Dataset Information

Alien plant invasions of protected areas in Java, Indonesia.

ABSTRACT: Alien plants are invading protected areas worldwide, but there is little information from tropical Asia. Java has the longest record of human occupation in Asia and today supports 145 m people. Remnants of natural ecosystems survive in 12 small National Parks surrounded by dense human populations, making them highly vulnerable to invasions. We surveyed eight of these, along a rainfall gradient from lowland rainforest with >3000 mm annual rainfall to savanna with <1500 mm, and a 0-3158 m altitudinal gradient, using 403 10 × 5 m plots along trails. We found 67 invasive alien plant species, of which 33 occurred in only one park and two (Chromolaena odorata and Lantana camara) in all. Historical factors relating to plant introduction appeared to be as important as environmental factors in determining which species occurred in which park, while within parks canopy cover and altitude were generally most influential. Spread away from trails was only evident in open habitats, including natural savannas in Baluran National Park, threatened by invasion of Acacia nilotica. Existing control attempts for invasive aliens are reactive, localized, and intermittent, and insufficient resources are currently available for the early detection, prompt action, and continued monitoring that are needed.

SUBMITTER: Padmanaba M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5570924 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Alien plant invasions of protected areas in Java, Indonesia.

Padmanaba Michael M Tomlinson Kyle W KW Hughes Alice C AC Corlett Richard T RT

Scientific reports 20170824 1

Alien plants are invading protected areas worldwide, but there is little information from tropical Asia. Java has the longest record of human occupation in Asia and today supports 145 m people. Remnants of natural ecosystems survive in 12 small National Parks surrounded by dense human populations, making them highly vulnerable to invasions. We surveyed eight of these, along a rainfall gradient from lowland rainforest with >3000 mm annual rainfall to savanna with <1500 mm, and a 0-3158 m altitudi ...[more]

PMID: 28839224

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Project description:BackgroundTropical marine molluscs are traded globally. Larger species with slow life histories are under threat from over-exploitation. We report on the trade in protected marine mollusc shells in and from Java and Bali, Indonesia. Since 1987 twelve species of marine molluscs are protected under Indonesian law to shield them from overexploitation. Despite this protection they are traded openly in large volumes.Methodology/principal findingsWe collected data on species composition, origins, volumes and prices at two large open markets (2013), collected data from wholesale traders (2013), and compiled seizure data by the Indonesian authorities (2008-2013). All twelve protected species were observed in trade. Smaller species were traded for <USD1.00 whereas prices of larger species were USD15.00-40.00 with clear price-size relationships. Some shells were collected locally in Java and Bali, but the trade involves networks stretching hundreds of kilometres throughout Indonesia. Wholesale traders offer protected marine mollusc shells for the export market by the container or by the metric ton. Data from 20 confiscated shipments show an on-going trade in these molluscs. Over 42,000 shells were seized over a 5-year period, with a retail value of USD700,000 within Indonesia; horned helmet (Cassis cornuta) (>32,000 shells valued at USD500,000), chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) (>3,000 shells, USD60,000) and giant clams (Tridacna spp.) (>2,000 shells, USD45,000) were traded in largest volumes. Two-thirds of this trade was destined for international markets, including in the USA and Asia-Pacific region.Conclusions/significanceWe demonstrated that the trade in protected marine mollusc shells in Indonesia is not controlled nor monitored, that it involves large volumes, and that networks of shell collectors, traders, middlemen and exporters span the globe. This impedes protection of these species on the ground and calls into question the effectiveness of protected species management in Indonesia; solutions are unlikely to be found only in Indonesia and must involve the cooperation of importing countries.

Dataset Information

Alien plant invasions of protected areas in Java, Indonesia.

Publications

Alien plant invasions of protected areas in Java, Indonesia.

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