A Study Investigating the Biodiversity Value of a Native Timber Plantation Landscape in Papua New Guinea
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ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following reference: Pryde, Elizabeth Clare (2014) Tropical production landscapes and conservation: a study investigating the biodiversity value of a native timber plantation landscape in Papua New Guinea. PhD thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/43784/ The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owner of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please contact [email protected] and quote http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/43784/ Tropical production landscapes and conservation: a study investigating the biodiversity value of a native timber plantation landscape in Papua New Guinea Thesis submitted by Elizabeth Clare Pryde B.Sc.Hons. (University of Melbourne) On 29th August 2014 For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University, Cairns To my magical daughter Amelia STATEMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF OTHERS Research funding • The Australian Pacific Science Foundation (APSF) • Oregon State Zoo • Skyrail Rainforest Foundation • Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists • James Cook University, Australia Stipend • Australian Postgraduate Award Supervision • Professor Steve Turton • Dr James Moloney Study design and analytical support • Dr John Kanowski (vegetation data collection) • Guy Dutson (bird data collection) • Dr Dale Nimmo (Chapter 3 & 4) • Dr Greg Holland (Chapter 6) Cartography and GIS • Dr James Moloney (James Cook University Figures 2.1, 2.2 and 2.5) • Dr Phil Shearman (University Papua New Guinea) • Mr Dionisio Quinones (Open Bay Timber Company) Editorial Assistance • Dr Dale Nimmo • Dr Simon Watson • Dr Greg Holland • Dr Tracey Reagan i Data Collection • Dr Samantha Fox • Guy Dutson • Timothy Pryde • Dean Richards • William Goulding • Andrew Picone, • Edward Kaukia (Tamala) • Dionisio Quinones • Francis Yendkao (dec) • Hendry Bapo • Steven Taubuso • David Apolos • Francis Kol • Albert Keso ii Publication co-authors Chapter Details of publication Nature and extent of the intellectual input of each author Number 3 Pryde, EC, Watson, SJ, Holland, GJ, Turton, SM, Nimmo DG (in • Elizabeth Pryde: designed the study, collected the data, analysed the data, press) Conservation of tropical forest tree species in a native created the figures, wrote the manuscript. timber plantation landscape. Forest Ecology and Management. • Dale Nimmo: assisted with data analysis, suggested data methods, created Figure 3.1, edited the manuscript. • Simon Watson and Greg Holland: assisted with editing. • Steve Turton: assisted with funding. 4 Pryde, EC, Nimmo DG, Holland, GJ, Watson, SJ (in review) • Elizabeth Pryde: designed the study, collected the data, analysed the data, Conservation of lowland forest birds in a native timber plantation created the figures, wrote the manuscript. landscape: how do traits affect species occurrence? Biological • Simon Watson: edited the manuscript, assisted with analysis. Conservation. • Dale Nimmo: assisted with editing and data analysis. • Greg Holland: assisted with editing. 6 Pryde, EC, Watson, SJ, Nimmo DG, Moloney, JM, Holland, GJ • Elizabeth Pryde: designed the study, collected the data, analysed the data, (in prep) Conserving forest birds in a native timber plantation created the figures, wrote the manuscript. landscape: what drives species occurrence? Biotropica. • Greg Holland: provided base code (in R), assisted with data interpretation, edited the manuscript. • James Moloney: adapted spatial data for analysis. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I will start with a little story. For many years I have listened to and supported a community radio station (3RRR) in Melbourne. Years back I won their first prize after donating what was at the time, my last $66.00 (until my next pay-day). The prize was a $4000 gift voucher to a travel agent. In one of those “the universe is trying to tell me something” moments, I quit my job as a molecular biologist and went and took up a volunteer position as a field biologist in the central highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Why? Because I’d seen pictures of people working with the Tenkile and thought “that looks like a lot more fun than working in a lab”. I was right. A few years later, after a number of set-backs (something I would have to get used to) I embarked on my own PhD project on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea. In retrospect, I can’t believe I pulled it off – there were so many variables that had to fall into place. Tom ‘diwai’ Vigus inspired me to work at Open Bay, in what he termed ‘the safest’ logging camp in PNG (thank-you Tom). But