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A systematic review of human and animal leptospirosis in the Pacific Islands reveals pathogen and reservoir diversity

Available Online

Benschop, Jackie

Goarant, Cyrille

Guernier, Vanina

Lau, Colleen L.

Background: The Pacific Islands have environmental conditions highly favourable for transmission of leptospirosis, a neglected zoonosis with highest incidence in the tropics, and Oceania in particular. Recent reports confirm the emergence and outbreaks of leptospirosis in the Pacific Islands, but the epidemiology and drivers of transmission of human and animal leptospirosis are poorly documented, especially in the more isolated and less developed islands.Methodology/Principal findings:We conducted a systematic review of human and animal leptospirosis within 25 Pacific Islands (PIs) in Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, as well as Easter Island and Hawaii. We performed a literature search using four international databases for articles published between January 1947 and June 2017. We further included grey literature available on the internet. We identified 148 studies describing leptospirosis epidemiology, but the number of studies varied significantly between PIs. No data were available from four PIs. Human leptspirosis has been reported from 13 PIs, with 63% of all studies conducted in Hawaii, French Polynesia and New Caledonia. Animal leptospirosis has been investigated in 19 PIs and from 14 host species, mainly pigs (18% of studies), cattle (16%) and dogs (11%). Only 13 studies provided information on both human and animal leptospirosis from the same location. Serology results were highly diverse in the region, both in humans and animals. Conclusions/Significance: Our study suggests that, as in other tropical regions, leptospirosis is widespread in the PIs while showing some epidemiological heterogeneity. Data are scarce or absent from many PIs. Rodents, cattle, pigs and dogs are all likely to be important carriers, but the relative importance of each animal species in human infection needs to be clarified. Epidemiological surveys with appropriate sampling design, pathogen typing and data analysis are needed to improve our understanding of transmission patterns and to develop effective intrevention strategies.

The red vented-bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer): invasion dynamics and ecological impacts of an introduced pest bird in New Caledonia and implications for management

Available Online

Martin Thibault

Suite à la soutenance de thèse effectuée en juillet 2018 à lUniversité de Massey, le manuscrit de Martin Thibault, intitulé « Le bulbul à ventre rouge (Pycnonotus cafer): dynamique dinvasion et impacts écologiques dun oiseau introduit en Nouvelle Calédonie. Invasive alien species are a major cause of biodiversity loss globally, especially on islands where high species richness and levels of endemism accentuate their impacts. Various international institutions have constructed lists of the most harmful invasive species to help environment managers at both global and local scales to prioritize their efforts. The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is a passerine bird species considered among the three worst invasive birds on the planet. This species is currently spreading over the tropical archipelago of New Caledonia, one of the 36 world biodiversity hotspots. This dissertation presents the findings of a PhD study conducted in New Caledonia with two objectives: 1) to describe this introduced population, and 2) to evaluate the threats from its dispersal using both existing knowledge and new in-situ and ex-situ data and a variety of analysis techniques. From the literature, I identified three key impacts explaining the species status: i) damage to agricultural crops, ii) noxious seed dispersal, and iii) competition with other avifauna. I estimated the local population size (approx. 140,000 individuals), its habitat use (inhabited areas), its density along an urbanization gradient (30-120 ind/km2), and I produced lists of consumed plant and animal species and identified a colour preference in the foraging strategy of the red-vented bulbul. Exploration of each impact category revealed i) substantial losses on fruit production (18% of tomato production), ii) impact on the abundance of nine native bird species that may be driving a spatial reassembly of the community, and iii) a short distance dispersal (77-92 m) that could promote the dispersal of introduced plant species at the expense of endemic species. Finally, through modelling, I estimated the climatic niche of the species at a global scale and identified that most island territories as suitable for the establishment of this invasive bird species. Regardless of whether the red-vented bulbul deserves its status as world worst species, quantitative impact assessments in its alien range such as the studies presented here are needed to prevent the dispersal and harmful impacts of this species on human activities and sensitive ecosystems. Implications for management are discussed.

