Massif de Koniambo (31317)
New Caledonia (to France), Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Massif de Koniambo
Central coordinates: Latitude: -20.9983, Longitude: 164.8160
System: terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 122.30463
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Delineation rationale: 2014-03-11 (BL Secretariat): a site area of 12230 ha was calculated by GIS from the site polygon, then rounded to the nearest 10% (12000 ha).
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Human disturbance and direct harvesting of seabirds are listed as threats to 26 and 23 of the 97 globally threatened seabirds respectively (Croxall et al. 2012). For Near Threatened and Least Concern species it is likely that human disturbance and consumption affect an even greater proportion, particularly of tropical species, for which major reductions in populations and/or breeding sites are increasingly indicated but seldom quantified, especially across the whole range of the many wide-ranging tropical seabird species (Croxall et al. 2012). Human disturbance (such as recreational activities or working forest operations) may occur at this site. It is unknown if they pose a threat to this population. Invasive Alien Species represent the greatest threat to seabirds globally (Croxall et al. 2012), causing adult mortality and reduced productivity owing to egg and chick predation. Alien Invasive Species are known to be present, including rats and feral pigs (Spaggiari et al. 2007). Polynesian Rat and Feral Pigs have been recorded predating adult seabirds as well as eggs and chicks (Kepler 1967, Spaggiari et al. 2007). They have precipitated island extinctions in small-bodied, ground-nesting seabirds, but their impacts on larger or arboreal nesting seabirds appear to be lower (Atkinson 1985, Jones et al. 2008). Black Rat, Brown Rat, Feral Cat and Feral Goat are all plausible but unconfirmed residents. Each can potentially cause declines in seabird colonies, and ungulates can exacerbate the threat from other invasive mammals through habitat modification (Atkinson 1985, Rodríguez et al. 2006, Jones et al. 2008, Duffy 2010). Feral pigs are known to be causing severe damage to the forest habitat, and are also known to predate on petrels in their burrows (Spaggiari et al. 2007). Overall, a range of invasive mammals are known to be present and are having a limiting effect on seabirds, or causing population declines. Seabirds are highly visually oriented and known to become disorientated at night in the presence of artificial light (Bruderer et al., 1999). On archipelagos worldwide, thousands of fledglings of different petrel species are attracted to artificial lights during their first flights from nest-burrows to the sea, a phenomenon called ‘fallout’ (Reed et al. 1985, Telfer et al. 1987, Le Corre et al. 2002, Rodríguez & Rodríguez 2009, Miles et al. 2010, Rodrigues et al. 2011). Grounded birds are vulnerable to starvation, predation, dehydration and collision with vehicles. The prevalence of this potential threat at this site is not known but it may be having a negative impact.
Additional information
References: Atkinson, I. A. E. (1985) The spread of commensal species of Rattus to oceanic islands and their effect on island avifaunas. Pages 35-81 in P. J. Moors, editor. Conservation of island birds. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Bruderer, B., Peter, D. and Steuri, T. (1999) Behavior of migrating birds exposed to Xband radar and a bright light beam. Journal of Experimental Biology 202: 1015–1022. Le Corre, M., Ollivier, A., Ribes, S. and Jouventin, P. (2002) Light-induced mortality of petrels: a 4-year study from Réunion Island (Indian Ocean). Biol. Conserv. 105: 93–102. Croxall, J. P., Butchart, S. H. M., Lascelles, B., Stattersfield, A. J., Sullivan, B., Symes, A. and Taylor, P. (2012) Seabird conservation status, threats and priority actions: a global assessment. Bird Conservation International 22: 1-34. Duffy, D. C. (2010) Changing Seabird Management in Hawai‘i: from exploitation through management to restoration. Waterbirds 33: 193-207. IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (2012) Rattus exulans. Global Invasive Species Database. Downloaded from http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=170&fr=1&sts=sss on 8th October 2012. Jones, H. P., Tershy, B. R., Zavaleta, E. S., Croll, D. A., Keitt, B. S., Finkelstein, M. E. and Howald, G. R. (2008) Severity of the effects of invasive rats on seabirds: a global review. Conservation Biology 22: 16-26. Kepler, B. (1967) Polynesian rat predation on nesting Laysan Albatrosses and other Pacific seabirds. Auk 84: 426-430. Miles, W., Money, S., Luxmoore, R. and Furness, R.W. (2010) Effects of artificial lights and moonlight on petrels at St Kilda. Bird Study 57: 244–251. Reed, J.R., Sincock, J.L. & Hailman, J.P. (1985) Light attraction in endangered Procellariiform birds: reduction by shielding upward radiation. Auk 102: 377–383. Rodrigues, P., Aubrecht, C., Gil, A., Longcore, T. and Elvidge, C. (2011) Remote sensing to map influence of light pollution on Cory’s Shearwater in São Miguel Island, Azores Archipelago. Eur. J. Wildl. Res. doi: 10.1007/s10344-011-0555-5. Rodríguez, A. and Rodríguez, B. (2009) Attraction of petrels to artificial lights in the Canary Islands: effect of the moon phase and age class. Ibis 151: 299–310. Rodríguez, C., Torres, R. and Drummond, H. (2006) Eradicating introduced mammals from a forested tropical island. Biological Conservation 130: 98-105. Telfer, T.C., Sincock, J.L., Byrd, G.V. and Reed, J.R. (1987) Attraction of Hawaiian seabirds to lights: conservation efforts and effects of moon phase. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 15: 406–413. Spaggiari J, Chartendrault V & Barré N.2007. ZICO de Nouvelle Calédonie. SCO/Birdlife International.213p