there was one hurdle: convincing the Japanese company directors to permit me access to their operation for a two-year period. So, my fantastic husband Simon and I raised some funds and took on a reconnaissance mission to charm the directors into granting me access. We had heard that the local company head in Rabaul was underwhelmed by the food options available, and so we hatched a plan to convince him via his stomach. For 2 weeks, Simon was up every morning at 5am making his famous pikelets for breakfast, and we even managed an attempt at spaghetti bolognese (by request) sans tomatoes, beef and Italian herbs (don’t try this at home). But it was when Simon fixed the ailing generator that my fate was sealed and access was granted. The rest as they say, is history! Simon, I cannot thank you enough for joining me on my adventure, for sticking with me through this long process while we experienced the birth of our beautiful daughter and the loss of your wonderful mother. It has been hard, and challenging and stressful and isolating and you have been an incredible support. Words cannot express, but there is no doubt that I would not have been able to finish this work without you. Fieldwork in PNG is not an easy task. I took my little brother up with me on a pilot mission to figure out the best methods for measuring stand-level attributes and to have an idea of how to design the surveys. Tim, it was an enormous shock to your system I know, but I hope (and I believe) that you will have life-long memories of a spectacular country. Thank you for coming iv along and for making me realise that I would need to be very picky when hiring volunteers for the ensuing field work! The pickiness paid off. I was blessed with the most fantastic set of field volunteers: Sam Fox, Dean Richards, William Goulding and Andrew Picone. Thank you so much for all the hard work, for the many laughs, and for sharing your incredible stories. I’m so very happy to have these shared memories and even happier that I have something solid here to show for them. Without your expertise, patience and good humour this work would not have been the joy it was. Those memories sustained me through many a dull hour entering data and the frustrations of grappling with statistics and computer programming. Likewise, the people of Open Bay. In reality, I could not have done any of this without the support of the local communities. The Baia, Makolkol, Kol and Baining clans welcomed us all with much ceremony and imparted experiences and knowledge that we will never forget. In particular I would like to thank my field workers. First and foremost, Eddy Kaukia you are my brother. I do feel that I have to share this project with you. You were there every morning at 4 am, ready to do bird surveys, to record calls and measure vegetation. Without your impressive work ethic and your enthusiasm and quiet calm this project would have seemed impossible. I’m so happy you are able to pursue your education finally and I’m sure you will excel. I sincerely hope we can meet again soon. Thanks also to Albert Kelso, Steven Taubuso, Georgie, Vero, Otto Gaure, Felix, and Bala for all your efforts in the field, for singing and teaching us songs and jokes, and for camping out and telling us stories of your lives and dreams. Special thanks also to Riccard Reiman of Baia fishing resort and his staff who always looked after us so beautifully and always had time to sit and story. Thank you to the staff at Open Bay. Firstly, to the late, great Francis Yendkao and his remarkable wife Lydia. Francis and Lydia embraced the community of Open Bay as their family, myself included. Francis was such a sunny, happy man and treated everyone with great kindness. He is sorely missed. To Mr Shinohara, thank you for your kind support throughout our extended stays. To Mr Ueda, it was always with such relief we saw you bounding down the ‘road’ to our rescue when our utes broke down, or got a flat tyre, or the engine dropped out of the chassis… To Mr Quinones, for your keen interest in our work, your many crazy stories which made us laugh (even when they weren’t supposed to) and your superior knowledge of the area, thank you very much. Being in the field was tough but rewarding. But the long slog of grappling with the thesis was far more grueling: trying to write papers and analyse data while having a baby, working part- time and full-time to make ends meet and having to pick up where I left off. I was not prepared v for the roller coaster of emotions, for crises of confidence and anxiety. My ‘rock’ during this stage of the project has been Dale Nimmo from Deakin University. This thesis would not have come off so spectacularly had I not had the great sense to meet Dale and squeeze out as much useful analysis, editing and general academic and life skills from him as I could without backlash.