Major Conservation Policy Issues for Biodiversity in Oceania

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01287.x Keywords: Oceania; extinctions; conservation policy; hotspot; extinction causes Abstract: Abstract: Oceania is a diverse region encompassing Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Zealand, and Polynesia, and it contains six of the world's 39 hotspots of diversity. It has a poor record for extinctions, particularly for birds on islands and mammals. Major causes include habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, and overexploitation. We identified six major threatening processes (habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, climate change, overexploitation, pollution, and disease) based on a comprehensive review of the literature and for each developed a set of conservation policies. Many policies reflect the urgent need to deal with the effects of burgeoning human populations (expected to increase significantly in the region) on biodiversity. There is considerable difference in resources for conservation, including people and available scientific information, which are heavily biased toward more developed countries in Oceania. Most scientific publications analyzed for four threats (habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution) are from developed countries: 88.6% of Web of Science publications were from Australia (53.7%), New Zealand (24.3%), and Hawaiian Islands (10.5%). Many island states have limited resources or expertise. Even countries that do (e.g., Australia, New Zealand) have ongoing and emerging significant challenges, particularly with the interactive effects of climate change. Oceania will require the implementation of effective policies for conservation if the region's poor record on extinctions is not to continue. Abstract (Spanish): Principales Cuestiones de Politicas de Conservacion de la Biodiversidad en Oceania Resumen: Oceania en una region diversa que comprende Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Nueva Zelanda y Polinesia, y contiene seis de las 39 regiones de importancia para la biodiversidad del mundo. Tiene un triste registro de extinciones, particularmente para aves en islas y mamiferos en Australia. Las principales causas incluyen la perdida y degradacion de habitat, especies invasoras y sobreexplotacion. Identificamos seis procesos principales de amenaza (perdida y degradacion de habitat, especies invasoras, cambio climatico, sobreexplotacion, polucion y enfermedades) con base en una revision exhaustiva de literatura y desarrollamos un conjunto de politicas de conservacion para cada uno. Muchas politicas reflejan la necesidad urgente para tratar con los efectos de las poblaciones humanas en rapido crecimiento sobre la biodiversidad. Hay considerable diferencia en recursos para la conservacion, incluyendo gente e informacion cientifica disponible, que estan fuertemente sesgados hacia los paises mas desarrollados en Oceania. La mayoria de las publicaciones cientificas analizaron cuatro amenazas (perdida de habitat, especies invasoras, sobreexplotacion y polucion) en cuatro paises desarrollados: 88.6% de las publicaciones de Web of Science fueron de Australia (53.7%), Nueva Zelanda (34.3%) e islas Hawaianas (10.5%). Muchos paises insulares tienen escasos recursos o experticia. Aun los paises (e.g., Australia, Nueva Zelanda) que los tienen enfrentan significativos retos actuales y emergentes, particularmente con los efectos interactivos del cambio climatico. Oceania requerira de la implementacion de politicas de conservacion efectivas si el triste registro de extinciones en la region no debe continuar. Author Affiliation: (*)School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, New South Wales 2052, Australia ([dagger])Centre for Applied Environmental Decision Analysis, The Ecology Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia ([double dagger])National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 11115, Hamilton 3251, New Zealand (s.)Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia (**)Conservation International Pacific Islands Program, P.O. Box 2035, Apia, Samoa ([dagger][dagger])Guam Environmental Protection Agency, P.O. 22439 GMF, Barrigada, Guam, 96931 ([double dagger][double dagger])Department of Environment & Climate Change, P.O. Box 1967, Hurstville 2220 Australia (s.s.)The Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia (***)Department of Conservation, Kauri Coast Area Office, 150 Colville Road, RD 7, Dargaville, New Zealand ([dagger][dagger][dagger])The Nature Conservancy - Micronesia Program, Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia ([double dagger][double dagger][double dagger])School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia (s.s.s.)School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia Article History: Paper submitted April 2, 2009; revised manuscript accepted April 3, 2009. Article note: ([dagger][dagger][dagger][dagger]) email rkingsford@science.unsw.edu.au