This Strategic Plan for the Land Resources Division (LRD) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) sets out the direction of the division over the next four years (2005 to 2008). It follows and supersedes the 20012004 Strategic Plan of the Agriculture Programme and the 20012005 Strategic Plan of the Forestry Programme. It recognises the achievement of several objectives contained in these earlier documents, as well as current and emerging regional priorities in the agriculture and forestry sectors.
The Policy Goal of the Ministry is "to Act as the Focal Point for all International, Sub-regional Conventions, Treaties and Protocols relating to Environment, Conservation, Global Warming, Climate Change, and others in addressing Environment, Conservation and Meteorology issues, to integrate national issues, in a holistic way so as to adapt to climate change, halt deterioration of ecosystems, restore damaged eco-systems and ensure their survival in the long term".
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Call Number: [EL],338.9 MIN
Coral atolls are natural laboratories within which to examine ecological processes (Sachet, 1967; Lee, 1984). They are often isolated, in some cases little disturbed, and have a geologically recent history of terrestrial plant colonisation. Reef islands around the rim of most atolls are Holocene in age. They are composed of biogenic skeletal sediments and have developed since reef growth caught up with sea level which stabilized after post-glacial sea-level rise. Plant colonisation of most of these islands must have occurred over a period of no more than 6000 years.
Interpretation of SEASAT geoid anomaly data and improved seafloor mapping of the
south-central Pacific suggest a complex tectonic history for the islands of the Pitcairn
group. While Oeno atoll formed at ~ 16m.y.BP at a 'hotspot' now south of the Easter micro-
plate, subsequent progressive island development at Henderson (13m.y.), Ducie (8m.y.)
and Crough seamount (4m.y.) resulted from the lateral leakage of magma from the Oeno
lineation along an old fracture zone, itself originating during the Tertiary reorientation
Located at 148°15' West and 15°50' South, in the northwesternmost part of the Tuamotu archipelago (Central Pacific), Makatea island is isolated from its nearest
neighbouring atolls, Rangiroa and Tikehau by about 80 km, and it is 245 km from its closest volcanic neighbour, Tahiti. This island rises at least 3,500 m above the sea floor.
During participation in part of the Fairbridge Expedition
to New Guinea, February to May, 1969, I had opportunity to visit 17 islands and cays east of the New Guinea mainland for sufficient time to assemble reasonably complete collections oi their terrestrial reptilian fauna. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of that survey. Fairbridge (1971 ) has previously published a brief report on the expedition and. a more detailed one is in preparation.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 41 p.
From 0900 on 17 June to 0615 on 19 June 1965 Caroline Atoll was visited by a field party from the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP) of the Smithsonian Institution. The field party, led by Sibley, collected and made observations on vascular plants, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds. All islands with the exception of the northern two-thirds of Nake were visited. Prior knowledge of the biota of Caroline Atoll is very scant, deriving almost entirely from the visits of F. D. Bennett in 1835, Devoy in 1875, and the U.S.S. Hartford in 1883.
In a typical High Island coral reef complex of French Polynesia (transect of Tiahura, Hoorea Island, Society Archipelago!, 73 species of decapod Reptantia and stomatopod crustaceans were collected. Over 9 stations localised along the transect, 3 different units of hard coral substrate of simi1ar volume (about 17 litres each), were sampled at each station. The results are discussed from two aspects : the first shows that at least 50 carcinologic species occur within the cavitary biotopes ; 16 species (mainly Xanthid crabs), represent more than 90% of all collected individuals.
During the period February 13 to 20, 1973, a visit was made to Canton Island for the purpose of conducting a preliminary survey of marine turtle nesting populations. Although previous investigators have described the sea birds (Buddle, 1938; Murphy G., 1954), insects (Van Zwaluwenburg, 1943, 1955), and vegetation (Hatheway, 1955), very little is known about the marine environment of Canton or the other seven atolls (Enderbury, Birnie, Phoenix, Sydney, Hull, Gardner and McKean) which comprise the Phoenix group.
Guam is the southernmost island in the Mariana Islands
Archipelago. Of all the islands in Micronesia, Guam is the
largest in terms of both land area (543 sq km) and population
Kwajalein is a crescent-shaped atoll that lies between 09°25' and 08°40'N and between 166°50' and 167°45'E, near the center o£ the western (Ralik) chain of the Marshall Islands (Figure 1). Composed of more than 90 islets, largely uninhabited, Kwajalein Atoll extends about 75 miles from southeast to northwest. It has a land area of about 6 square miles (3,854 acres) (Global Associates 1987), an increase of about 263 acres over the original area that was brought about by filling of land on Kwajalein, Roi-Namur, and Meek Islands.
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Island ecosystems have proven to be particularly sensitive to
human disturbances (Bourne 1975; Byrne 1980; Jarvis 1979). This was first noted by Charles Darwin in the explanation of his theory of natural selection (Byrne 1980). Since then, qualities of insular species have been examined by various authors in an attempt to understand the basis for island vulnerability.
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Call Number: [EL],VF 2783
Physical Description: 34 p.
Christmas island3, the largest atoll in the world in terms of
Samoa has retained the same ruling governing party of the last 20 years as its government for the next five years after the general elections in early March 2006. After years in power since 1985, the Human Rights Political Party (HRPP) continues to advance its 9 focus on enhancing the macroeconomic stability of the country. Apart from reliance on traditional mainstays such as agriculture and remittances, it targeted growth led by the construction, other manufacturing, hotels and restaurants, transport and communication sectors.
Today, May 10th, in addition to being SIDS Day, coincides with the release, in Nairobi, Kenya, of the third
edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3). This major new assessment of the current state of
biodiversity and the implications of its continued loss for human well-being was produced by the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the broadest international treaty for the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits from the utilization of genetic
Species which have been assessed for extinction
risk are on average moving closer to extinction.
Amphibians face the greatest risk and
coral species are deteriorating most rapidly in
status. Nearly a quarter of plant species are estimated
to be threatened with extinction.
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Call Number: [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 92-9225-220-8
Physical Description: 96 p.
This brochure demonstrates how measures and policies can be shaped to simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty. It identifies opportunities for synergies and mutual enhancement of the objectives of international agreements, particularly the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as well as decisions taken by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly following the recommendations of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF).
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Call Number: [EL],550 SOP
Physical Description: various pagings ; 29 cm
Papua New Guinea (PNG) hosts some of the world's largest and
last remaining intact forest landscapes. While these forests have always been a haven for biodiversity and provided a livelihood for the millions of people who live in them, it is only in recent years that their importance for carbon storage has come to be fully appreciated.
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Call Number: [EL]
Physical Description: 32 p.
New Zealand's geographic isolation and long period without human habitation allowed a unique natural environment to flourish. Our
environment is known for the richness of its biodiversity, with more than 80,000 native animal, plant, and fungus species. As a result of New Zealand's isolation, much of our flora and fauna are not found anywhere else on earth.
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Call Number: 333.7 ENV [EL]
ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-478-30194-6
Physical Description: 74 p. ; 29 cm