Terrestrial ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific : a conservation assessment / edited by Eric Wikramanayake ... [and others] ; foreword by Stuart L. Pimm.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Wikramanayake, Eric D.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Biodiversity conservation--Indo-Pacific Region.

Biodiversity conservation.

Biotic communities--Indo-Pacific Region.

Biotic communities.

Ecology--Indo-Pacific Region.

Ecology.

Indo-Pacific Region.

Physical Description:

xxix, 643 pages : color illustrations, color maps ; 28 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington D.C. : Island Press, [2002]

Summary:

Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific offers a comprehensive examination of the state of the Indo-Pacific's biodiversity and habitats, moving beyond endangered or charismatic species to quantify for the first time the number of mammal and bird species, including endemics, in each ecoregion. Short essays by regional experts address special topics relating to finer-scale conservation issues or ecological processes that are typically overlooked in a regional-scale analysis. This volume is third in a series, following Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America and Freshwater Ecoregions of North America; next will be an assessment of Africa's biological and conservation status. Together these assessments represent an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding and protecting global biodiversity.

Contents:

1. Nature's End or a New Beginning? 1

Assessment Overview 3

2. Assembling the Ecological Jigsaw Puzzle: The Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific 17

Delineation of Ecoregions and Geographic Scope of the Study 17

Geographic Scope 18

Themes 19

Delineating Bioregions 21

Delineating Biomes 24

Delineating Ecoregions 25

Representation of Ecoregions and Biomes in the Indo-Pacific Region 26

3. Representation or Triage? Approaches to Setting Conservation Priorities in the Indo-Pacific Region 39

Biological Distinctiveness Index (BDI) 39

Conservation Status Index (CSI) 41

Threat Analysis 44

Integrating Biological Distinctiveness and Conservation Status 45

Guidelines for Using the Integration Matrix 46

Use of Proxies to Develop Indices 46

Biodiversity Representation or Triage? 47

4. Where Is Biodiversity Distributed? 61

Broad Patterns in Biological Distinctiveness 62

A Closer Look at the Indo-Pacific's Natural Wealth 65

Ecoregions, Hotspots, and EBAs: Concordance and Overlap 85

Concordance of Biological Priorities: The Overriding Importance of Indonesian Ecoregions 89

5. Where Is Biodiversity under Greatest Threat? 99

Snapshot Conservation Status: How Much Habitat Remains in Indo-Pacific Ecoregions? 100

Threat-Modified Conservation Status: Projecting Future Integrity of Ecoregions 109

Overarching Threats 109

Degradation Threats: Human Population Density and Distribution 111

High-Intensity Threats: Logging Concessions and Habitat Loss 115

Final Conservation Status 118

6. What to Save First? Setting Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation 139

The Priority-Setting Matrix 140

Regional and Bioregional Trends 140

The Priority Portfolio 140

7. Solutions to the Biodiversity Crisis Facing the Indo-Pacific Region 165

Big Conservation: The Next Frontier 165

Conservation Planning and Action at the Ecoregion Scale 165

Landscape-Scale Conservation 168

Innovative Mechanisms to Achieve Conservation Gains 173

Reevaluating Existing Mechanisms in a New Light 175

Bold Leadership: Who Will Be the Next Indira Gandhi of the Indo-Pacific? 177

Nature's End or a New Beginning? 177

A. Details on Ecoregion Delineation 193

B. Terrestrial Biome Descriptions 203

C. Methods for Assessing the Biological Distinctiveness of Terrestrial Ecoregions 209

D. Methods for Assessing the Conservation Status of Terrestrial Ecoregions 213

E. Summary of Ecoregion Scores for Species Richness, Endemism, and Biological Distinctiveness Index 219

F. Summary of Ecoregion Scores for the Conservation Status Index and Integration Matrix 225

G. Habitat Types by Ecoregion 231

H. Near-Endemic and Strict Endemic Mammals by Ecoregion 243

I. Near-Endemic and Strict Endemic Birds by Ecoregion 255

J. Ecoregion Descriptions 281.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 607-630) and index.

ISBN:

1559639237

OCLC:

48435361