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In 1989, the kakerori (Pomarea dimidiata) was one of the 10 rarest bird species in the world, with a declining population of just 29 birds. During each breeding season since then, rats have been poisoned within the 155 ha of forested hill country they occupy in the Takitumu Conservation Area in southeastern Rarotonga. As a result, the kakerori population has rebounded, with a minimum of 292 birds found on Rarotonga in August 2003. In 2001/02, the emphasis of management shifted from the .recovery. of kakerori to a programme aimed at .sustaining. the population at 250.300 individuals. The major changes were an experimental reduction in rat poisoning effort to a level where recruitment of kakerori balances annual mortality, and a series of transfers to establish an insurance population on the island of Atiu. In 2003/04, all bait stations were filled fortnightly, rather than the previous mix of weekly and fortnightly refills. This reduced labour costs by 30% to 32 person days, and used a total of 39 kg of Talon® (active ingredient brodifacoum), which was only 13% of the maximum annual poison use over the same area during the .recovery. phase of the programme. Breeding success was high (0.91 fledglings/ breeding territory), even in the unpoisoned areas, and a record total of 80 fledglings was detected. The fortnightly poisoning regime offers promise as an effective, cheaper and less toxin-intensive method than that used previously, and so we recommend maintaining this regime in 2004/05, so that the longerterm effects can be assessed. A third and final batch of 10 young kakerori was transferred to Atiu Island in August 2003. This .insurance. population is becoming well established; the five breeding pairs monitored in 2003/04 each raised two fledglings, and a minimum of 15 birds was found in May.June 2004 in the small part of the island that was searched.

SPREP's direction in the Islands Ecosystems Programme reflects a fundamental commitment to sustaining the livelihoods of island peoples today and tomorrow by supporting ecosystem management and species conservation. The Programme focuses on developing the capacities of the peoples of the Pacific islands to equip them to sustainable manage and conserve the terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems of their islands. The programme also focuses efforts to protect priority threatened species, and to protect Pacific island countries and terrttories (PICTs) from invasive alien species and living modified organisms (LMOs). In summary, SPREP's core business under this programme is to address the issues of ecosystem conservation, the sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of priority threatened species from the threats of human-induced impacts, invasive species and living modified organisms. These issues require action at the community, national,regional and international levels.

SPREP’s direction in the Islands Ecosystems Programme reflects a fundamental commitment to sustaining the livelihoods of Island peoples today and tomorrow by supporting ecosystem management and species conservation. The Programme focuses on developing the capacities of the peoples of the islands to equip them to sustainably manage and conserve the terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems of their islands. The Programme also focuses efforts to protect priority threatened species, and to protect Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) from invasive alien species and living modified organisms (LMOs). SPREP’s core business under this programme is to address the issues of ecosystem conservation, the sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of priority threatened species from the threats of human-induced impacts, invasive species and living modified organisms. These issues require action at the community, national, regional and international levels.

In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel caused unexpectedly high levels of wind damage to an 80-to 100-year-old forest in the Piedmont of Maryland. The storm had decreased in intensity from landfall by the time it reached the study site—sustained winds were moderate and maximum gusts recorded in the area were only 62.7 mph (28.1 m?s-1). Midsized gaps (up to 1 ha) were created in forest that historically had only small or single-tree gaps. Isabel created the opportunity to determine whether natural disturbance facilitates the spread of exotic invasive plant species. Exotic invasive species populations were sampled in 400 5 x 5 m quadrats in a heavily damaged 1-ha, long-term forest study plot and in 160 5 x 5 m quadrats in 0.4 ha of a nearby, less-damaged forest between mid-October and mid-December 2003. Light levels (quantum flux density of photosynthetically active radiation) in the heavily disturbed Permanent Plot and the Less Damaged control plot were surveyed in October 2003 and 2004. The fall 2004 resurvey for exotic plants has also been completed. Based on a random sample of the fall 2004 exotics data, exotic invasive plant species responded strongly to the increased light levels in patches of forest damaged by Isabel. Collectively, the mean increase in percentage cover of exotic plants was 47.8% in high-light canopy gaps versus only 4.8 % in low-light non-gaps and 4.2% in the less-damaged forest. Several individual exotic species—Polygonum perfoliatum, Polygonum positive responses to higher light levels. The shadeloving caespitosum, and Lonicera japonica had significant biennial, Alliaria petiolata, changed significantly in the opposite direction, decreasing in the high-light areas and increasing in the lowlight areas. The authors are also investigating the interaction of exotic plants with native plants, forest regeneration, and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in damaged areas. Study areas and exclosures for these projects were set up in 2004 and will be resurveyed beginning in 2005.

ARMENTANO. T.V.; DOREN, R.F.; PLATT, W.J., and MULLINS, T., 1995. Effects of Hurricane Andrew on coastal and interior forests of southern Florida: Overview and synthesis. Journal of Coastal Research, SI No. 21, pp. 111-144. Fort Lauderdale (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The effects of Hurrican Andrew upn the forests of south Florida as of early 1994 are summarized from studies conducted at sites located within the track of the storm as it passed across the peninsula. Updated information on the storm's track and eyewall configuration also is provided. Effects on slash pine savannas, hardwood hammocks, cypress domes and mangroves varied markedly but with some trends apparent. Severe damage and mortality of trees was greatest in mangrove forests where 59 to 85% of trees were killed, but vigorous seedling recruitment of red mangrove and sprouting of surviving black and white mangroves is now well underway. Severe effects in cypress domes was quite low, with only 4% mortality. In slash pine stands, over 80% of the trees were damaged, and mortality pattern was related to prior condition of the stands. Mortality in large, vigorous stands ranged from 17 to 24% but approached 100% in small remnant Miami rockridge pinelands located in developed eastern coastal areas. Tropical hardwood hammocks suffered extensive damage but only averaged 11.5% mortality and regrowth has been vigorous but not necessarily of the same species characterizing the pre-storm community. Overall mortality and damage increased with tree size except in hammocks where small trees were damaged or killed by limbs and crowns of larger trees. The extensive stands of exotic tree species were damaged but recovered quickly and vigorously. The potential of the expansion into hurricane-damaged habitats is one of several long-term concerns under investigation.