A case study of the Ecosystem of Aulupeine
Among the 990 Islands of the Solomon Islands was the very land of origin Malaita. Similarly as
many other villages of Malaita province, Aulupeine (appendix ‘A’) was geographically located
along in the southeast coast of the island. It was positioned on a narrow coastal flat land adjacent to a great ocean in east, a well covered vegetative mountainous landscape inland and a river flowing to ocean south of the village. This enormous range of various life forms interacting with their environment builds the bases of the biodiversity. Most of the ecosystems found here are named by their dominant species (appendix “B”) Further into that a number of ecosystems like the coral reef ecosystem, coastal strand vegetation ecosystem, coconut Plantation ecosystem, grassland ecosystem, river ecosystem, shifting agriculture land ecosystem and the village ecosystem would be discussed.
Among the 990 Islands of the Solomon Islands was the very land of origin Malaita. Similarly as
many other villages of Malaita province, Aulupeine (appendix ‘A’) was geographically located
along in the southeast coast of the island. It was positioned on a narrow coastal flat land adjacent to a great ocean in east, a well covered vegetative mountainous landscape inland and a river flowing to ocean south of the village. This enormous range of various life forms interacting with their environment builds the bases of the biodiversity. Most of the ecosystems found here are named by their dominant species (appendix “B”) Further into that a number of ecosystems like the coral reef ecosystem, coastal strand vegetation ecosystem, coconut Plantation ecosystem, grassland ecosystem, river ecosystem, shifting agriculture land ecosystem and the village ecosystem would be discussed.
Coral reef ecosystem
Firstly, according to geographical site, coral reef ecosystem was one of the major complex
components of Aulupeine biodiversity. Like other coral reefs throughout the Solomon Islands, this was one of healthy and relatively rich ecosystem around the same region. It was naturally colorful and minimally free of pollution from human activities of the modern development. The friendly nature of this coral ecosystem then shapes and determines various biotic communities found in this marine zone. “Because of the quality of water, most coral can be viewed from various depths covered with beautiful colors of nature” (Moffatt, et la.2005). The fish of various species are protected and a variety of seaweed is supporting all life form by providing them with nutrients and oxygen in the hypothetical food web (Figure 1).
Coral reef ecosystem food web
Sea grass crab small fish
Large fish
Turtle
Prawn
shake squid
Algae
Octopus Sea lettuce
Plankton clam
Sea bird
Phytoplankton
Human
Figure 1. A simple diagram of the coral reef ecosystem of Aulupeine
Moreover the structure and composition of the coral reef are verified according to certain factors. This coral reef ecosystem has predominant by different coral species (appendix ‘B’) and their “concentration change with depth” (Moffatt, et la.2005). It is due to the essentialness of light for the process of photosynthesis. But as light can not reach well depths of more than one hundred meters, most photosynthetic organism are institute in shallow waters. Other abiotic contribute in tiny proportion to coral formation in diverse regions is the “temperature and pressure of the ocean” (Moffatt, et la.2005). Biologically most organism always associated with environment that their food and habitat are accessible with protection. Here the corals are also regarded as habitat for smaller fish and other micro organisms. It can furthermore acts as a micro habitat because the attachment zooxanthellae to its tissues. The zooxanthellae depend on the coral for protection and expose to sunlight with no disruption from current as possible, in maintain the production of its food. Nevertheless, this mutual relationship is often disrupted by human satisfaction. The activities as the seasonal harvesting of corals for lime making. This increases along side the population growth and need for involvement in development of the modern world. For instance, the coral marketing, seaweed farming and shipping are some common threat. Since then humans more than inter- relationship of the biodiversity would lead to extinction coral reef ecosystem species.
Coastal strand vegetative ecosystem
The other ecosystem existing at the coast of Aulupeine was the coastal strand vegetation
ecosystem. It is a thin strip of land located on the upper beach just inland of dunes. This is where early succession of new vegetation observed to be occurring with more highly developed biotic
communities landward. The vegetative species found in this zone are salt-tolerant shrubs and
woody plants dispersed by ocean currents. Some of the commonly found species are “Barringtonia asiatica, Calophyllum inophyuhm, Casuarinaequisetifolia, Cerbera manghas, Diospyros sp, Ficus austrina gingers, Heritiera littoralis, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Intsia bijuga, Kleinhovia hospital, Morida citrifora, orchids, Pandanus sp, Pometia sp., Premna corymbosa, Terminalia catappa and Vitex p.”(http://www.fairchildgarden.org/) the other dominant species are stated in (appendix ‘B’).The coastal strand community is quite stable compared to dunes, but are vulnerable to damage if the vegetation is disturbed. The vegetation is often dwarfed as a result of the salt spray forming an up ward slanting canopy on the seaward side from nearly constant sea breeze. The plant leaves fallen after their mature life stages build the habitat for other living organisms as ants, earthworms and snakes. But pre-mature leaflets fold for caterpillar as their home while some plant species provide protein for survival. The ecophela-ant also takes advantage of plants to build their nests. Among the importance of each organism, vegetative roots protect the coast line from erosion due to wave action. Since the existing relationship coastal strand vegetation ecosystem accommodate a number of micro habitats in the biodiversity.