Seabird surveys across the Pacific with SPREP scientists

SPREP Publications, Biodiversity Conservation

Available Online

This is a blog by Karen Baird's expedition that includes topside surveys on the diversity and abundance of seabirds and other surface marine megafauna an activity in support of biodiversity surveys by SPREP. Gaining a better understanding of how seabirds, including migratory seabird species that use this open ocean pathway, will help all nations inform their conservation actions since oceans have no boundaries.

Global evidence that deforestation amplifies flood risk and severity in the developing world

Available Online

Bradshaw, Corey J. A.

Brook, Barry W.

Peh, Kelvin S. H.

Sodhi, Navjot S.

With the wide acceptance of forest?protection policies in the developing world comes a requirement for clear demonstrations of how deforestation may erode human well?being and economies. For centuries, it has been believed that forests provide protection against flooding. However, such claims have given rise to a heated polemic, and broad?scale quantitative evidence of the possible role of forests in flood protection has not been forthcoming. Using data collected from 1990 to 2000 from 56 developing countries, we show using generalized linear and mixed?effects models contrasted with information?theoretic measures of parsimony that flood frequency is negatively correlated with the amount of remaining natural forest and positively correlated with natural forest area loss (after controlling for rainfall, slope and degraded landscape area). The most parsimonious models accounted for over 65% of the variation in flood frequency, of which nearly 14% was due to forest cover variables alone. During the decade investigated, nearly 100?000 people were killed and 320 million people were displaced by floods, with total reported economic damages exceeding US$1151 billion. Extracted measures of flood severity (flood duration, people killed and displaced, and total damage) showed some weaker, albeit detectable correlations to natural forest cover and loss. Based on an arbitrary decrease in natural forest area of 10%, the model?averaged prediction of flood frequency increased between 4% and 28% among the countries modeled. Using the same hypothetical decline in natural forest area resulted in a 48% increase in total flood duration. These correlations suggest that global?scale patterns in mean forest trends across countries are meaningful with respect to flood dynamics. Unabated loss of forests may increase or exacerbate the number of flood?related disasters, negatively impact millions of poor people, and inflict trillions of dollars in damage in disadvantaged economies over the coming decades. This first global?scale empirical demonstration that forests are correlated with flood risk and severity in developing countries reinforces the imperative for large?scale forest protection to protect human welfare, and suggests that reforestation may help to reduce the frequency and severity of flood?related catastrophes.

Recruitment dynamics of invasive species in rainforest habitats following Cyclone Larry

Available Online

Bradford, M.J.

Ford, A.F.

Galway, K.E.

Metcalfe, D.J.

Murphy, H.T.

Sydes, T.A.

Westcott, D.J.

In tropical forests, natural disturbance creates opportunities for species to claim previously utilized space and resources and is considered an important mechanism in the maintenance of species diversity. However, ecologists have long recognized that disturbance also promotes exotic plant invasions. Cyclones cause extensive defoliation, loss of major branches and multiple tree falls, resulting in a significantly more open canopy and increased light and heat levels in the understorey. The widespread and massive disturbance caused by cyclones provides ideal conditions for rapid recruitment and spread of invasive species. The ecological roles of invasive species in rainforest habitats following such a severe disturbance are poorly understood. Severe category 4 Cyclone Larry crossed the North Queensland coast in March 2006 causing massive disturbance to rainforest habitats from Tully to Cairns and west to the Atherton Tablelands. We established 10 plots in an area extensively damaged by this cyclone near El Arish in North Queensland. On each plot nine 2×2 m quadrats were established with three quadrats per plot in each of the following treatments: (i) complete debris removal down to the soil layer, (ii) removal of coarse woody debris only, and (iii) uncleared. We monitored recruitment, growth and mortality of all native and invasive species in the 90 quadrats every 3 months since the cyclone. Here we present the recruitment dynamics of invasive species across the study area in relation to the level of disturbance, the type of quadrat treatment, and the diversity and abundance of the native recruiting flora over the first 12 months post?cyclone. Our results suggest that invasive species will mostly comprise a transient component of the flora in the early stages of the successional response. However, some species may have longer?term effects on the successional trajectory of the rainforest and future forest composition and structure.

Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Pacific Biosecurity

The Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit is a collection of resources to help prevent and control invasive ants in the Pacific. We call this the PIAT for short. The PIAT is mostly targeted at helping developing and remote Pacific Nations, who often do not have access to pest control locally and depend on outside help. But anyone is welcome to use it. We decided that the PIAT was needed as the resources available to deal with invasive ants were in many different places and sometimes hard to find. So some of the resources you will find here have been specifically developed for PIAT, but others are available in other places. We always provide links to the original sources of information.

Pacific invasives initiative: resource kit for invasive plant management

Biodiversity Conservation, BRB

Available Online

Pacific Invasives Initiative

The PII Resource Kit for Invasive Plant Management (Invasive Plant Resource Kit) is a practical guide to assist invasive plant teams (i.e. decision makers, project managers, officers and field crews) to apply informed decision making in the prioritisation, design, development and implementation of an effective invasive plant management programme, thereby, increasing their chances of success.

ECOLOGIE ET IMPACTS DUN PREDATEUR INTRODUIT AU SEIN DUN HOT-SPOT MONDIAL DE BIODIVERSITE - LE CHAT HARET FELIS CATUS DANS LARCHIPEL NEO-CALEDONIEN

Available Online

Pauline Palmas

Le chat haret est lun des prédateurs invasifs les plus dommageables pour la biodiversité insulaire. Sa présence est associée à une perte de biodiversité sur lensemble des îles sur lesquelles il est établi, et où il constitue une menace pour de nombreuses espèces de vertébrés souvent endémiques et menacés. En Nouvelle-Calédoniedes populations de chats harets sont présentes dans tous les milieux et habitats et létude de son écologie et de ses impacts sur la faune ont fait lobjet de ce travail de thèse. Lanalyse du régime alimentaire sur 14 sites détudes représentatifs des 4 habitats majeurs a révélé un régime très diversifié et une forte prédation sur les vertébrés natifs et notamment sur le groupe des scinques, des roussettes et des pétrels. Parmi les 44 espèces de vertébrés retrouvées dans le régime alimentaire de ce prédateur invasif, la plupart sont endémiques et 20 sont listées comme menacées sur la liste rouge mondiale de lUICN. Le suivi des déplacements dune dizaine dindividus équipés de colliers GPS au niveau dune presquîle de la côte ouest abritant une importante colonie doiseaux marins, a permis de mettre en évidence de grands domaines vitaux pour les mâles, des domaines vitaux petits pour les femelles et des patrons de déplacements importants liés aux différentes étapes du cycle reproducteur des oiseaux marins. Ces éléments, couplés aux analyses de régime alimentaire suggèrent une prédation à la fois sur les adultes reproducteurs mais également sur les jeunes oiseaux proches de lenvol, et ceci à une large échelle géographique puisque certains des chats harets concernés avaient le coeur de leur domaine vital situé à plus de 3km de la colonie. Une opération expérimentale de contrôle dune population de chats harets a été conduite sur cette presquîle et a montré une faible durabilité des effets de la suppression des individus sur les densités observées et une rapide recolonisation du site. Les résultats de ce travail plaident pour la mise en place de mesures de limitation des impacts occasionnés et permettent en particulier de cibler les habitats de maquis et forêt humide comme prioritaires en matière de limitation des abondances. Ces travaux nous éclairent également sur lemprise spatiale et lintensité des futures mesures de contrôle à conduire dans le contexte dîles de grande superficie et fortement envahies.

Guidelines for privately protected areas.

Available Online

Bezaury-Creel, J

Bingham, H C

Cumming, T L

Dudley, N

Fitzsimons, J A

Malleret-King, D

Mitchell, B A

Redford, K H

Solano, P

Stolton, S

IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

Killing rats could save coral reefs

Available Online

Gill, Victoria

Short website news article about rat eradication on Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean and how bird populations increase without rat predation increasing nutrients from bird guano into the coral reefs; cites letter article in Springer Nature - Seabirds enhance coral reef productivity and functioning inthe absence of invasive rats, Nichaolas A.J. Graham, Shaun K. Wilson, Peter Carr, Andrew S. Hoey, Simon Jennings, M. Aaron MacNeil https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0202-3

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