Org. Divers. Evol. 3, 77–84 (2003) © Urban & Fischer Verlag http://www.urbanfischer.de/journals/ode

Plant discoveries from PABITRA-related exploration in Papua

Wayne Takeuchi*

Papua New Guinea Forest Service, Lae,

Received 29 July 2002 · Accepted 21 October 2002

Abstract

Unlike many of the archipelagic stations comprising the Pacific-Asia Biodiversity Transect (PABITRA) network, the flora of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is exceedingly speciose and in a remarkable state of preservation. Sites targeted for PABITRA action in PNG are unexplored or have only very limited botanical documentation. Vegetation sampling under such a combination of circumstances is highly problematic, particularly with respect to identification of sterile material from plot enumerations. The country team has thus pursued a study plan based on intensive collec- tion and taxonomic evaluation, conducted prior to establishment of transects. Sterile vouchers can be determined to an acceptable level of con- fidence when matched to fertile specimens obtained from comprehensive exploration. Substantial numbers of new taxa are being revealed by the PABITRA assessments as a collateral benefit of this procedure.The following narrative summarizes the discoveries which have resulted from ongoing investigations in poorly known environments, and discusses some implications for future floristic work in Papuasia.

Key words: botanical survey, floristic inventory, Papuasia See also Electronic Supplement at http://www.senckenberg.de/odes/03-03.htm

Introduction 20,000–25,000 species, based on extrapolations from or- chids and ferns as diversity benchmarks (Supriatna New Guinea is the world’s second largest island, with 1999). the independent state of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in its The status of Papuasian exploration and docu- eastern half, and the Indonesian province of Papua in the mentation has been reviewed in a number of general ac- west (Fig. 1). The island comprises the greater part of a counts (Frodin & Gressitt 1982, Stevens 1989, Frodin region (i.e. ‘Papuasia’, the geographic reference for 1990, Johns 1993, Conn 1994, Damas 1998, Takeuchi & New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Golman 2001). In all evaluations of the state of ) widely regarded as a paleotropical Papuasian botany, a consistently recurring theme is the center for floristic diversification. Although the true size acutely inadequate coverage of existing documentation. of its inventory is unknown and subject to considerable On a regional basis, the collections density (CD) for speculation, there is no doubt that Papuasia is home to New Guinea is one of the lowest for Malesia, with only one of the planet’s most speciose floras. the Celebes and Sumatra having similar density indices Modern estimates of the Papuasian flora have ranged (Stevens 1989). If a standard of 50–100 collections per widely between 11,000 (Collins et al. 1991) and 100 sq km is taken as representing well-collected areas, 20,000+ species (Womersley 1978). These estimates there are very few localities in New Guinea which can will probably diverge even more in the future, as the be regarded as adequately sampled (Stevens 1989). The flora of (formerly Irian Jaya, here- overall CD for Papuasia is only 30 collections per 100 sq after as “Papua”) alone is now believed to contain km (Frodin 1990). For most of New Guinea the CD is

*Corresponding author: Wayne Takeuchi, Papua New Guinea Forest Service, PNG Forest Research Institute, Lae, Morobe Province 411, Papua New Guinea; e-mail: [email protected]

