Developing long-term monitoring of natural areas for a Unesco world heritage site: study case of la Reunion

La Réunion island, in the Mascarenes, has been recognized as a World Heritage site for its Piton, Cirques and Remparts since 2010. The site, coinciding with the core zone of La Réunion National Park, represents 100000 ha, equivalent to 40 % of the island. These dramatic landscapes of rugged terrain, impressive escarpments, forested gorges are dominated by three cliff-rimmed cirques and two volcanoes ― a dormant massif forming the highest peak, Piton des Neiges (3069 m), and in the eastern part of the island lies the very active volcano, the Piton de la Fournaise (2632 m). The island harbours a wide variety of natural habitats (tropical montane cloud forests, subalpine shrublands, lowland forests, dry forest…), now all remnant in the Mascarene archipelago, that host high levels of endemism for both flora and fauna. Thereby, La Réunion is the most significant contributor towards conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in the Mascarene islands. The Divines project (FEDER) aims at developing innovative methods for characterizing and monitoring terrestrial biodiversity in the long term for conservation managers to ensure the protection of this world heritage site. In this poster, a description of the goals, actions and preliminary results of the DIVINES project will be described from gene to ecosystem levels

Global Island Monitoring Scheme (GIMS) : a proposal for the long-term coordinated survey and monitoring of native island forest biota

Islands harbour evolutionary and ecologically unique biota, which are currently disproportionately threatened by a multitude of anthropogenic factors, including habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. Native forests on oceanic islands are important refugia for endemic species, many of which are rare and highly threatened. Long-term monitoring schemes for those biota and ecosystems are urgently needed: (i) to provide quantitative baselines for detecting changes within island ecosystems, (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management actions, and (iii) to identify general ecological patterns and processes using multiple island systems as repeated 'natural experiments'. In this contribution, we call for a Global Island Monitoring Scheme (GIMS) for monitoring the remaining native island forests, using bryophytes, vascular plants, selected groups of arthropods and vertebrates as model taxa. As a basis for the GIMS, we also present new, optimized monitoring protocols for bryophytes and arthropods that were developed based on former standardized inventory protocols. Effective inventorying and monitoring of native island forests will require: (i) permanent plots covering diverse ecological gradients (e.g. elevation, age of terrain, anthropogenic disturbance); (ii) a multiple-taxa approach that is based on standardized and replicable protocols; (iii) a common set of indicator taxa and community properties that are indicative of native island forests' welfare, building on, and harmonized with existing sampling and monitoring efforts; (iv) capacity building and training of local researchers, collaboration and continuous dialogue with local stakeholders; and (v) long-term commitment by funding agencies to maintain a global network of native island forest monitoring plots.Peer reviewe

Formation du couple et succes reproducteur chez l'albatros hurleur (Diomedea exulans)

Available from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : T 81394 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueSIGLEFRFranc

Une méthodologie concertée pour la sauvegarde des plantes menacées de l’île de la Réunion

