://www.unescap.org/mced2000/pacific/background/biodiv.htm ) World-wide, the largest number of documented extinctions (28 between 1600 and 1899 and 23 this century) has occurred on islands of Oceania which now have more threatened species (110) than any other region. Dahl (1984) estimates that there are roughly 7 times more endangered bird species per capita in the South Pacific than in the Caribbean, 50 times more than South America, and a hundred times more than in North America or Africa. The plants and animals that inhabit Pacific islands are often found nowhere else on Earth. They are often adapted to specialized habitats, and limited to only a small part of a few islands. These creatures are especially vulnerable to extinction from habitat destruction (for example by fire or deforestation), competition from introduced organisms, agricultural poisons, or harvesting. The isolated small islands of the Pacific have fostered the evolution of myriad species of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. These creatures can be adapted to specialised micro-habitats, on only a limited portion of a few islands. They are especially vulnerable to extinction from habitat destruction (for example by fire or deforestation), competition from introduced organisms, agricultural poisons, or harvesting. New Caledonia, for example, has been isolated from other lands for 80 million years. Seventy six percent of the flora and fauna evolved on the island. Several plant species, unique in the world, are limited to only a small area of one mountain and are represented by only a few specimens. The rich and diverse genetic heritage is of such scientific importance that Myers, 1988, lists New Caledonia as one of the 10 hot spots in the world where the primary forest is at once exceptional and endangered. New Caledonia has the most diverse bird life in the Southwest Pacific, with 68 species. Twenty-two species of birds (32%) and thirty sub-species, are found only in the Territory. The decline of the biodiversity of the Pacific islands began with the arrival of the first humans. Archaeological investigations discovered an even more phenomenal bird fauna existed in New Caledonia before the 18th Century, including a giant flightless bird, like the famous (and also extinct) New Zealand Moa. The extinction of these birds coincides with the arrival of the Melanesians about 900 years ago, and was likely caused by fire, slash and burn agriculture, and hunting. The arrival of European settlers towards the end of the last Century greatly accelerated the loss of biodiversity. A combination of logging, mining and natural drought conditions resulted in massive fires that destroyed a majority of the natural habitats on the southern part of the island. This pattern was repeated throughout the Pacific. In the Marquesas, for example, the Polynesian settlers exterminated eight of twenty sea birds, including shearwaters, petrels, and boobies. Fourteen of the 16 land birds, primarily flightless rails, pigeons, doves, parrots and songbirds became extinct. On Easter Island, the early settlers denuded the entire island of trees and exterminated 22 species of sea birds and all six species of land birds. The Maori people arrived in New Zealand about 900 years ago and by the time the Europeans arrived in mass in the 1840’s, most of the country’s unique avifauna was extinct and nearly 30% of the native forests were cleared. The European invasion of New Zealand resulted in the most extensive and complete biotransformation of any large island in the Pacific. This was a deliberate effort of "Acclimatisation Committees" to make New Zealand more like "home" and included removal of all but 20% of the native forests, filling all but 10% of the wetlands, and importation of over 3198 species of plants and animals. Australians were less successful than the New Zealanders in the biological transformation of their country, largely because of the sheer size of the landmass and the unsuitability of many areas to British plants and animals. In turn, the Australian and New Zealanders imported their favourite plants and animals into many Pacific island countries. Endemic species can be lost in the space of a few months through the destruction of critical habitat or through the introduction of predator, insect pests and diseases. The loss of any habitat on a high island is likely to mean the extinction of species of plants or animals. Recognition of the significance and value of biological diversity is growing within the region. In fact, the economic value of ecosystems was recently carried out in Fiji under its present Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan project. The value of Fiji’s ecosystem services is about FJD1 billion per year. It goes to support the need to look after the ecosystems not only for the resources but for the services they provide to the people. (Sisto, 1998). A number of other Pacific countries such as Samoa, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands are also currently undertaking similar biodiversity strategy and action plans to support their existing protected are systems. The economies of most PICs are still subsistence based. This means that most Pacific islanders are dependant on local biological and other natural resources for survival. Biological resources not only provide food, clothing, tools, medicines and other material products, but are also critical component of Pacific island cultures- providing the objects of myths and legends. Thus, in the Pacific islands, biodiversity conservation is much more than an economic and an ecological issue, it is also a social and cultural issue. While great strides have been made to protect biodiversity in the region in recent years, the rapid increase in the number and magnitude of threats to biodiversity highlights the need for much greater effort to be placed on biodiversity conservation in the future. The most vulnerable area affected by global warming is the coral reefs of the Pacific region- that’s Okinawa. Davies et al, 7- Gump South Pacific Research Station, UC-Berkeley (Richard B., July 2007, Makoto Tsuchiya, faculty of science, University of the Rukyus, Rene Galzin, Center of Insular Research and Observations of the Environment, “Biodiversity Research on Coral Reef and Island Ecosystem: Scientific Cooperation in the Pacific Region,” http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.2984/1534-6188%282008%2962%5B299%3ABROCRA%5D2.0.CO%3B2 ) The event was timely for the Pacific region, where natural environments, including coral reef and island ecosystems, are increasingly disturbed by human activities. Cooperative science-based projects are urgently required for the conservation and sustainable use of insular ecosystems. Global climate change is having its most dramatic and immediate impact on polar regions and low-lying tropical islands. In the Pacific, phenomena such as increasing ocean temperatures and rising sea levels have impacts on coral reef ecosystems that are undoubtedly serious but remain insufficiently understood. Coral bleaching is probably one of the gravest consequences of climate change, with current bleaching events reported occurring widely with destructive results for coral reef ecosystems. In addition to rising temperatures, global carbon dioxide emissions and the potential acidification of oceans could add to the devastation of coral reefs. Furthermore, coral diseases have been reported recently in many reefs, and these might also be related to the current environmental deterioration. More research is needed to understand the local impact of global changes on small island ecosystems; only then can effective approaches be developed to protect and restore degraded habitats. There is no time for delay if coral reefs are to recover their healthy condition and to maintain the ecosystem function and services on which so many Pacific societies depend. Directory: files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Integer programming and game theory files -> 4 Integer Programming files -> Bpa vehicle Window Repair Scenario #1 task: Procure vehicle window relacement. Objective files -> Pop Warner History files -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose files -> Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Program Data: Standard 1 Exhibit 4d files -> Hanban – asia society confucius classrooms network 2010 request for proposal files -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations Download 1.23 Mb. Share with your friends:
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