1439-6092/03/03/02-077 $ 15.00/0 Org. Divers. Evol. (2003) 3, 77–84 78 Takeuchi

Fig. 1. Island of New Guinea, localities cited in the text. less than 25 (Conn 1994), and more recently the average DIWPA (Diversitas in the Western Pacific and Asia) and coverage for Papua has been determined as being less the more encompassing DIVERSITAS (www.icsu.org/di- than 20 botanical collections per 100 sq km (Supriatna versitas/). PABITRA initiatives are founded on a number 1999). With such a sparse level of documentation, many of recently developed rationales and methodologies taxa are known only from one or very few specimens, (Mueller-Dombois & Fosberg 1998, Mueller-Dombois et and basic floristic parameters (e.g. infraspecific varia- al. 1999, Mueller-Dombois 2000). The core PABITRA tion, geographic distributions, rarity values) become strategy features multidisciplinary, transect-based analy- largely speculative. Numerous species undoubtedly re- ses of biodiversity along two spatial gradients: 1) a hori- main undiscovered. Although the Flora Malesiana series zontal gradient through similar biomes in geographically provides coverage of New Guinea by extraction, at cur- separated ecosystems from the continental-island source rent rates of revision the series will not be completed areas on the Pacific Rim to the mid-oceanic archipelagos, until the year 2150 (Geesink 1990). Despite the exis- and 2) vertical transects within each island site, beginning tence of a considerable body of literature accumulated with (usually) anthropogenically-impacted lowland habi- since the late 1800s, taxonomic information on tats and ending in the cloudy montane habitats which are Papuasian is scattered through a multitude of spe- often the only intact landscapes still extant in Pacific en- cialist journals. Accessing and collating that information vironments. PABITRA localities are assessed as integrat- base is one of the major obstacles facing local initiatives ed watersheds, the hydrological interrelationships of in floristic documentation. communities within each vertical sequence serving as the At the time of Stevens’s (1989) commentary, the Lae unifying theme for analysis. Descriptions of individual National Herbarium (LAE) institutional number series sites in the network are posted on a periodically updated was in the 78,000s (Stevens 1989). In the years since website (www.botany.hawaii.edu/pabitra/). The site se- then, the accession number has advanced to 83,000, an lections were determined by explicit criteria relating to average intake of only 400 plant numbers per year. In the biotic, logistical, social, and political context of each Papua, the level of contemporary documentation is even intended study. worse (Supriatna 1999). When the PABITRA initiatives were still in a forma- tive stage, several PNG locations were evaluated for possible inclusion in the program. With the cooperation The PABITRA network of conservation organizations, reconnaissance surveys and site considerations were mounted to five candidate sites (Fig. 1, A–E). Sev- eral of the localities were not considered principal tar- The PABITRA (Pacific-Asia Biodiversity Transect) net- gets for PABITRA linkage, although plots were eventu- work is a regional research program subsumed under ally established at these places in conjunction with other

Org. Divers. Evol. (2003) 3, 77–84 Plant discoveries in Papua New Guinea 79 studies (e.g. Reich 1998). Due to the diverse and poorly fully resolved through partnerships with local landown- documented status of PNG’s flora, the exploratory in- ers represented by the Village Development Trust vestigations invariably resulted in discovery of new (VDT). Two of the writer’s PNG graduate students are taxa. A substantial number of survey specimens also rep- currently pursuing PABITRA-related studies in the resented second collections of plants previously known KWMA, further integrating the network’s objectives only from their types, or else significantly extended the with local interests. geographic range of little-known species. Each of the preliminary site evaluations was patterned on rapid-as- sessment formats, with an emphasis on timely collation The relationship to previous programs and publication of results. As part of the PABITRA-re- lated objectives, the activities were also intended to pro- The historical emphasis on expeditionary vide local agencies with information summaries for de- exploration, and its consequences veloping effective management strategies. Paratax- onomists (local