On a dragonfly collection from the Solomon Islands with overview of fauna from this Pacific archipelago (Insecta: Odonata)

Odonata fauna of the Solomon Islands (considered in its political rather than geographical borders) is revised following a recent collecting trip to Guadalcanal Island in April 2012. Some important taxonomic considerations are discussed and a complete literature review is provided for the country with an updated checklist of 64 species that is in accordance with the latest taxonomic studies on the group from that part of the world. The collection reported here was carried out on two and a half effective field days and resulted in a total of 30 taxa. Two of them (Agyrtacantha browni and Gynacantha amphora) are new to science and already described elsewhere and three oth-ers (Lestesconcinnus, Lathrecista asiatica festa and Rhyothemis resplendens) are new to the country. A female of Pseudagrion incisurum is described for the first timeand another female (Rhinocypha liberata) will be described later

Solomon Islands forest life: information on biology and management of forest resources

Solomon Islands Forest Life is a collaborative effort drawing on the experience and knowledge of many individuals. The book was compiled as part of a project funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund with support from John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and will be distributed for free among secondary schools throughout Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands Forest Life gives an overview of the terrestrial environments of the Solomon Islands, their ecology, important species, and some of the key threats they face. The Solomon Islands are one of the most biologically rich archipelagos on earth. Huge proportions of the animals and plants found there are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on earth. These species are closely linked to the culture, livelihoods and well being of people. Commercial logging, mining and a fast rate of population growth threaten the forests of Solomon Islands and are placing increasing pressure on natural resources. This book aims to complement the already deep understanding of the terrestrial environment by Solomon Islanders, allowing them to learn more and assist them in understanding how to manage new threats

Solomon Islands ranger skills guide

Rangers are very important in maintaining green lines that protect conservation areas, marine protected areas, wildlife refuges, historic sites, or resource management areas. Whether they are conducting awareness programs, enforcing laws, accompanying visitors, or assisting researchers, rangers are essential to establishing secure, enjoyable and memorable experiences. The ‘Solomon Islands Ranger Skills Guide’ is intended to assist local rangers with skills and practical training that may be useful in managing and monitoring natural resources at their respective sites. It is intended to help the relevant government ministry manage, protect and preserve Solomon Islands natural heritage, and to support conservation efforts that will ensure the persistence of ecologically and historically important sites

A RECORD OF REPRODUCTION IN ANTHOPS ORNATUS (CHIROPTERA: HIPPOSIDERIDAE), YSABEL ISLAND, SOLOMON ISLANDS

Volume: 56Start Page: 331End Page: 33

Factors affecting frog density in the Solomon Islands

This paper identifies some important factors affecting the density of frogs in the Solomon Islands. Distance sampling was used to estimate frog density in all major frog habitats across 13 islands. A total of 109 transects, covering five forest types (coastal, freshwater marshes, lowland forest, hill or ridge, and montane forest) were used, with 16 species being sampled. Estimated densities ranged from 2ha-1 to 675ha-1. Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) was used to select the most parsimonious model of frog density. Factors identified in the selected model to predict density of Batrachylodes elegans, Batrachylodes vertebralis, Ceratobatrachus guentheri, Discodeles bufoniformis, Discodeles guppyi, Discodeles malukuna, Litoria thesaurensis, Palmatorappia solomonis, Platymantis guppyi, Platymantis neckeri, Platymantis solomonis, Platymantis sp., Platymantis weberi, and Rana kreffti were island, landform, and forest type. Additional factors such as disturbance, leaf litter, shrub, and understorey were also described by the regression model as predictors of density for B. vertebralis, C. guentheri, D. guppyi, D. malukuna, Pal. solomonis, P. guppyi, and R. kreffti. These findings have important management implications for the conservation of frogs in the Solomon Islands. High densities of most species were strongly related with forest type and low disturbance. Preservation of rainforest, in especially high conservation value old-growth forests, is imperative to protecting these species

Ecologlcal observatlons on Sanford's Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus (leucogaster) sanfordi

Field observations of Sanford's Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus (leucogaster) sanfordi were obtained in the Solomon Islands (Choiseul, Tetepare, Rendova, Kolombangara, and Vella Lavella) from January 2006 to October 2011. Sanford's Sea-Eagles were encountered in coastal, lowland and montane forests (to 1100 m above sea-level), open human-modified habitats, and along a river through primary rainforest. Prédation or attempted prédation was observed on soaring Glossy Swiftlets Collocalia esculenta, Solomons Flying-foxes Pteropus rayneri leaving their roosts and a Prehensile-tailed Skink Corucia zebrata. Ecological release may explain this eagle's wide habitat and dietary niche in the Islands, but other evidence (morphology, vocalisations) suggests that lumping it with the White-bellied SeaEagle H. leucogaster, on limited DNA evidence, may be premature

At the end of the line: Independent overwater colonizations of the Solomon Islands by a hyperdiverse trans-Wallacean lizard lineage (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkota: Squamata)

The islands of East Melanesia have generated key insights into speciation processes and community assembly. However, when and how these islands began to form, emerge and accumulate endemic taxa remains poorly understood. Here, we show that two divergent lineages within the world’s most diverse genus of geckos (Cyrtodactylus) occur in the Solomon Islands. One large-bodied species is nested within a radiation from far eastern New Guinea, with inferred colonization, spread and diversification since the late Miocene. In contrast, a newly sampled and relatively small species with a restricted distribution on Guadalcanal Island is a relict that diverged from extant congeners around the early to mid-Miocene. Similar Miocene divergences from extralimital relatives have been inferred for other endemic bird, bat and lizard lineages in East Melanesia. In contrast, across all lineages (including divergent relictual lineages), there is little evidence for endemic in situ diversification within East Melanesia predating the Pliocene (especially in the Solomon Islands). While some East Melanesian endemic lineages may have origins on progenitor islands during the Miocene or even earlier, current evidence suggests the in situ diversification and assembly of extant biological communities commenced around the end of the Miocene.P.M.O. was supported by a Discovery Early Career Researcher Fellowship from the Australian Research Council and a grant from the Australia Pacific Science Foundation. S.L.T. was supported by grants from the National Geographic Society, Society of Systematic Biologists, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the University of Kansas and NSF grant number DEB 1557053 to R. Moyle and R. Brown. J.Q.R. and R.N.F. were supported by funds from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area

At the end of the line: independent overwater colonizations of the Solomon Islands by a hyperdiverse trans-Wallacean lizard lineage (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkota: Squamata)

The islands of East Melanesia have generated key insights into speciation processes and community assembly. However, when and how these islands began to form, emerge and accumulate endemic taxa remains poorly understood. Here, we show that two divergent lineages within the world's most diverse genus of geckos (Cyrtodactylus) occur in the Solomon Islands. One large-bodied species is nested within a radiation from far eastern New Guinea, with inferred colonization, spread and diversification since the late Miocene. In contrast, a newly sampled and relatively small species with a restricted distribution on Guadalcanal Island is a relict that diverged from extant congeners around the early to mid-Miocene. Similar Miocene divergences from extralimital relatives have been inferred for other endemic bird, bat and lizard lineages in East Melanesia. In contrast, across all lineages (including divergent relictual lineages), there is little evidence for endemic in situ diversification within East Melanesia predating the Pliocene (especially in the Solomon Islands). While some East Melanesian endemic lineages may have origins on progenitor islands during the Miocene or even earlier, current evidence suggests the in situ diversification and assembly of extant biological communities commenced around the end of the Miocene

Biocultural approaches to well-being and sustainability indicators across scales

International audienc