Mar 12, 2024
Temae Golf Course Surveys
- Kedhar Bartlett1,
- Bridget Bentley1
- 1UC Berkeley
- Island Sustainability Program
Protocol Citation: Kedhar Bartlett, Bridget Bentley 2024. Temae Golf Course Surveys. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.ewov1qe7kgr2/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: March 12, 2024
Last Modified: March 12, 2024
Protocol Integer ID: 96521
Keywords: conservation efforts with tourism development, ecological impacts of land use change, ecological impact, vegetation near the temae golf course, integrating conservation effort, island sustainability program cohort, loss of ecosystem resilience, tourism development, ecosystem resilience, ecosystem, term sustainability of moorea, tourism, land use change, cultivated area, vegetation, temae golf course survey, temae golf course surveys this study, plant diversity, land development, invasive species, term sustainability, temae golf course, driven land development, introduction of invasive species, species, french polynesia, areas adjacent to the golf course, lower diversity, introduced species, impact, exhibiting lower diversity, island
Funders Acknowledgements:
Tetiaroa Society
Abstract
This study investigates the ecological impacts of land use change, particularly focusing on the vegetation near the Temae Golf Course on Moorea, French Polynesia. Through field surveys conducted by the 2024 Island Sustainability Program cohort, we compare plant diversity and composition in pristine and cultivated areas adjacent to the golf course. Our findings highlight significant differences, with cultivated areas exhibiting lower diversity and a higher proportion of introduced species. These results underscore the potential risks associated with tourism-driven land development, including the introduction of invasive species and the loss of ecosystem resilience. By shedding light on these impacts, our study emphasizes the importance of integrating conservation efforts with tourism development to ensure the long-term sustainability of Moorea’s ecosystems.
Guidelines
Avoid trespassing on private property; if care is not taken, you may end up on golf course property or local backyards.
Materials
- Field notebook and writing utensil
- Camera/device capable of photography
- Method of plant identification (textbook, app like iNaturalist, etc.)
- Transect tape
Field Methods
Split group into pairs
Assign each pair a "cultivated" (on/near golf course) site and a "pristine" (anywhere else in close proximity) site
Conduct 50 meter transects at each site
Note starting point and direction of movement in field notebook, and walk in a straight line in that direction for the duration of the transect
One group member measures distance, and the other photographs plant species. Both group members look for new plant species within 1 meter of each side of the transect line.
If unable to complete the full 50m transect, note that and mention why
Repeat at other site (either cultivated or pristine, whichever you haven't already completed)
After fieldwork
Identify plants from photos taken in the field
Groups either used available textbooks or iNaturalist
Protocol references
Ricardo Beldade
ISP 2024 Cohort