villagers informally trained in botanical Floristic exploration organized on expeditionary formats collecting) participated in all surveys. has been conducted in Papuasia for more than a century In stark contrast to island-states in mid-ocean, the (Frodin & Gressitt 1982). With a few notable excep- sovereign territory of Papua New Guinea encompasses tions, such efforts have consisted of itineraries initiated over 465,000 sq km, and includes many environments and concluded within a brief time interval and have fo- (e.g. monsoonal forest, savanna, alpine communities), cused on single localities. Expedition-based surveys which are either absent or insignificant at other PABI- generally yield very incomplete samples of the target TRA sites. Research logistics are generally very difficult flora, as only a small proportion of the vegetation is like- because of PNG’s mountainous terrain and the poor state ly to be in fertile condition at any one time. The conse- of most service infrastructures. Land tenure issues are quences of this situation can be seen in the history of also a critical social complication. Over 95% of PNG is plant exploration at Mt Hunstein, one of PNG’s most im- under traditional ownership, and any activity involving portant classical localities. There have been three major customary resources is subject to alteration or outright multidisciplinary expeditions to this one site, the rejection by village and clan interests. Many of the so- 1912–1913 Kaiserin Augusta Expedition, the 1966 ciopolitical challenges confronting scientific studies in CSIRO visit by Hoogland and Craven, and the 1989 Na- PNG have been reviewed by Takeuchi & Golman tional Geographic survey, yet each expedition has ob- (2001). Two of the localities (Josephstaal and Lakeka- tained substantial numbers of undescribed species un- mu) investigated by pre-PABITRA surveys are now re- recorded by the others. The most recent PABITRA re- garded as unsuitable for longterm work, precisely be- connaissance to the Hunstein Range has probably yield- cause of these social issues. ed a new (N. Cellinese, pers. comm.) and two new New Guinea environments are often in an excellent generic records for PNG (Takeuchi & Golman 2002; state of preservation, so numerous localities are biotically Takeuchi & Renner 2002). Such piecemeal accumula- appropriate as focal sites for PABITRA study. However, tion of substantial results should suggest that exhaustive the political and logistical obstacles are not so easy to sampling of speciose Papuasian environments is unlike- solve in a divided and underdeveloped society. Of all the ly to be achieved using expeditionary methods. candidate sites considered for transect establishment, In contrast to previous schedules in plant inventory, only the Kamiali Wildlife Management Area (KWMA) in the PABITRA program requires longterm investment at the Bowutu Mts (Fig. 1; Electr. Suppl. 03-03, Figs 1–3) repeatedly monitored localities. By spreading the sam- satisfies all criteria specified by the PABITRA network as pling effort through time, even rarely-flowering species desiderata for selection (www.botany.hawaii.edu/pabi- can be found and collected in fertile condition. Many tra/Sites/site.htm). The KWMA is particularly notable discoveries of new taxa are a direct consequence of for being the only PNG conservation area with a com- botanical inventories being carried to a point of collec- plete landscape sequence from reef/estuarine systems to tions saturation due to the longer-term sampling. cloudy Massenerhebung-conditioned mountaintops (cf. Transect studies in particular are often very difficult Grubb & Stevens 1985). Its pristine habitats collectively because of the many sterile vouchers resulting from such comprise one of the five most critical watersheds for investigations. This is not so much a concern with de- biodiversity conservation in PNG (Miller et al. 1994). In pauperate mid-oceanic environments, but becomes seri- addition to the biotic values, the advantage of cost-effec- ously limiting in the Pacific Rim islands with exceeding- tive logistics is ensured by the coastal location of the ly rich floras. Even with experienced botanists, identifi- KWMA, and its proximity to Lae, the second largest cations of sterile material to generic level can be a highly city in the country (Electr. Suppl. 03-03, Figs 4–6). speculative excercise, and species determinations with- Community and sponsorship issues have been success- out flowers and/or fruits are virtually impossible in

