Abstract for presentation at Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response

Land in the insular SW Pacific is mostly owned by indigenous communities. As a consequence, any conservation effort will need to take into account the needs and interests of these communities, who generally have few sources of income. Rainforests are their bank accounts that are often plundered for short-term benefits, with most revenue reaching logging companies and governments rather than the landowners. Long-term vegetation monitoring plots were set up in lowland rainforests on eleven islands in four nations (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa) throughout the SW Pacific, preferably on land owned by communities with interest in conservation. These plots were mainly set up to monitor and assess biodiversity but also have the potential to assist in conservation of the remaining lowland rainforests, which are threatened by logging, development and invasive species. The patterns of decreasing biodiversity eastward into the Pacific are reported, as are the effects of historic and prehistoric anthropogenic disturbances on the biodiversity. In addition, it is detailed how the project tried to maximize the conservation benefits by 1) working closely with governments, NGOs and local communities in setting up long-term vegetation plots, 2) hiring local assistants for the fieldwork and donating an access fee to the communities, 3) increasing the site profile by local publications and presentations, and 4) integrating sites into the Pacific Asia Biodiversity Transect (PABITRA) network of long-term monitoring sites. It is concluded that long-term monitoring projects have great potential to produce novel insights into the biodiversity and ecology of ecosystems on islands in the Southwest Pacific and to enhance conservation efforts in these ecosystems.