Survey and inventory of New Guinea forest trees and arthropods

新几内亚岛拥有仅次于亚马逊和刚果盆地的第三大热带森林荒野。在新几内亚进行生物调查是及时的，因为人类活动的加速步伐威胁着一些物种在科学发现之前就灭绝了。经过10年的事先合作，该研究小组得以在巴布亚新几内亚的Wanang对森林树木和昆虫进行协调调查。这些调查的目的是在巴布亚新几内亚建立最大的永久性森林树木研究区，这将有助于发现新物种。调查包括绘制和识别125英亩森林中的所有树木，然后是白蚁、飞蛾、蝴蝶、果蝇、蚂蚁和蜜蜂的清单。在新几内亚建立研究基础设施填补了全球森林监测点网络的一个重大空白。需要一个包括巴布亚新几内亚在内的网络来估计热带森林对全球碳收支的贡献以及新森林抵消二氧化碳排放的潜力。该调查通过建立新的保护区对生物多样性保护有直接影响。标本和数据将为监测热带森林对全球变化的反应建立基线。

The island of New Guinea contains the third largest remaining area of tropical forest wilderness next to the Amazon and Congo basins. Biotic surveys in New Guinea are timely as the accelerating pace of human activity threatens species with extinction before they are known to science. A decade of prior collaboration has positioned the research team to conduct a coordinated survey of forest trees and insects at Wanang, Papua New Guinea (PNG). These surveys aim to establish the largest permanent study area for forest trees in PNG that will enable the discovery of new species. Surveys include the mapping and identification of all trees in 125 acres of forest followed by inventories of termites, moths, butterflies, fruit flies, ants and bees.Building research infrastructure in New Guinea fills a major gap in the global network of forest monitoring sites. A network including PNG is needed to estimate the contribution of tropical forests to the global carbon budget and the potential for new forests to offset CO2 emissions. The survey has a direct impact on biodiversity conservation by establishing a new protected area. Specimens and data will establish a baseline for monitoring the response of tropical forests to global change.