Org. Divers. Evol. (2003) 3, 77–84 80 Takeuchi many of the larger families. Yet for biodiversity assess- productivity invariably ensue after one or two weeks. ments to have maximum value, the plant identifications The profound influence of logistical factors on research should have species-level resolution. One of PABITRA’s outputs has been considerably underrated or ignored by principal objectives, for example, is to determine the ef- modern commentators on Papuasian botany. fects of anthropogenic change on forest compositions, In the typical situation confronting most biosurvey- and this requires knowledge of the specific taxa that are ors, there is little to be gained by investing in logistical involved. infrastructure because the work is immediately discon- Longterm studies can avoid such problems through tinued after the survey. In contrast, PABITRA projects intensive collecting and taxonomic study. In the represent permanent commitments with partners having KWMA, plot installation has been deferred in favor of a vested interests in the study location. This is evident in 2-year plan of general collecting over the entire manage- the program at Kamiali, where the Village Development ment area. Plot-based inventory is greatly facilitated Trust maintains permanent science facilities, guest hous- when fertile specimens are acquired from all forest phe- es, on-site coordinators, wireless communications, and nological phases. The development of a checklist docu- speedboats for moving along the coast and up the larger mented by herbarium reference vouchers enormously rivers. When researchers and support personnel are able eases the subsequent task of naming sterile trees from to live and work in relative comfort, morale and produc- the transects. In addition to the limitations associated tivity can be maintained at high levels. Specimens can with sterile gatherings, plots by their very nature are spa- also be processed under proper conditions (Electr. tially limited in coverage, so many species go unregis- Suppl. 03-03, Fig. 8), dried with artificial heat to ensure tered by such methods. In areas of substantial size, an high quality, and quickly transported to the Lae National improved understanding of plant abundance and distri- Herbarium (2.5 hours away by 40 hp outboard). At bution can be achieved using walk-through collecting Kamiali, the study sites are located immediately around and visual assessment (Electr. Suppl. 03-03, Fig. 7). On and adjacent to the VDT facilities, thus providing conve- the other hand, repeated monitoring of plots often results nient access to the target vegetation (Electr. Suppl. 03-03, in superior coverage of the canopy, because of the tree Figs 9–11). by tree nature of the assessment and the possibility of obtaining a complete range of fertile structures from in- dividual trees. If the two plans are combined, the plot Some taxonomic results from PABITRA enumeration and the collections-based survey can each surveys be carried closer to completion by the complementary nature of their activities. Conspectus of new species Another advantage of plot-based inventory lies in the In the last 5 years, approximately 50 new species have frequency measures afforded by actual counting of indi- been published or recognized from exploratory surveys viduals. However, this is offset by the spotty and quirky on which the author has been a principal participant. Of nature of Papuasian plant distributions, such that the these, 33 have been discovered in conjunction with specific placement of the plot essentially determines the PABITRA-associated venues (see below). results. The dependence on subjective placement is evi- The Bowutu and Hunstein April-Salumei tracts are denced in the disparate accounts from 1-hectare studies currently the operational PABITRA sites for PNG. Both in PNG, between plots established in similar environ- localities are associated with high levels of floristic en- ments. Significant differences in family-frequency pro- demism and have considerable promise for further files can be demonstrated even from apparently identical botanical discovery (Electr. Suppl. 03-03, Fig. 12). habitats within the same locality (Oatham & Beehler 1997, 1998). By spreading the observations over a wider Bowutu Mts: Morobe Province (partner organization area, a collections-augmented survey can achieve a su- Village Development Trust) perior level of representativeness over plot/transect Astronidium sp. nov. Renner & Takeuchi ined. (Melas- methodologies, and thus provide a stronger foundation tomataceae) for multidisciplinary inquiry. Freycinetia curvata Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh (2001) Freycinetia erythrophylla Huynh ined. (Pandanaceae) The logistical advantages of PABITRA sampling Freycinetia glaucescens Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh The longterm commitment represented by PABITRA (2001) programs facilitates establishment of sound logistical in- Freycinetia longiramulosa Huynh ined. (Pandanaceae) frastructures. When investigators backpack into rugged Freycinetia mediana Huynh ined. (Pandanaceae) terrain and live in makeshift camps exposed to the va- Freycinetia oraria Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh (2001) garies of weather, very marked reductions in personal Freycinetia sachsenensis Huynh ined. (Pandanaceae)

