Species diversity, composition and the regeneration potential of native plants at the Wainiveiota Mahogany Plantation, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands

Tuiwawa, Senilolia H.; Keppel, Gunnar

doi:10.1071/sp12005

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…The CIS Forest Reserve is, predominantly, a mahogany plantation which was proclaimed in 1963 and covers about 369.8 ha, of which 250 ha is lush rainforest comprising significant native forest floral elements and avifauna (FAO 2010; Tikoca et al . 2017). Originally, the area was described as lowland tropical forest (Paine 1991; Mueller‐Dombois & Fosberg 1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vegetation of the reserve therefore contains a mixture of both exotic timber species and native understory species with considerable conservation value (Tuiwawa & Keppel 2013; Tikoca et al . 2017). Furthermore, the reserve is a natural water catchment zone for the Nausori and Nasinu creeks.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After selective felling and aggressive logging during the 1940s and 1950s, mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni and Swietenia macrophylla) was planted in the 1960s (Paine 1991;Tikoca et al 2017). The vegetation of the reserve therefore contains a mixture of both exotic timber species and native understory species with considerable conservation value (Tuiwawa & Keppel 2013;Tikoca et al 2017). Furthermore, the reserve is a natural water catchment zone for the Nausori and Nasinu creeks.…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

et al. 2021

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In island ecosystems, biological invasions are one of the major threats to native biodiversity and to ecosystem functioning. Invasive ornamental plants such as the alien palm tree Pinanga coronata in the Fiji islands can form mono-dominant stands in rainforests and displace native species. Using a functional trait-based approach, we investigated the impact of P. coronata on both above and belowground communities (i.e. plants and Collembola). Within a rainforest reserve on Fiji´s principal island, we sampled a total of 10 invaded and non-invaded plots and recorded five functional traits for plants and six for Collembola. We found that invasion by P. coronata led to a strong and significant decrease of native plants and Collembola taxonomic diversity. Ingress of P. coronata also induced a decrease in the functional diversity of plant communities and to a lesser extent of Collembola communities. P. coronata invasion led to a decrease of leaf carbon-nitrogen ratio (LCN), Leaf nitrogen content (LN), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) of plant communities, suggesting a change in litter properties compared to non-invaded communities. Plots with P. coronata were associated with large Collembola living at the soil surface with more trichobothria and pseudocelli, which are used as defence mechanisms. Using trait-matching, we also found that the strength of plant-soil relationships was higher (i.e. more stable) in non-invaded plots than in P. coronata-invaded plots. Lastly this study suggests that the main mechanism through which P. coronata alters soil communities is a change in plant properties rather than a change in the abiotic environment. Our trait-based approach underlines the negative impact of this alien palm invasion on native rainforest plant and soil fauna in Fiji, and the urgent need for on-the-ground action to conserve terrestrial island biodiversity in Fiji´s rainforests.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

et al. 2021

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“…The study was conducted in a forest reserve situated in the National Forest Park at Colo‐i‐Suva, located 8 km from Suva (−18.034 and 178.432). This forest consists of a mixture of healthy lowland rain‐forest and plantings of exotic mahogany which now contain a broad range of native species at various growth stages in the understorey (Tuiwawa & Keppel, ). During sampling, all light‐trapping stations were situated along paths in the forest and avoided densely covered forested areas.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An appraisal of sampling methods and effort for investigating moth assemblages in a Fijian forest

et al. 2016

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The moth assemblages in forest ecosystems are often used as indicators of forest quality and to monitor the effects of habitat degradation or ecological restoration and management. However, to provide meaningful data on nocturnal moth faunas, it is important to evaluate the efficacy of available sampling methods and identify the minimum number of samples needed to obtain a reliable estimate of moth diversity. This study compared three light-based collecting methods to sample nocturnal moths in Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve, a lowland mixed forest 8 km north of Suva, Fiji Islands. On average, over eight nights collecting, a mercury vapour light (MV) with manual capture obtained approximately 14 times more individuals and five times more species than a white fluorescent light with automatic capture and ultraviolet light with automatic capture. Of the 84 moth taxa recorded in total, only two were not obtained by the MV trap, suggesting the moth assemblages obtained by the fluorescent light and ultraviolet light methods were subsets of the larger MV collection. Using a bootstrap method to estimate the total species collected after successive nights sampling, we found that after four nights almost 90% of the predicted total moth species would be obtained by the MV method. These results identify the MV method as a high-performing technique to investigate nocturnal moth diversity in Fijian forests, and that a minimum of four nights sampling with this protocol would produce reliable data for use in habitat evaluation.

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“…The park was established in 1963, with an area of 92 ha and it is part of the Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve which was established in 1953 covering an area of 369.5 ha (Waqaisavou 1997;Tuiwawa et al 2018). Initially established as a mahogany plantation which has never been logged, it is now a conservation area and used for recreational and educational purposes and is open to the public (Malani 2002;Tuiwawa and Keppel 2012). About 50 000 people visit the park annually which includes the local public, school field trips and tourists (Tuiwawa et al 2018).…”

Section: Colo-i-suva Forest Parkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian diversity and abundance across years: consistent patterns in forests but not grasslands on Viti Levu, Fiji

Naikatini

Keppel

Brodie

et al. 2022

Pacific Conserv. Biol.

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Context. Habitat loss is a global problem and in Fiji >50% of the land area once covered by forests has been converted to grasslands and agricultural land. About 99% of Fiji's endemic biodiversity and 80% of the land bird species have been identified as forest species. Aims. In this study, we compare forest and grassland sites and test for consistency in avian diversity, abundance, foraging guild, and distribution status (endemic, native, introduced to Fiji) over a 5-year period (2016-2020). Methods. We surveyed bird communities using the point count method with a 100 m radius and 7-min observation period per site. Key results. A one-way analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) analysis showed significant differences in species composition and bird abundance between the forested habitats and grassland habitats. A general linear model test showed significant differences in foraging guild composition and distribution status between forested and grassland habitats. There were no significant differences between the three forested sites (primary montane forest, secondary old-growth forest, old-growth mahogany plantations with regenerating native species), while grassland sites had stronger annual change in species composition. Implications. Forest cover, irrespective of whether these forests are of primary or secondary nature, therefore plays an important role in maintaining the native and endemic land bird species and other biodiversity in oceanic island ecosystems such as Viti Levu Island, Fiji.

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Species diversity, composition and the regeneration potential of native plants at the Wainiveiota Mahogany Plantation, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands

Cited by 14 publications

References 14 publications

A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

A functional trait‐based approach to assess the impact of an alien palm invasion on plant and soil communities on a South Pacific island

An appraisal of sampling methods and effort for investigating moth assemblages in a Fijian forest

Avian diversity and abundance across years: consistent patterns in forests but not grasslands on Viti Levu, Fiji

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