A Biodiversity Survey of Pohnpei and Kosrae Islands, Federated States of Micronesia; Understanding the Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Plant, Fungal, and Stream Biodiversity

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An award is made to the New York Botanical Garden to conduct a multi-disciplinary study of the flora, fungi, habitat complexity, and stream biology of Pohnpei and Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Biodiversity surveys will be conducted on these islands and the resulting patterns will be studied with respect to agricultural practices and land management. This information will be used to help guide local conservation initiatives, based on identifying the most important and unique habitats. The plants, fungi, and stream biota of these high islands have been poorly studied compared to many other Pacific islands. The proposed research and its link to on-the-ground conservation initiatives comes at a critical time, as the island's biota are under serious threat from feral animals, human disturbance, coastal and inland erosion and sedimentation, sea level rise, overfishing and overhunting, water pollution, dredging of sand and coral, and invasion by aggressive alien plants. This project will include close involvement of Pacific Islanders in the biodiversity research through significant educational and training experiences. The people of this region are traditionally underserved by scientific research programs. Local involvement in conservation efforts is key to future preservation of this region. Thorough survey work will provide more accurate information on the island's natural resources, which will be used to devise watershed boundaries and conservation recommendations for preservation of pristine areas. This project will also develop permanent plots to monitor future impacts of climate change on island ecosystems.