Org. Divers. Evol. (2003) 3, 77–84 Plant discoveries in Papua New Guinea 81

Freycinetia takeuchii Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh Lakekamu: Gulf Province (inactive site) (2000) Cryptolepis sp. nov. in prep. (Asclepiadaceae); P. I. Maniltoa sp. nov. Takeuchi ined. (Caesalpiniaceae) Forster (pers. comm.) Psychotria kamialii Takeuchi (Rubiaceae); Takeuchi Medinilla sapoiriverensis Takeuchi (Melastomataceae); (2001a) Takeuchi (1999b) Psychotria mueller-domboisii Takeuchi (Rubiaceae); Poikilogyne sp. nov. in prep. (Melastomataceae); N. Takeuchi (2001a) Cellinese (pers. comm.) Psychotria sp. nov. Takeuchi ined. (Rubiaceae) Rhododendron loranthiflorum Sleumer Solanum symonianum Takeuchi (Solanaceae); Takeuchi subsp. lakekamuensis Takeuchi (Ericaceae); Takeuchi (2001a). (2000b) Trichospermum stevensii Takeuchi (Tiliaceae); Takeuchi Crater Mt: Chimbu Province and Eastern Highlands (1999b). Province (inactive site) Canarium acutifolium (DC.) Merr. var. pioriverensis Botanical discoveries of common Takeuchi (Burseraceae); Takeuchi (2000c) and prominent plants Freycinetia acuta Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh (2000) Freycinetia craterensis Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh An unexpected pattern from PABITRA-linked surveys is (2000) that many newly discovered taxa are locally common, Freycinetia obtusiacuminata Huynh (Pandanaceae); e.g. Aglaia saxonii Takeuchi (Meliaceae), Calycosia Huynh (2000) mamosei Takeuchi (Rubiaceae), Freycinetia glaucescens Glochidion beehlerii Takeuchi (Euphorbiaceae); Huynh (Pandanaceae), F. takeuchii Huynh, Glochidion Takeuchi (1999a) beehlerii Takeuchi (Euphorbiaceae), and Psychotria Jasminum pipolyi Takeuchi (Oleaceae); Takeuchi mayana Takeuchi (Rubiaceae). Although botanists tend to assume that common plants have been gathered be- (1999a) fore, experience shows that frequency of occurrence is Psychotria matambuai Takeuchi (Rubiaceae); Takeuchi not a good indicator of potential significance. Particular- (1999a) ly in underexplored territories like New Guinea, unde- Rhysotoechia etmanii Takeuchi (); Takeuchi scribed taxa are present even around the principal popu- (2001c) lation centers. The holotypes for Tapeinochilos takeuchii Steganthera stevensii Takeuchi (Monimiaceae); Gideon ined. (Costaceae), and Tapeinosperma magnifica Takeuchi (2001b) Pipoly & Takeuchi ined. (Myrsinaceae) were recently Syzygium cratermontensis Takeuchi (Myrtaceae); obtained near Lae township. The latter species is found Takeuchi (2002). near squatter settlements only a few miles away from the city’s industrial center. Many discoveries have been Hunstein April-Salumei: East Sepik Province (partner made in accessible areas within convenient walking dis- agency PNG National Forest Authority) tance of major highways (Takeuchi 2000a). Pternandra sp. nov. Renner & Takeuchi ined. (Melas- The meager collections coverage for New Guinea is tomataceae). also reflected in the false disjunctions which sometimes appear in current survey work. Until this year, Barring- Josephstaal: Madang Province (inactive site) tonia josephstaalensis Takeuchi was known only from Aglaia saxonii Takeuchi (Meliaceae); Takeuchi (2000a) the type locality in Madang Province, but has now been Barringtonia josephstaalensis Takeuchi (Barringtoni- recorded (Takeuchi et al. 15845) 1,350 km away on the aceae); Takeuchi (2000a) Bomberai Peninsula (Fig. 1). Because so much of In- Calycosia mamosei Takeuchi (Rubiaceae); Takeuchi donesian Papua is a botanical unknown, it is unlikely (2000a) that this geographic separation indicates real disjunc- Freycinetia concolor Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh tion, instead it is possibly due to the unexplored status of (2000) the intervening territories. Taxa such as B. joseph- Freycinetia madangensis Huynh (Pandanaceae); Huynh staalensis may eventually be recorded throughout the (2000) northern lowlands of Papua. A similar sort of spatial pat- Psychotria mayana Takeuchi (Rubiaceae); Takeuchi tern is seen in other taxa such as Faika villosa (Kaneh. & (2000a) Hatus.) Philipson (from East Sepik and the Bird’s Neck Psychotria pseudomaschalodesme Takeuchi (Rubi- region), and Kibara moluccana Perkins (from East aceae); Takeuchi (2001a) Sepik and the Moluccas). For a disproportionate number Syzygium pseudomegistophyllum Takeuchi (Myrtaceae); of taxa we have no meaningful distributional data, these Takeuchi (2002). plants being known just from the type localities.

