Optimum plot and sample sizes for carbon stock and biodiversity estimation in the lowland tropical forests of Papua New Guinea

Forest carbon emission mitigation schemes seek to protect tropical forest, combat effects of climate change, and offer potential cash and development opportunities. Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) projects based on a foundation of accurate carbon stock assessment provide such an opportunity for Papua New Guinea. The objective of this study was to quantify the carbon stock of the central forests of Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, and identify factors that underpin any observed variation within it. We employed the Winrock Standard Operating Procedures for Terrestrial Carbon Measurement for plots and associated measurements. In 75 variable-radius nested plots (total area = 14.4 ha), we assessed above-ground and total carbon stock of stems ≥5 cm diameter at breast height via general linear models in a model-selection framework. The top models described variation in average carbon stock at 95% lower and upper confidence interval in above-ground biomass solely in terms of forest type: primary hill forest 165.0 Mg C ha–1 (148.3–183.7, n = 48), primary plain forest 100.9 Mg C ha–1 (78.0–130.6, n = 10) and secondary hill forests 99.7 Mg C ha–1 (80.9–122.9, n = 17). To a lesser extent, above-ground carbon stock increased with slope and varied idiosyncratically by the nearest village. Our estimates are comparable with published studies for Papua New Guinea and the wider tropical region. These data should strengthen pre-existing knowledge and inform policies on carbon accounting for REDD+ projects in the region.

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Systematics of new subsocial and solitary Australasian Anelosimus species (Araneae:Theridiidae)

Invertebrate Systematics ◽

10.1071/is11039 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Ingi Agnarsson

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Social Evolution ◽

New Guinea ◽

High Latitudes ◽

Unknown Species ◽

The World ◽

Solitary Species ◽

Ecological Pattern

Species of the cobweb spider genus Anelosimus range from solitary to subsocial to social, and sociality has evolved repeatedly within the genus. Thus, this genus allows studies of the traits that play a role in social evolution. However, taxonomic knowledge of Anelosimus is geographically narrow and nearly all sociobiological studies have been done in the Americas. Only one behaviourally unknown species has been described from all of Australasia. Here, I describe seven new Anelosimus from Papua New Guinea (Anelosimus potmosbi, sp. nov., Anelosimus pomio, sp. nov., Anelosimus eidur, sp. nov. and Anelosimus luckyi, sp. nov.), Bali (Anelosimus bali, sp. nov.), Australia (Anelosimus pratchetti, sp. nov.) and an unknown locality (Anelosimus terraincognita, sp. nov.), ranging from solitary to subsocial. A phylogenetic analysis supports the inclusion of these species in Anelosimus, and suggests that solitary Papuan species represent a second reversal from subsocial behaviour. Both solitary species inhabit the beachfront, a habitat that appears not to be conducive to social behaviour in spiders. Subsocial species, as in other parts of the world, are found in montane tropical forests of Papua New Guinea, and at relatively high latitudes in Australia. Thus, a global ecological pattern of sociality in Anelosimus is emerging as taxonomic, phylogenetic and ethological knowledge extends beyond the Americas.

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A revision of the genus Monacon Waterston (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Perilampinae), parasites of ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Platypodidae)

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300009792 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 73-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Z. Bouc˘ek

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

New Guinea ◽

The Philippines ◽

Ambrosia Beetles ◽

African Species ◽

Old World ◽

Australian Species ◽

North Borneo

AbstractThe chalcidoid wasps of the genus Monacon develop as parasites of the larvae of ambrosia beetles (mainly Platypodidae) in the tropical forests of the Old World. Their known hosts are reviewed. A key is given to species, which are treated in two groups, according to geographical region: first the Indo-Australian species, then the African ones. The previously known Indo-Australian species come from India and Bangladesh (two), North Borneo (one) and the Philippines (one), and another 14 are here described as new: two from Sri Lanka, two from Burma, two from West Malaysia, one from both West Malaysia and the Philippines, two from the Philippines only, four from Papua New Guinea only and one from both Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Three African species were previously known from Zaire; one of them has now been found also in Uganda. Three species are described as new: one from Uganda, one from both Uganda and Nigeria and one from Kenya.

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Using soundscapes to detect variable degrees of human influence on tropical forests in Papua New Guinea

Conservation Biology ◽

10.1111/cobi.12968 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 205-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Zuzana Burivalova ◽

Michael Towsey ◽

Tim Boucher ◽

Anthony Truskinger ◽

Cosmas Apelis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

New Guinea ◽

Human Influence

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Investigating the effect of selective logging on tree biodiversity and structure of the tropical forests of Papua New Guinea

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry ◽

10.3832/ifor1732-008 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 475-482 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R Testolin ◽

S Saulei ◽

A Farcomeni ◽

G Grussu ◽

C Yosi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

New Guinea ◽

Selective Logging

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Observations of probable camouflaging behaviour in a semi-commensal common spotted cuscus Spilocuscus maculatus maculatus (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) in New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am02243 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 243 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

TE Heinsohn

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

New Guinea ◽

Tropical Lowland ◽

Tree Hollows ◽

Lowland Forests ◽

Cape York ◽

The Common

THE common spotted cuscus Spilocuscus maculatus is a relatively large nocturnal arboreal possum with a preference for tropical lowland forests. Its distribution is centred on New Guinea, but extends to some adjacent landmasses, including a number of satellite islands and Cape York Peninsula in Australia (Flannery 1994; Winter and Leung 1995; Heinsohn 2000). It appears to be principally folivorous and partially frugivorous and forages in the canopy, subcanopy, and understorey of tropical forests, though it may venture to the ground to cross gaps. After a night of foraging, S. maculatus typically rests by day hidden amidst the thick foliage of the canopy, in liana tangles or thickets, and appears to be less dependent on, or less inclined to use tree hollows than some other possum species (Heinsohn 1998b, pers. obs.).

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