National Park of American Samoa
American Samoa National ParkThe tropical cyclone Gita had many disastrous consequences for American Samoa due to the strong wind and rain. There was no plant failure in the park, but all the park paths were.....
Permanently updated woodland parcel information from the American Samoa National Park
Plant--American Samoa. Growing ups-- American Samoa. Long-term woodland parcel information from the National Park of American Samoa. Summary:The National Park of American Samoa includes entities on three isles, Tutuila, Ta'u and Ofu. In December 1990, the foundation for this endeavour began with fieldwork for a botanic survey of the plant and animal life of the planned national park on the Ta'u Isle. The highlight of this survey was later released.
In 1992, a second stage of the work began with the fieldwork for a similar study on Tutuila which was also aired. These studies, however, did not reveal any durable parcels that could later be used to identify changes and tendencies in vegetation and succession.
Therefore, a new Tutuila and Ta'u development was launched in 1993 to create sustainable woodland parcels. Investigations revealed three fixed properties on Ta'u and five on Tutuila in areas of secundary and virgin forests.
Identification of coral adaptations to environmental stressors, National Park of American Samoa
The Ofu Lagoon, part of the American Samoa National Park, is home to a sanctuary for reefs that is rich in biodiversity. It is working with academic institutions to understand the uniqueness of the corals in the Ofu Lagoon in adapting to various types of ecological stresses associated with global warming.
More than 975 types of sea life, 250 types of corals and a wide variety of invertebrate life can be found on the park's many corals. Disruptions such as hurricanes are likely to intensify with the effects of climatic changes, but the main danger to marine life is caused by rising sea temperature near the coast, which in turn causes increased levels of reef blight and whitewash.
By the end of the 20th centuries, significant losses of up to 90% are estimated for all of the world' s marine life within the park. Oceans acidifying, due to an increase in atmospheric CO2 content, is preventing the absorption by algae of the carbonated limestone they need to sustain their skeleton and is dissolving the rocky skeleton that carries them.
In the Ofu Lagoon, reefs have remarkable resistance to the numerous ambient stresses that affect them, such as high daytime temperatures (regularly above 31°C/88°F) and large variations in climate (range of 4. 4°C/8°F), pH (varying by more than 0. 5 pH units) and solute oxigen (from 50% to 200%). During 2002 and 2003, elevated sea levels led to widespread bleach in which the heat-loaded algae ejaculate their brown-coloured symmetrical zooxanta shells and make the algae look either whitish or "bleached".
" Astonishingly, the coral in the Ofu Laguna was less bleached than other reffees in the area. While Ofu Lagoon coral is better suited to the surroundings of the lagoons than coral planted by other American Samoa coral species, it is not so good when planted in areas outside the area.
Doing more research would help the National Park Service (NPS) better understanding this unparalleled high temperature and other stress factors and the impact of this resistance on the global coral population; identifying the best protected and conserved coral sites in Samoa; and perhaps using these coral to re-sow areas where coral has been destroyed by the effects of global warming.
It works in close cooperation with local governments and consultative groups to find answers to problems related to local flora and fauna and to the anticipated effects of CCS. Not only is this an efficient cooperation necessary, but also because the park does not own the land and water within its borders, but rather rents it out and therefore has to discuss and discuss managment schemes and measures with local land owners, community councillors and American Samoa Gov.
In order to investigate and assist research on this one-of-a-kind system of reefs, the park runs a lab on the Isle of Ofu. The centre assists park and college scientists and incorporates an experiential core system that the park has developed and constructed to investigate the impact of variations in temperatures on live corals.
Samoan local trainees offer on-site support and supervise the experiment while the scientists are away. Recent research shows that temperature tolerances are due to both algae and their photosynthetic zooxant-hell symbiotics. Molecular activity of heat-sensitive algae may vary in reaction to hot stresses, but the most resistant algae in the Ofu lagoons have already "switched on" these thermic tolerant groups.
" In addition, the zooxanta shells are found in Ofu of four different genotype, or Clades; the claded ones with Class D1 were found to be more resistant to hot stresses, but less resistant to colder water compared to other claded one. In the course of the years, the choice of the thermic tolerances and of the cluster D-zooxanthellae can allow the adaptation of the reef to higher temperature and variations.
It seems that this has already happened in Pool 300 in the section of the park of the Ofu-Reeflagune, making these freshwater fish one of the most heat-resistant in the world. Similar research carried out near the park found that introducing colder waters into heat-laden cliffs could accelerate and support the regeneration of bleach edifices.
UV shielding from shadows also improves the healthy appearance of hard to reach reefs. This park is carrying out fundamental investigations of corals in the park's bodies of aquatic life; the information will allow a comparision with prospective reef-coverage. NPS Pacific Islands Network Inventory and Monitoring Program also provides information on the park's aquatic environment and resource use. The results of these surveys will help the park to plan long-term managerial measures, e.g. to identify new nominees for maritime conservation areas.
The most efficient approach would be to identify areas of greater resistance to climatic changes, provided that other local stress factors (such as damaging fisheries practices) are mitigated; for example, shady areas at the foot of rocks and riff s where coldwater buoyancy occurs. While corals could not adjust to changed circumstances or gradual climatic changes, these policies could be applied to short-term approaches, such as short-term protection of small reefs, while longer-term farming choices are made.
As well as working with authorities and local groups to conserve the islands' riffs and other wildlife and culture assets, the park has designed education programmes that focus on minimising individuals' contribution to the mitigation of global warming. The case is part of the 2015 National Park Service, Coastal Adaptation Strategies report:
The case study was first prepared by the park manager as part of an NPS-led coast adjustment course in May 2012. CaseStories are in the EcoAdapt's CLAC Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) data base standard formats, which includes a set of customization policies. The case histories were all revised and amended in September 2013 and March 2015 in reaction to a rising number of inquiries from coast park and other coast managment authorities looking for example policies to adapt to global warming for marine, maritime and river-based resource and goods.