Org. Divers. Evol. (2003) 3, 77–84 82 Takeuchi

A preponderance of lowland records individual origins, the German program resulted in a se- ries of flora-like summaries (published primarily in PABITRA-related exploration has preliminarily focused “Botanische Jahrbücher”) which in scope and conse- on lowland environments below 1,000 m, although some quence were unequalled in their time. Following the de- work has occurred at elevations as high as 2,100 m. An- struction of the Berlin Herbarium in 1943, that tradition thropogenic activity is concentrated in the lowlands, and abruptly disappeared. Some measure of continuity was these environments are thus the most threatened in provided, however, by other, newly-emerging traditions. Papuasia (Oatham & Beehler 1997, 1998). Current in- The collections of L. J. Brass during the various Arch- vestigations at Kamiali are yielding some of the most de- bold Expeditions are still the most extensive corpus of tailed floristic data yet obtained from natural-growth Papuasian plant specimens ever obtained by one individ- lowland forests in Papuasia, and have an added signifi- ual. An innovative aspect of the Archbold explorations cance of being the first study in PNG to clarify botanical was their consciously developed plan of elevation-se- patterns on ultrabasic (serpentine) substrates. Although quenced sampling, of the sort later adopted by PABI- ultrabasic communities have been widely presumed to TRA. Approximately 35,000 botanical numbers were be associated with high levels of endemism, little empir- collected by Brass during the course of the Expeditions, ical evidence was previously available to support such hundreds eventually serving as the basis for type de- contentions. scriptions across the entire taxonomic spectrum from The fact that past exploration has been markedly bi- fungi to phanerophytes. Much of the Brass material was ased toward montane sites was primarily driven by ex- methodically published by Merrill and Perry as a serial pectations of higher endemism in such habitats and a account in the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. Their ‘lure of the hills’ mentality, but the health risks and dis- “Plantae Papuanae Archboldianae” was presented in 19 comforts associated with lowland rainforests have un- numbered increments between the years 1939 and 1953, doubtedly contributed to their lesser documentation. Be- most under joint authorship but subsequently by Perry cause the PABITRAprogram explicitly incorporates ele- alone following Merrill’s retirement in 1948. Perry vation-sequenced sampling into its protocols, substan- (1971) provides an engaging and synoptical account of tial resources are being devoted to the examination of this work in its relationship with Brass. Together with lowland habitats. Notwithstanding the fact that current satellite contributions produced by other associates (e.g. efforts are revealing substantial numbers of undescribed C. Kobuski, A. Rehder, A. Smith), the Harvard publica- taxa, this outcome reflects not so much the speciose na- tions elevated the Arnold Arboretum to a position of ture of lowland forests, but is more an indication of their prominence in Papuasian botany, and established a fleet- comparatively unexplored status. Recent investigations ing period of American eminence in this arena. That po- suggest that floristic richness in PNG peaks between 600 sition subsequently receded, to be assumed by other cen- and 1,000 m (Takeuchi & Golman 2001). Lowland envi- ters. ronments should have fewer species compared to pre- In later years within the postwar period, the develop- montane communities, yet as a percentage of the survey ments in the U.S. were followed by the emergence of the checklist, more new taxa are being found at the lower el- Lae National Herbarium (LAE). Under the guidance of evations. The historical biases in sampling are almost J. Womersley (1965–1975), LAE was built into a major certainly responsible for such patterns. facility for the documentation of the PNG flora, as 45,000 high-quality collections were obtained by a capa- The connection to floristic revision ble staff and distributed to overseas institutions. The specialist determinations assigned to those collections Within the last 100 years, there have been several pro- became a principal basis for the identification of local found influences on Papuasian taxonomic science. The plants, and also stimulated the establishment of a sub- first occurred in the early 1900s, when the gatherings of stantial publications program at LAE. Many historical Lauterbach, Ledermann, Peekel, Schlechter et al. served aspects of the Herbarium’s operations during this inter- as the basis for taxonomic revisions by the combined val have been reviewed by Conn (1994) and need not be staff of the Berlin Botanical Garden and Museum. Al- repeated here. though unified by subsequent study, the activities of Superimposed over the entire arena of Malesian these early explorer-botanists were motivated by differ- botany are the manifold activities of the “Flora Male- ent concerns and agendas. Peekel, for example, was a siana”, from its formative beginnings at the early Dutch resident missionary whose botanical efforts were a self- center at Buitenzorg (Bogor) to its present center at Lei- defined avocation (Peekel 1984). At the opposite ex- den’s Nationaal Herbarium Nederland (Rijksherbari- treme, Schlechter’s New Guinea adventures occurred as um). In recent years, Flora Malesiana revisions have be- a professional taxonomist officially searching for rub- come increasingly founded on effective interactions be- ber-bearing plants (Schlechter 1911–1914). Whatever its tween indigenous itineraries and international special-

