Biodiversity conservation in tropical forest landscapes of Oceania

摘要: Abstract The fragmented island realm of Oceania includes a relatively small proportion the world’s tropical forests, but those forests support unusual richness narrowly endemic species. In common with across most world, in are declining due to factors associated increasing human population size, economic drivers and more intensive exploitation. parts Oceania, being cleared at unsustainable rates, replaced far simpler ecosystems timber or food crops. To degree, present-day biodiversity some may be predisposed such disturbance, given history natural disturbance (particularly through cyclones), smaller-scale slash-and-burn agriculture landscape-scale burning. But, places, current intensity, scale and/or rate modification surpass their precedents, is consequently diminishing. Tropical Australia an exception this trend, now reasonably effective protection. However, so than for other continents, major conservation challenges extrinsic. Introduced plants, animals diseases have collapsed ecological communities much homogenising biota from series highly distinctive localised species assemblages impoverished set ubiquitous disturbance-tolerant exotic many islands, simplification has occurred regardless extent native forest remaining, that retention reservation primary insufficient action. fate also likely affected by climate change, unbalanced consequence region’s contribution greenhouse gas emissions. Future hope lies renewed application traditional management constraints, appropriate delivery international (such as available carbon markets), improved quarantine processes, protection naturally offered remote scattering islands comprise Oceania.