Towards an agreed methodology for the recovery of threatened plants in La Réunion Island. — The knowledge of the biology and ecology of threatened plant species, more specifically the methodologies used to collect, propagate and cultivate them, as well as the existing threats, are often poorly known worldwide. On La Réunion Island (Indian Ocean), local people, NGOs and conservation stakeholders, have conducted numerous actions for the recovery of threatened plants since several decades. However, it is essential to set up a coherent methodology based on a “precautionary principle” promoting the cultivation of native species. In this paper, four strategic directions are proposed : to favor (1) in situ plantations in natural or seminatural habitat after restoration and (2) ex situ collection of threatened species, (3) to cultivate indigenous species in land development projects or of public interests (4) and in public gardens, schools or private areas. The proposed methodology also includes the dispersal capacities of plant species, their degree of threat in natural areas or the knowledge and the role of the various stakeholders. The implementation of a common tool allowing the traceability of diaspores during each step of the process and used by all stakeholders is proposed. We recognize the importance of adapting the methodology in very specific cases, according to the extreme rarity of some species or the genetic variability of others. At last, we emphasize the importance to carefully monitor the on-going conservation actions, to make sure of their efficiency or to adjust them, if needed. The authors highlight the interest of the proposed methodology for all the French Overseas territories.Les connaissances relatives à la biologie et à l’écologie des espèces, ou plus précisément aux méthodes de récolte, multiplication et plantation, ainsi qu’aux menaces qui pèsent sur ces espèces sont souvent méconnues. À La Réunion (océan Indien), la population, les associations ou encore les acteurs locaux de la conservation, ont depuis de nombreuses décennies initié des actions de sauvegarde des espèces menacées. Il est toutefois nécessaire de proposer une méthodologie cohérente, basée sur le principe de précaution, de manière à favoriser la multiplication et la plantation d’espèces indigènes menacées et qui survivent sur le long terme. Les auteurs proposent une méthodologie structurée en 4 axes : (1) favoriser les plantations in situ dans le milieu naturel ou semi-naturel après restauration, (2) créer ou conforter des collections ex situ d’espèces menacées, (3) planter les espèces indigènes à l’occasion de travaux d’aménagement ou d’intérêt public, ainsi que (4) dans les jardins publics, les écoles et chez les particuliers. La méthodologie proposée tient compte des capacités de dispersion des espèces, de leur niveau de rareté dans le milieu naturel ou encore de l’état des connaissances et du rôle des différents partenaires. La mise en place d’un outil permettant d’établir une traçabilité précise des diaspores pour chacune des étapes est proposée ; il devra être homogène et utilisé par l’ensemble des acteurs. Au-delà de la méthodologie proposée, il est prudent et important de l’affiner dans certains cas, notamment en fonction de l’extrême rareté de certaines espèces ou encore de la variabilité génétique d’autres. Enfin, nous insistons sur l’importance de mettre en place un suivi des différentes actions entreprises, de manière à s’assurer de l’efficacité des actions ou de les ajuster, si nécessaire. Les auteurs soulignent l’intérêt de cette méthodologie pour l’ensemble des collectivités d’outre-mer.Baret Stéphane, Lavergne Christophe, Fontaine Christian, Saliman Matthieu, Hermann Sébastien, Triolo Julien, Bazil Samantho, Sertier Jean-Claude, Lequette Benoit, Gigord Luc, Lucas Raymond, Picot Frédéric, Muller Serge. Une méthodologie concertée pour la sauvegarde des plantes menacées de l’île de la Réunion. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), supplément n°11, 2012. Conférence sur la Conservation de la flore menacée de l’Outre-mer français. pp. 85-100

Quantifying invasion degree by alien plants species in Reunion Island

International audienceThe largest area of intact vegetation in the Mascarene's archipelago is found on Reunion Island, but the remaining natural areas are under threats. Biological invasions are one of the main threats to biodiversity loss on this island and globally worldwide. This study aimed to quantify invasion degree by alien plants species in Reunion Island. This work was possible thanks to a large partnership between researchers and managers. All existing spatial data on invasion pattern were combined and completed by expert knowledge to develop the first 250 x 250 m map of invasion degree at the island scale. To fill the gaps where no field survey data or expert knowledge was available, we used a Random Forest model using nine climatic, landscape and anthropogenic variables. This model also provides a preliminary assessment of drivers of invasion at Reunion Island. Results showed that 85% of the extant native vegetation was invaded in different proportions; 38% are slightly invaded, 26% moderately invaded and 22% very heavily invaded. Despite the high levels of invasion in some places, more than 50% of the extant vegetation is not invaded or slightly invaded. Most of the invaded areas are located in the lowland and in the leeward coast although alien plants invade all types of vegetation from the coast to the top of the island. These results highlight a clear increase in the distribution of alien species over time. This study constitutes a key first step for about the ongoing prioritisation of management interventions on Reunion Island