Org. Divers. Evol. (2003) 3, 77–84 Plant discoveries in Papua New Guinea 83 ists. PNG is a conspicuous exception, but the situation in-country simultaneously with the field studies, in fur- there is affected by a number of social and political fac- ther contrast to historical patterns. Fourteen new taxa tors not present in other theaters. have already been published or are in preparation from Attempts to relate the PABITRA agenda to previous the Kamiali project, although work there has com- programs are thus complicated by an extensive cast of menced only in the past 2 years. The connection be- institutions and individuals, which in its entirety would tween field- and herbaria-based associates promotes the far exceed the scope of the present discussion. It is easy sharing of critical information in both directions: as field to oversimplify connections between contemporary re- observations conveyed to investigators preparing search and the past schedules. At least with each of the manuscripts, and also as instructions from specialists to principal influences in New Guinea botany there has the collector(s), which improve the effectiveness of col- been a consistent integration between collection/explo- lecting. ration and taxonomic study, although the strength and As noted by Frodin (1990), the era of unstructured particular circumstances of the connection have varied ‘sweepstakes botany’ is past. Future progress will require from one program to the next. LAE’s former specimen conscious integration of modern information technolo- policies, for example, were motivated by an urgent re- gies, interdisciplinary cooperation, and coordinated quirement for establishing a reliably named national col- teams. Multinational networks based on data-sharing and lection. Because of the difficulties in conducting taxo- common objectives, in the manner closely woven into nomic work within New Guinea itself, most programs the PABITRA program, are part of this future standard. have found it desirable to combine plant exploration with subsequent study at overseas herbaria. In the Arch- bold/Arnold investigations, the close integration of tax- Acknowledgements onomy and fieldwork was circumstantial; the connec- tion being necessitated by the inaccessibility of the prin- The PABITRA initiatives in PNG are (have been) funded or cipal German sets due to the War and later their actual supported by the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Har- destruction. vard University, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Modern relationships between exploration, taxono- Foundation. Professor emeritus Dieter Mueller-Dombois my, and publication do not necessarily follow the earlier (University of Hawaii and the Pacific Science Association) fa- precedents. Forest Service specimens from the NGF and cilitated integration of the PNG country team to the PABITRA LAE series were often distributed without critical study, network. I thank my associates at the Village Development Trust for and are still being described as new species and genera, their support and assistance with the Kamiali program, includ- decades after their initial collection. This pattern of de- ing the Hon. Sasa Zibe-Kokino (Member of Parliament and ferred realization has also been repeated with other VDT co-founder), Aung Kumal (Executive Director), Karol major expeditionary programs, such as the CSIRO in- Kisokau (Director of Research and Conservation), John Sengo vestigations of the 60 s and 70 s (e.g., the collections (Manager of Integrated Conservation and Development), Bing made by Hoogland and Craven from Mt. Hunstein con- Siga (Field Coordinator), and Madlene Kavua (Science Offi- tinue to produce new names). Most contemporary col- cer). Martin Golman (Divisional Manager, PNG National For- lectors in New Guinea distribute specimens as part of est Authority) assisted with agency and community liaison in general institutional exchanges, and it may be many East Sepik Province. Parataxonomists Demas Ama and Ali years (more often decades) before the material receives Towati were my principal associates in the field. critical attention. Finally, I acknowledge two reviewers for their helpful criti- cism of the manuscript. In contrast to the earlier procedures, PABITRA inves- tigations in PNG are conducted under rapid assessment guidelines, consciously designed to produce usable re- sults within short periods of time, in a manner analogous References to Conservation International’s RAP (Rapid Assessment Program) surveys. In general, PABITRA plant collec- Collins, N. M., Sayer, J. A. & Whitmore, T. C. (eds.) (1991): tions are immediately determined to species level as part The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests, Asia and the of the transect program. Taxonomic analysis is facilitat- Pacific. Macmillan Press, London. ed via partnerships with approximately 30 specialists in Conn, B. J. (1994): Documentation of the flora of New the Flora Malesiana network, nearly all working actively Guinea. Pp. 123–156 in: Peng, C.-I & Chou, C. H. (eds.) Biodiversity and Terrestrial Ecosystems. Inst. Bot., Acad. on monographic revisions. Unlike earlier ad hoc proce- Sin. Monogr. 14. dures, discoveries are translated into publication with Damas, K. (1998): The present status of plant conservation in much faster turnaround than the historical norm, either Papua New Guinea. Pp. 171–179 in: Peng, C.-I & Lowry, P. by the project principals or through a system of estab- P. II (eds.) Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Floras of Asia lished referrals. The greater part of the evaluation occurs and the Pacific Rim. Inst. Bot., Acad. Sin. Monogr. 16.

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