Conservation lessons from the Pacific Islands

Abstract

THE Pacific Islands have long been at the vanguard of the battle for our planet’s ecological sustainability, including biodiversity in this time of the Anthropocene. It was on these islands that the world began to understand the devastating impacts of invasive species, direct or indirect passengers on our invasion waves, on endemic animals, maladapted to avoid predation (Elton 1958). Devastating statistics on island extinctions are the frontispiece of any textbook on conservation biology. Further, the standout general rule for ecology, the relationship between biodiversity and natural habitat area, the species’ area curve, was underpinned by our understanding of the bird communities of Pacific Islands (Diamond and Mayr 1976). These are the conservation lessons of the past, an ever present reminder of the legacy of the impact of our species on natural environments and the other organisms with which we share this earth. Ultimately we all depend on the ecosystem services provided by our environments. Today, conservation in the Pacific Islands continues to teach us important lessons for focussing scientific research, implementing best practice management, disseminating educational material, and developing legislative and policy mechanisms. These are tied to ongoing acute and chronic threats, burgeoning human populations and the relatively poor capacity, compared to wealthy nations, to apply available conservation tools for effective change.