Survey of Terrestrial Arthropods of French Polynesia

法属波利尼西亚的吉列斯皮岛和罗德里克岛包括一些世界上最与世隔绝的群岛。与其他孤立的岛屿一样，法属波利尼西亚的那些岛屿以拥有许多独特的物种而闻名，这些物种通常局限在小范围内，容易灭绝，主要是由于许多入侵物种造成的影响。尽管法属波利尼西亚在很大程度上没有受到困扰其他热带岛屿的过度开发和旅游业的影响，但它没有受到外来物种的保护，这些物种正在成为一种更严重的威胁，因为全球日益增长的交通和可达性趋势甚至波及到最偏远的群岛。加州大学伯克利分校的吉莱斯皮和罗德里克博士与来自康奈尔大学、主教博物馆和史密森学会的同事共同开展的这个项目，是为了调查高海拔岛屿的节肢动物群，重点是通常局限于中高海拔的本土物种。该项目有4个部分：(1)对推定的本地物种和特有物种的程度进行多样性评估；(2)建立数据库和绘图，以便将物种分布数据覆盖在不同岛屿的地形图上；(3)通过在法属波利尼西亚为参加的科学家和当地受训人员以及法属波利尼西亚教育工作者和政府官员举办讲习班，传播当地信息；以及(4)与法属波利尼西亚政府官员合作，在塔希提岛发展昆虫学(包括蜘蛛)收藏，以便在塔希提岛的塔希提岛博物馆建立昆虫学收藏。该提案的一个主要重点是利用法属波利尼西亚人民对岛屿生物遗产日益增长的兴趣(和关注)。当地日益增长的兴趣，再加上加州大学伯克利分校的Gump南太平洋莫雷亚研究站与法属波利尼西亚领土政府目前的合作，为了解这些岛屿的节肢动物生物多样性提供了一个及时的机会。除了为美国学生提供实地收集机会外，此项研究还促进了岛屿内当地波利尼西亚人社区的能力建设：(I)将在法属波利尼西亚各地广泛招募当地受训人员，与美国调查人员及其研究生一起参与调查；(Ii)在项目接近结束时举办一次讲习班，交流调查结果及其对保护的影响；(Iii)将协助在塔希提岛上建立一个昆虫学收藏馆。

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.