Coconut Plantation ecosystem
Plantation ecosystem refers to an area which occupied covering several thousand meters squared of uniform species. For this cause, it was a predominant land area of the commonly known tree species called coconuts (appendix B). This cash crop was lately introduced to the villager under the influence of modern development. But today it covers almost the entire coastal flat land. The introduction of coconut plantation developments also realize contributed to the extinction of some endemic coastal vegetative species and other organisms. Take for example the case of Costarica deforestation which leads a great extinction of plants and animals by Rosero-Bixby and Palloni 1998. In the coconut plantation ecosystem the vegetative species are kept limited in comperation to the animal species. It was due to weed control measure used in the plantation.
Coconut as the tree of life, it sustains a great deal for life through different ways. It contributed
much to improve life style of most living things by availing conducive habitat for thousands of
wildlife. Coconut plantation ecosystem provides employment opportunity for farmer to earn their living. The plantation ecosystem could also be seen as food store for human growing population. Plantation a times acts as village shield during cyclone and stormy weather. With that great contract, Plantation ecosystem has a part to play in the biodiversity of Malaita as an island.
Grassland ecosystem
Like other ecosystem of Aulupeine, grassland ecosystem is an open area where grass or grasses
like plants are the dominant vegetation and where few trees existed. “Its parent material composes of fairly fine sediments, rocks, and rock fragments” (FAO. 1998, Van Wyk, et la. 1999) and it was located on a gentle slope landscape where agricultural clearing and burning occurred frequently some years ago. Most organisms normally found at this point include plants and animal that can survive warm and dry condition. Take for example the insects, ants, rats, snakes, centipedes, lizards, beetles, canel cricket and many decomposers. As the name suggest, it was dominated by grasses (appendix ‘B’) that adapt well to that environmental climate. It is a place where grasses or grass like plants.
Grassland ecosystem may sound less sustaining human life and other organisms. But as every
living thing in the entire biodiversity have responsibility to play, grasses do have equal
essentialness. “Because both animals and plants need fertile soil to maintain their give and take
relationship” (Ffolliott, et la. 1991), grassland contributes by protecting the soil from soil erosion. Some other grass species have the ability to fix nitrogen in the atmosphere to be used in the soil. All of these contribution help in the continuity of life for the ecosystem’s future.
River ecosystem
River as a home for numerous types of species can also see as an ecosystem of its own. The
variation of role and relationship the bio-communities dramatize qualifies it to be called the river ecosystem. Many life forms found in this division of the environment are those that well adapted to freshwater. But similar to surrounding ecosystems, “organisms are free migrate or self distributed to different range from the coastal to further inland in the river ecosystem”
(http://www.fao.org/ag/). For instance the freshwater eels can only found under rocks, logs and in naturally made holes in the river bank accessible to water. However, the eel’s habitat may also where freshwater prawns dominating the ecosystem keep themselves hide from the predators during the day. When the night comes, all the prawns can be found in very shallow water from the hunting eels. But most fish can be anywhere in search for food. The water shellfish then live on wet rocks at the river side. Few other crab species and micro organisms could be found in several places along the river.
These large number of bio-community’s survival very much depends on the different factors.
Some of the factors are “the quality of the water, water temperature and the human control”
(Brooks, et la 2002). Take for example; the clarity of water determines the nutrients and oxygen available for animals and plants to live. Water with the property of high specific heat capacity, also a major controller of its temperature to which the habitant need for survival. But all of those can naturally take their courses whereas the human control factor is largely determined by human in search for their satisfaction. Because of the increasing population the demand for protein increase proportional lead to the exploitation of freshwater resources. The economic value and need for divert high proportion of outflow to village uses than other organisms down stream. Therefore, the essentialness of water to its ecosystem is an interlink to other surrounding ecosystems.
