Islands on the Edge: Housing Development and Other Threats to America's Pacific and Caribbean Island Forests - A Forest on the Edge Report

Abstract

This report provides an overview of expected housing density changes and related impacts to private forests on America's islands in the Pacific and Caribbean, specifically Hawaii, Guam, America Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin islands. We discuss the vulnerability of island forests to conservation for housing development, introduction and spread of invasive species and risk of uncharacteristic wildlife, among other concerns.Island forests are subject to pressures that are similar to those on the mainland, including conversion of forest to housing, agriculture and industry; introduction and spread of invasive species; and risk of uncharacteristic wildlife. But islands by their nature, with relatively small pr constrained land areas and fresh water limitations, can be more vulnerable than mainland areas to such impacts.