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Biodiversity and Palau: A Special Place (PPT, PCS)
Protecting and Celebrating Palau's Biodiversity with Native Plants (PPT, MAFE)
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Biodiversity in Palau
Biodiversity in Palau
Palau is world famous for its diverse biological life on land and underwater. At least 8,000 species have been described in Palau, and there are an estimated 10,000 more yet to be discovered. Palau has high endemism (meaning, found only here) due to its unique situation as a 70-million-year-old island (allowing or extensive speciation) but also its proximity to the large Asian landmass (allowing for natural migration). Palau exceeds all Micronesian and many Polynesian islands in its total biodiversity.
Located in the eastern corner of the Coral Triangle, the world’s most biodiverse marine waters, Palau’s Rock Island Southern Lagoon qualified for World Heritage Status partly because such a high level of marine biodiversity can be found in such as small, discrete area. Palau has at least 400 species of hard corals, 300 species of soft corals, 1,500 species of fish, 7 out of 9 of the world’s species of giant clams (including several that are globally endangered but thriving here) and thousands of other invertebrates. Palau’s lagoons are home to the most isolated population of the charismatic dugong, and is a playground for whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and seabirds. The islands are home to Micronesia’s only saltwater crocodiles. There are over 70 marine lakes, including the world-famous Jellyfish Lake. They are each a unique ecosystem unto themself. Altogether there are some 10,000 marine species, large and small, known from Palau.
On land are a variety of thick dry tropical forests, with 1,400 plants described. Approximately 20% of plants are endemic, although they are not well studied. Many of Palau’s islands, ranging from high basalt islands to low coralline atolls, have unique assemblages of plant species. After 70 million years of weathering, Palau’s soils are quite thin and fragile, and thus the thick forest that holds tight to deeply dissected hills and valleys is an astonishing display of natural adaptive capacity. There are 13 endemic bird species on Palau, which is home to over 50 native resident birds and at least 100 migrating birds, an impressive number for such a small land area. A single sandflat, Lkes Islet in Peleliu, has been described as one of the most important migrating seabird habitats in the entire world. With rich flora comes rich fauna, and the numbers of insects, arthropods, snails and gastropods, and reptiles and amphibians are similarly impressive. Altogether there are 7,000 terrestrial species known from Palau, a number that continually increases. A research hotspot on land and underwater, Palau is rapidly becoming known for its orchid diversity. There are an estimated 100 species of native orchids, with at least 30 species endemic to Palau or some endemic to single islands. 82% of Palau is forested.
Transition areas between land and sea are similarly lush. Almost 70% of the large island of Babeldaob is fringed with mangrove or swamp forest, and many invertebrates are harvested from these locations for traditional foods.
Biodiversity as a way of life
Palauans have a unique connection to their biodiversity. Species have traditional names that often vary from place to place or from clan to clan, and are woven tightly into legends and traditions. Nearly every plant and tree has multiple uses ranging from medicine to food, from building materials to fuel to ceremonial practices. Elders are often the cherished keepers of knowledge about individual plants or animals. Mothers and fathers teach their children about ways to fish and farm so that ecosystems flourish.
In addition to having high biodiversity, Palau’s Rock Island Southern Lagoon qualified for World Heritage Status because it is an exemplary showcase of early Palauan’s relationship with nature. This is still true today, as seen in carefully tended taro patches that trap sediment and preserve pristine reefs. Palauans have an traditional ethos, omengereomel, that loosely translates as conservation and which serves as a guide for life: living in harmony with nature, respecting nature, and conserving some for the future. Traditional Chiefs will still institute a bul, or traditional harvest moratorium, when species or resources are in decline or need special care. This is why Palau has protected so much of its land and water as protected areas. 80% of its EEZ is protected via the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, 14% of nearshore marine areas are fully closed Marine Protected Areas, and 68% of all nearshore areas are managed. With constitutionally protected local and state ownership of all land and nearshore resources, all non-EEZ protected areas are managed by communities. The National Government has established a Protected Areas Network to partner with communities to improve management and to ensure that national biodiversity and resources are conserved for the people as a whole.