Shifting Agriculture Land ecosystem
As one of the most important component of islands in the tropical region, Aulupeine inland was
developed with a well covered landscape of forest vegetation mainly used for subsistence
agriculture for some hundreds years. This special ecosystem was believed a home to thousand of species of animals and plants undiscovered by human. Its richness was signified by the
“continuos végétation succession” (Ffolliott, et al. 1991). This natural forest ecosystem is not
only densely packed with plants, but is also full of tall trees that form a ceiling from the sun above. Because of the “ceiling like structure smaller plants are limited from growing much as places expose to sun light” (Cooper, C. F. 1960). The trees made available habitats for ants, frogs, rats, nakes and the decomposers doing involving in the deposition of nutrient in the soil.
From this constituent of the entire biodiversity was the human survival depends very much upon. It ould be signified by the manner people harvest their resources. “Household gardening is carriedout on a shifting basis, generally using the slash and burn or Sweden method”
(http://www.fao.org/), in which land is cleared, cultivated for a short period, and then left fallow to naturally regenerate while other gardens are developed. Fewer benefits that human beings exploit from this ecosystem are “wood for fuel, fruit for food, and material for building the houses, produce timbers cash and even depend breathe the oxygen produced as the waste product of the process of photosynthesis” (Rosero-Bixby, et la. 1998). Because manufacture food and release oxygen, all breathing organism need Forest ecosystem.
Village ecosystem
Finally the core of Aulupeine biodiversity was the village itself. This part of the biodiversity can be referred to as the village ecosystem. In the village ecosystem most species found are owned by villagers. That is to say most are edible to human and others with different purposes. Some of animal and plant species in the vicinity are the pigs, dogs, cats, rats, bird, chickens, bananas, cabbages, pumpkin and etc. But the dominant species is bananas seen in good number. Other species as pigs are of high economic value that rarely own in large number. The kinds of live stock signify the demand the village have on its surrounding ecosystems. Since human being wants to satisfy their needs and want they are the major controlling element in the village ecosystem.
Conclusion
To conclude, then, Aulupeine entire ecosystem is encompass of the coral reef, coastal strand
vegetation, coconut plantation, grassland, river, shifting agriculture land and the village type of
ecosystems. These ecosystems existing in collaboration with each other are bases for continuity of life treat free. Therefore, the first steps to a friendly biomass should mostly enforce by human being to limit unsustainable harvesting of resources and pollution of the environment. An increasingly inconsideration to the breaking down of the food web is a danger of becoming
uninhabitable.
Appendix: A
Map of the island of Malaita with a red dot indicating the area of Aulupeine.
Map adapted from Solomon Islands people first Net.
Appendix; B
The table of dominant and important organisms could be found around Aulupeine village. The following species are mostly having no proper common local Vernacular names because of wide variation in language on the island of Malaita itself. The names used are adapted from a number of websites:
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/
http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/Community/solomon.htm
http://www.fairchildgarden.org/palmguide/palm_common.php
Ecosystem
Common names
Scientific names
Local vernacular names
Coral reef ecosystem
Edakomon
Montipora digitata
Corals (in general)
Chijimkomon
Montipora acquituculate
Blue coral
Heliopora Coerules
Finger coral
Porites cylindrica
Ridged castle coral
Pcona divarciate
Solomon sea eagle (bird)
Accipitridae
Coastal strand vegetation ecosystem
aresaw palmetto
serenoa repens
cabbage palm
sabal palmetto
Plantation ecosystem
Coconut
Cocos nucifera
Niu
Grassland ecosystem
barnyard grass
Echnochloa Muricata
Grass (in general)
green foxtail
Setaria Viridis
bulbous bluegrass
Poa bulbosa
River ecosystem
Prawn
Penaeus monodon
ura
Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Shifting agriculture land ecosystem
Malaita fantail
Rhipiduridae
Other endemic bird species in and around the Island of Malaita
Family
Common names
Species
Zosteropidae
Malaita white-eye
Zosterops stresemanni
Accipitridae
Solomon sea-eagle
Haliaeetus sanfordi
Rhipiduridae
Malaita fantail
Rhipidura malaitae
Zosteropidae
Solomon Islands white-eye
Zosterops kulambangrae
Dicruridae
Solomon Islands Drongo
Dicrurus solomenensis
Strigidae
Solomon hawk-owl
Ninox jacauinoti
Bibliography
Brooks, S. S.; Palmer, M. A.; Cardinale, B. J.; Swan, C. M.; Ribblett, S. 2002: Assessing. Stream ecosystem rehabilitation: Limitations of community structure data.Restoration Ecology 10: 156-168.
