Survey of Terrestrial Arthropods of French Polynesia

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0451971Gillespie and Roderick The islands of French Polynesia include some of the most isolated archipelagos in the world. In common with other isolated islands, those of French Polynesia are known for having many unique species which are generally confined to small areas and are vulnerable to extinction primarily from the impacts posed by numerous invasive species. Although French Polynesia has been largely protected from excessive development and tourism that have plagued other tropical islands, it is not protected from invasive species that are becoming a more serious threat as the global trend of increasing transportation and accessibility reaches even the most remote archipelagoes. The project by Drs. Gillespie and Roderick at University of California-Berkeley, with colleagues from Cornell University, the Bishop Museum, and the Smithsonian, is to survey the arthropod fauna of the high islands, with emphasis on the native species which are generally confined to middle and high elevations. The project has 4 elements: (1) diversity assessment of presumed native species and levels of endemism; (2) databasing and mapping to allow the data on species distributions to be overlaid on topographic maps of different islands; (3) local information dissemination through a workshop in French Polynesia for the participating scientists and local trainees as well as French Polynesian educators and government officials; and (4) development of the entomology (including spiders) collection in Tahiti in conjunction with government officials in French Polynesia, in order to establish an Entomology Collection at the Musee de Tahiti et ses Iles in Tahiti.A major emphasis of the proposal is to harness a growing interest in (and concern about) the biological heritage of the islands among the people of French Polynesia. This growing local interest, coupled with the current cooperation between UC Berkeley's Gump South Pacific Research Station on Moorea and the Territorial Government of French Polynesia, present a timely opportunity to build an understanding of the arthropod biodiversity of these islands. In addition to field collecting opportunities provided U.S. students, the study promotes capacity building of the local Polynesian community within the islands: (i) local trainees will be recruited broadly from throughout French Polynesia to participate with US investigators and their graduate students in the survey; (ii) near the end of the project a workshop will be held to communicate the results and conservation implications of the survey; and (iii) assistance will be provided for setting up an entomological collection in the Musee de Tahiti et ses Iles on the island of Tahiti.