As with any place, there is room for growth. Some habitats are underrepresented, and there is growing awareness that social inclusion must be a larger part of habitat conservation. Thus in recent years there has been a growing emphasis on protecting habitats important to women, such as mangroves, seagrass beds, and coastal fringing and patch reefs. Many of Palau’s protected areas are still in need of investment to make them viable and productive, whether through better enforcement of closures or transitions to more sustainable uses. Nearshore fish and invertebrates continue to decline, especially given their importance to local food security but also their commanding prices on the tourist market.
Community Involvement
Palau is a communal society that has preserved and perpetuated many of its customary practices, including reciprocity and community investment. Civil society is strong and consists of everything from large national NGOs to strong community-based women’s groups and clubs. Communities are truly and deeply involved in efforts to protect and preserve the environment. Palau is also a highly educated society with ideals of responsibility and accountability, and thus even the smallest community groups engage in results-based project management. Communities are quick to embrace any efforts that will perpetuate traditional practices, such as taro patch management, mixed-species agroforestry, and medicinal plant gleaning.
Commitment to Carbon-Free Tourism
Palau has adopted a low-impact, nature-positive approach to tourism via its Responsible Tourism Policy Framework. Supportive regulations include bans on reef-toxic sunscreens and single-use plastics in fragile locations, adoption of tour guide training requirements, and the introduction of the Palau Pledge, which requires all visitors to Palau to commit to protecting the nation’s environment. The country announced a commitment to being a Carbon Neutral Destination, and is working on a regime, process, and technology to support individual offsets for tourists. This system still needs investment to make it work.
Mangroves, Forests, and Carbon Storage
Research on mangroves in Palau has shown that they store significant amounts of carbon. A 2011 study found that mangrove trees and their soils (up to 1 meter depth) store twice as much carbon per hectare as tropical moist upland forests in Brazil. Research in 2012 found that carbon in Palau’s lagoon mangroves is in the moderate to high range when compared to oceanic mangroves in the Western Pacific. Mangroves store 2-3 times as much carbon as forests, most of it below ground (mean Mg/ha of Total Carbon in mangroves is 830 versus 437 in forests). Mangroves account for 24% of Palau’s total carbon stock (15.2 Tg Carbon or 55.8 Tg CO2 equivalent), while only taking up 13% of total area. Carbon storage is higher on the landward side of mangrove forests. Mangrove cover on Babeldaob increased between 1947 and 2005. Ongoing research shows that carbon stocks have increased with carbon forest growth.
Despite their importance to carbon storage, biodiversity, food production, and coastal protection, mangroves are in a delicate spot when it comes to development. Many municipal and state governments own zero land (prior to colonization, all land was privately owned and is being slowly returned to rightful owners). This means that they have little land to offer for commercial development, or even for homebuilding for displaced peoples (due to economic displacement and climate change). However, mangroves fall under local government jurisdiction and thus are some of the few areas that governments can offer for conversion to other uses. Thus since 2005, in some locations mangroves have been destroyed or degraded in order to accommodate roads, buildings, and homes. Because mangroves grow relatively quickly, overall mangrove extent has increased and the nation has embraced a “No Net Loss” policy. 33% of Palau’s total 50 km2 of mangrove are protected.
Trends and threats are similar for terrestrial forests, which increased on the island of Babeldaob between 1988 and 2005. However, terrestrial forest cover has declined by over 10% in many of the more urbanized southern islands. Loss of habitat has many drivers, including development and urbanization, increasing fires (both due to poor human practices but exacerbated by climate-driven drought), and climate-change-influenced erosion. In recent years there has been a strong emphasis on revegetation of native forest on Babeldaob, largely to reduce erosion and sedimentation into nearshore areas but also to re-establish functioning ecosystems that support human-nature interfaces and traditional uses. Up to 30% of Palau’s total land has been disturbed (approximately 125 km2) and a growing extent was fully bare (5-10 km2). Efforts to revegetate are painstakingly slow and difficult however, as Babeldaob’s thin soils must first be rehabilitated before vegetation can take hold. For instance, despite thousands of hours of (mostly volunteer) man-hours in the past three years, less than 50 hectares (0.5 km2) has been revegetated or rehabilitated, most often to support food production. Significant investment into tools, supplies, and manpower are needed to rehabilitate all of Palau’s degraded lands. Benefits of revegetation and rehabilitation would include biodiversity but also food security. Many of Palau’s degraded lands could be productive food landscapes (Palau is highly food insecure due to high reliance on imports and low productivity of local food landscapes).
Written by Anu Gupta
anu.bintorio@gmail.com
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