Zoogeographic Subregions of the Pacific Realm as a Background for Terrestrial Ecological Reserves: Part 2, Central and Eastern Regions, etc., with Conclusions

Abstract

Part 2 of this paper reviews the situation in the Central and Eastern regions of the Pacific Realm as well as in the Pacific mainland coasts of Australia, North America, and South America. Table I lists the ‘Pacific Faunal Balance’ as far as vertebrates are concerned, and gives the number and distribution of existing national parks or nature reserves in each subregion. It shows that the Hawaiian Islands have been subjected to a high number of extinctions. In addition an even larger number of Hawaiian vertebrates are at present on the verge of extinction. Hawaii tops the lists of both extinct (24) and endangered (37) vertebrates. It is also evident from Table I that Pacific islands are much more vulnerable to vertebrate extinctions than are the Pacific coasts of Australia, North America, and South America. Not less than six subregions of Pacific islands show a higher number of extinctions than the east coast of Australia, and 16 subregions are affected by extinctions, while the western coasts of North and South America are not.