Herpetofauna, community education and logging on Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands: implications for conservation

Abstract

Biodiversity in the Solomon Islands Is extremely rich, and in the Pacific is second only to Papua New Guinea. Despite this high diversity there are only rough estimates for the biodiversity of most taxa in the Solomon Islands. As part of a terrestrial biodiversity survey, we conducted nocturnal surveys for frogs in a range of habitats from 10?1 060 m on Choiseul Island. This work was carried out between June 2005 and January 2006. In addition to the nocturnal surveys, we also conducted opportunistic diurnal searches for reptiles as well as community environmental education and awareness workshops. Fifteen frog species (65% of all Solomon Island frogs) including all five endemic species, were found during our surveys of Choiseul Island. Most of the species were fairly widespread and abundant, however, four species (Discodeles bufoniformis, Palmatorrapia solomonis, Brachylodes trossulus and B. wolfi) were fairly restricted in their distribution. In addition, we found 20 reptile species during opportunistic surveys (30% of all Solomon Island reptiles Including four endemics). Important habitats on Choiseul Island based on frog species richness and abundance are mid-altitude rainforest (500?600 m), primary lowland rainforest and lowland coastal forest. Unfortunately, it is these habitats that are most threatened by logging operations on the island. In order to aid biodiversity conservation on Choiseul Island we recommend a number of activities including additional biodiversity surveys, increased community awareness and education about biodiversity and the impacts of logging, and the drawing up of a management plan including all terrestrial taxa for Choiseul Island forests.

Informed opportunism for conservation planning in the Solomon Islands

“…Choiseul (Fig. 1) is the most biodiverse island in the Solomon Archipelago (Diamond & Mayr 1976; Morrison et al 2007; Keppel et al 2010), and as well as being part of the Coral Triangle, the global center of coral reef diversity (Veron et al 2009), contains some of the largest remaining stands of lowland rainforest in the Pacific (McClatchey et al 2005). The Nature Conservancy has, for 9 years, worked closely with the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities to build bottom‐up support for a network of locally implemented and managed protected areas in Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands.…”

Skinks of Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea: an underexplored biodiversity hotspot

“…3). Logging, land clearance for palm oil, and nickel mining are key drivers of habitat loss in the Solomon Islands (Kabutaulaka 2000;Morrison et al 2007;Wairiu 2007;Katovai et al 2015;Lavery et al 2021). Additionally, for especially charismatic species such as the Solomon Islands skink (Corucia zebrata) or crocodile skinks (Tribolonotus spp.…”

A Survey of Terrestrial Vertebrates of Tetepare Island, Solomon Islands, Including Six New Island Records1

“…To our knowledge, KU 351274 is the first-ever specimen of R. angusticeps in any collection with an associated modern tissue sample. This species is previously known only from the islands of Guadalcanal, Malaita, Makira and Malaupaina, Rennell (McCoy 2006), and Choiseul (Morrison et al 2007). Its presence on an isolated island in the New Georgia Group is notable, as Tetepare is tectonically and biogeographically distinct from the other islands on which R. angusticeps is known to inhabit.…”