Abstract
Abstract. Significant land use changes in Fiji Islands caused soil degradation, pollution and biodiversity losses. The planting of trees is an option of sustainable land use with long term ecological and economic advantages. Spatial models based on ecological requirements of tree species facilitates decision making, planning and risks management before planting. A land suitability analysis with Geographic Information System (GIS) was carried out to identify areas in Vitilevu island for the planting of eleven native and exotic tree species. Altitudes, rainfall and forest cover maps were used as discrimination factors in boolean operations. The species with higher ecological potential for plantation were Syzygium decussatum (22% of the total area), Tectona grandis (19% of the total area), and Metroxylon vitiense (18% of the total area). The model is robust but can be enhanced by adding thematic layers of other environmental factors.
Highlights
Over the last 20 years irrational logging of natural tropical forests worldwide shifted into sustainable management plans and plantations (Evans 1992) of varied composition, scale, complexity, and purpose
They are reported to halt deforestation, increase timber production, and improve soil and water quality and wildlife habitat (Nambiar 1999); in Fiji, the clearing of large areas for the planting of sugar-cane, coconuts and cotton resulted on soil losses of up to 90 t ha–1 yr–1 (Clarke and Morrison 1987), far above the permissible level for tropical regions of 13.5 t ha–1 yr–1 (Hudson 1971)
In Easter Island flora decimation was almost complete after human colonization (Hunt and Lipo 2006); a natural rehabilitation is slow
Summary
Over the last 20 years irrational logging of natural tropical forests worldwide shifted into sustainable management plans and plantations (Evans 1992) of varied composition, scale, complexity, and purpose. Land-use changes, human-induced fragmentation, and invasive species are main threats to biodiversity conservation in small and remote islands (Martins 1993); confirmed since ancient times by palaeoecological records that reveal declines of forest taxa including palms, and a rapid invasion of introduced weed species (Prebble and Dowe 2008).
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