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  • Tags / Keywords food security
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  • Tags / Keywords ornamental palm
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Using expert Knowledge and Field Surveys to Guide Management of an Invasive Alien Palm in a Pacific Island Lowland Rainforest
Island and Ocean Ecosystems, BRB
Available Online

Boehmer, H.J.

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Dyer, M.J.B.

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Keppel, G.

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Tuiwawa, M.

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Vido, S.

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Watling, D.

2019
Invasive alien ornamental plants are a global problem, especially on oceanic islands, and can have severe impacts on native biodiversity. Pinanga coronata, is an ornamental palm tree that can form mono-dominant stands in its native habitat and is widely cultivated throughout the tropics. Here we investigate the introduction, spread, impact and management of this invasive palm in the Fiji Islands, using extensive discussions with local experts and ?eld surveys. Pinanga coronata was introduced in the 1970s to the Colo-i-Suva area, eastern Viti Levu island, Fiji´s principal island, and has since become invasive in mahogany plantations and lowland rainforest. It has also been introduced and is becoming invasive on the western side of that island. However, the distribution of P. coronata remains geographically limited to the immediate vicinity of introduction sites but it is rapidly spreading. In each location, the species has formed mono-dominant stands in the understorey and appears to be displacing native plant species, as suggested by a negative correlation of its abundance with that of native tree ferns. This highlights the need for rapid control of P. coronata in Fiji. Local experts state management should involve manual removal of seedlings and saplings, killing of adult palms by injection of herbicide, and education and legislation to prevent the further spread of the species. Based on these recommendations and ?eld data, management actions to control P. coronata are proposed and steps to develop these into a management plan are discussed. Given P. coronata threatens native biodiversity in Fiji and has the potential to invade other rainforest ecosystems in the tropics, proposed management approaches are urgent and relevant for other tropical countries.
Rural women and food security in Asia and the Pacific: Prospects and paradoxes
BRB
Available Online

Balakrishnan, Revathi

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Fairbairn-Dunlop, Peggy

2005
Agriculture and food production offer stable livelihood options to rural communities throughout Asia and the Pacific region. Even as the effects of globalization spread in the region, farm production – most often at the smallholder level – continues to be a family enterprise. A fair share of farmers in the region engages in subsistence farming and poverty is a common occurrence among them. Farm enterprises are mostly managed by family members and family labour is a critical asset and often the only reliable investment. As rural women and men toil to preserve their heritage and broaden their economic choices, their endeavours are made more difficult by a lack of resources and market fluctuations. Asian and Pacific farmers, both men and women, are guardians of biodiversity, household food security and providers of food to urban communities. In these small farm enterprises distinct gender roles and gender differentiated access to technology and resources are evident. This disparity is compounded by the neglect of investment in rural social infrastructures such as education, health care and communications. In such resource poor rural environments, the struggle by rural women for access to resources and services is inevitable. In many Asian and Pacific countries, substantial gender equality gains have been made in urban areas in education, health and employment. Yet rural women lag behind. Moreover, rural women’s work is multifaceted and demanding both as family workers and agricultural labourers. Social and economic indicators often do not do justice to their contributions. Development innovations such as microcredit and self-help groups promote rural women’s economic development, but emerging evidence suggests that gender equality in rural communities is far from an everyday reality. Persisting social biases and traditional perceptions and assumptions regarding women’s responsibilities and their capacities continue to hamper women’s progress. This publication presents an overview of both the substantial contribution made by rural women to the economies in the region and the persisting barriers to their advancement. The framework of analysis, data and information reviewed together illustrate the complexity of rural women’s work in the region and offer a broad perspective on women’s economic and social contribution as well as on the barriers they encounter in accessing resources.