Common name, scientific name of palm, Dwarf yellow coconut.
http://www.fairchildgarden.org/palmguide/palm_common.php. Accessed on 28/7/06.
Freshwater Scale Fish Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2005 - 2006 Freshwater Scale Fish. ... Catfish (freshwater) Scientific name: Tandanus.
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/. Accessed on 28/7/06
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 1998. World Reference Base for Soil Resources: Introduction. World Soil Resources Report 84.
.Ffolliott, P. F. and Gottfried, G. J. 1991. Natural tree regeneration after clearcutting in Arizona's ponderosa pine forests: two long-term case studies. Research Note RM-507. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ft. Collins, CO.
Moffat. B. and Ryan. T.2005. Marine science for Australian students. Wet paper Publications, Brisbane.
Rosero-Bixby, L., and A. Palloni. 1998. “Population and deforestation in Costa Rica.” Population and Environment 20(2): pp. 149–185.
Solomon Islands Aquaculture currently contributes little to fisheries production in Solomon Islands. A private project attempting to culture freshwater prawns...
http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/Community/solomon.htm
pv('http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/Community/solomon.htm','10', 525)
Accessed on 28/07/06.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: COUNTRY REPORT TO THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL.
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPS/Pgrfa/pdf/solomoni.pdf/. Accessed on 28/7/06.
pv('http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPS/Pgrfa/pdf/solomoni.pdf','2', 525)
Van Wyk, E. and Van Oudtshoorn, F. 1999. Guide to grasses of southern Africa. Briza Publications, Arcadia, South Africa.
Freshwater Scale Fish Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2005 - 2006 Freshwater Scale Fish, Scientific name.
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/ Accessed on 28/7/06.
Family
Common names
Species
Zosteropidae
Malaita white-eye
Zosterops stresemanni
Accipitridae
Solomon sea-eagle
Haliaeetus sanfordi
Rhipiduridae
Malaita fantail
Rhipidura malaitae
Zosteropidae
Solomon Islands white-eye
Zosterops kulambangrae
Dicruridae
Solomon Islands Drongo
Dicrurus solomenensis
Strigidae
Solomon hawk-owl
Ninox jacauinoti
Bibliography
Brooks, S. S.; Palmer, M. A.; Cardinale, B. J.; Swan, C. M.; Ribblett, S. 2002: Assessing. Stream ecosystem rehabilitation: Limitations of community structure data.Restoration Ecology 10: 156-168.
Common name, scientific name of palm, Dwarf yellow coconut.
http://www.fairchildgarden.org/palmguide/palm_common.php. Accessed on 28/7/06.
Freshwater Scale Fish Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2005 - 2006 Freshwater Scale Fish. ... Catfish (freshwater) Scientific name: Tandanus.
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/. Accessed on 28/7/06
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 1998. World Reference Base for Soil Resources: Introduction. World Soil Resources Report 84.
.Ffolliott, P. F. and Gottfried, G. J. 1991. Natural tree regeneration after clearcutting in Arizona's ponderosa pine forests: two long-term case studies. Research Note RM-507. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ft. Collins, CO.
Moffat. B. and Ryan. T.2005. Marine science for Australian students. Wet paper Publications, Brisbane.
Rosero-Bixby, L., and A. Palloni. 1998. “Population and deforestation in Costa Rica.” Population and Environment 20(2): pp. 149–185.
Solomon Islands Aquaculture currently contributes little to fisheries production in Solomon Islands. A private project attempting to culture freshwater prawns...
http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/Community/solomon.htm
pv('http://www.spc.int/coastfish/Sections/Community/solomon.htm','10', 525)
Accessed on 28/07/06.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: COUNTRY REPORT TO THE FAO INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL.
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPS/Pgrfa/pdf/solomoni.pdf/. Accessed on 28/7/06.
pv('http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPS/Pgrfa/pdf/solomoni.pdf','2', 525)
Van Wyk, E. and Van Oudtshoorn, F. 1999. Guide to grasses of southern Africa. Briza Publications, Arcadia, South Africa.
Freshwater Scale Fish Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide 2005 - 2006 Freshwater Scale Fish, Scientific name.
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/ Accessed on 28/7/06.
