PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 1:33 PM by Tevita

University of the South Pacific scientist invited to join an international biodiversity expedition

From: USP News

In late 2005 botanical researchers at the Museum National d’Historie Naturelle (MNHN) Herbarium in Paris requested that the Curator of the South Pacific Regional Herbarium (SPRH), Mr Marika Tuiwawa, join a biodiversity survey of Santo Island in Vanuatu to be conducted in 2006. The aim of the overall project was to put together an inventory, document and describe the terrestrial and marine biodiversity of the Island of Santo, Vanuatu. This was funded by the French Government through the Institue de Recherche pour le Development (IRD), MNHN, Pro-Natura International (PNI) and the Vanuatu Government.

A total of 12 international botanists from France, USA, Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and Fiji were involved in the terrestrial botanical and vegetation ecology group.

Mr Tuiwawa joined a group consisting of two other botanists based at a camp near the coastal village of Penaoru on the north-west coast of the cumberland peninsula of Santo Island for two months from October to December 2006. The group was tasked with examining variation in the diversity of plants (from mosses to angiosperms) along an altitudinal gradient from 100-1200 m above sea level. This transect represented a transition from the narrow coastal strip which has experienced substantial human impact through shifting agriculture up to altitudes, with only occasional and patchy disturbance (ca. 300-500 m asl) to higher elevations (500-1200 m asl) of mostly pristine forest. The fieldwork resulted in the collection and partial identification of more than 2000 plant specimens, comprising ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. All specimen collected by the group were sent to the IRD Herbarium in New Caledonia for identification validation.

Ths second visit by Mr Tuiwawa to the IRD Herbarium took place from the 22 February to 10 March 2007 and was funded by the Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) at USP. Together with Dr Jerome Muntzinger (Curator IRD Herbarium Noumea) and Dr Gordon McPherson (Botanist from the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium, USA), Mr Tuiwawa processed the 2,083 specimens that were collected from Vanuatu. The Noumea work identified 296 taxa including 16 unidentified taxa, 20 unidentified genera, and 56 unidentified species. It is believed that so far three new species have been recorded. Further herbarium work will be carried out on these unidentified specimens at the Paris and Missouri herbaria later in the year. Additional plant groups including orchids, Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Cunonniaceae, Poaceae, ferns and the cryptogams were left to be processed by specialists in Paris.



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DIVA-GIS	Tuesday, May 01, 2007 Posted 1:33 PM by Tevita University of the South Pacific scientist invited to join an international biodiversity expedition From: USP News In late 2005 botanical researchers at the Museum National d’Historie Naturelle (MNHN) Herbarium in Paris requested that the Curator of the South Pacific Regional Herbarium (SPRH), Mr Marika Tuiwawa, join a biodiversity survey of Santo Island in Vanuatu to be conducted in 2006. The aim of the overall project was to put together an inventory, document and describe the terrestrial and marine biodiversity of the Island of Santo, Vanuatu. This was funded by the French Government through the Institue de Recherche pour le Development (IRD), MNHN, Pro-Natura International (PNI) and the Vanuatu Government. A total of 12 international botanists from France, USA, Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and Fiji were involved in the terrestrial botanical and vegetation ecology group. Mr Tuiwawa joined a group consisting of two other botanists based at a camp near the coastal village of Penaoru on the north-west coast of the cumberland peninsula of Santo Island for two months from October to December 2006. The group was tasked with examining variation in the diversity of plants (from mosses to angiosperms) along an altitudinal gradient from 100-1200 m above sea level. This transect represented a transition from the narrow coastal strip which has experienced substantial human impact through shifting agriculture up to altitudes, with only occasional and patchy disturbance (ca. 300-500 m asl) to higher elevations (500-1200 m asl) of mostly pristine forest. The fieldwork resulted in the collection and partial identification of more than 2000 plant specimens, comprising ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. All specimen collected by the group were sent to the IRD Herbarium in New Caledonia for identification validation. Ths second visit by Mr Tuiwawa to the IRD Herbarium took place from the 22 February to 10 March 2007 and was funded by the Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) at USP. Together with Dr Jerome Muntzinger (Curator IRD Herbarium Noumea) and Dr Gordon McPherson (Botanist from the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium, USA), Mr Tuiwawa processed the 2,083 specimens that were collected from Vanuatu. The Noumea work identified 296 taxa including 16 unidentified taxa, 20 unidentified genera, and 56 unidentified species. It is believed that so far three new species have been recorded. Further herbarium work will be carried out on these unidentified specimens at the Paris and Missouri herbaria later in the year. Additional plant groups including orchids, Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Cunonniaceae, Poaceae, ferns and the cryptogams were left to be processed by specialists in Paris. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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