Ethnobotany of ocean-going canoes in Lau,Fiji

Traditional ocean- going canoes represent the pinnacle of South Pacific craftmanship, and Fijian canoes are among the finest. The special hardwood used by the Fijians for their canoes grows well on the island of Kabara, Fiji where canoe building expertise is centered. Native craftsmen were contracted to construct a canoe at Kabara. Twenty different species of plants were used in the construction of a Fijian “camakau. ” Wood was skillfully chosen by the carpenters with material constraints in mind. The glue, rope, and sail were also constructed from native plant materials obtained from Kabara. The importance of the canoe building technology in the Pacific, and the unique flora of Kabara shaped Kabara into an island of strategic influence in the South Pacific.     

Portage connectivity does not predict establishment success of canoe-mediated dispersal for crustacean zooplankton

Although community structure may be largely determined by local abiotic and biotic conditions under moderate levels of dispersal, anthropogenic activities can enhance dispersal rates far beyond what would otherwise occur in natural systems. We investigated the potential impact of recreational canoeing on crustacean zooplankton community structure in Killarney Provincial Park, Canada, where canoes that are transported between lakes via portage routes may enhance zooplankton community connectivity by providing a dispersal “short-cut.” We conducted a study to (1) quantify zooplankton attachment to canoe hulls after paddling through a lake and assess the importance of canoes to overall seasonal dispersal within a lake relative to other means of dispersal, (2) test the prediction that zooplankton survivorship is negatively correlated with portage duration using a mesocosm experiment, and (3) test whether variation in lake community composition was better explained by models based on reduced portage-corrected distances or true edge-to-edge distances between lakes along popular canoe routes. Here, we report the findings that canoes have the potential to act as frequent dispersal vectors, but appear to have little impact on community structure in portage-connected lakes. Substantial numbers of adult zooplankton became attached to canoe hulls and were able to establish viable populations even after exposure to portage conditions for 30 min. However, canoe-mediated dispersal only accounted for a very small proportion (<1% in this case) of overall seasonal dispersal. Moreover, environmental variables explained the greatest amount of variation in community composition among park lakes. Nevertheless, this study indicates that canoe dispersal could be more effective for specific species such as Sida crystallina than is evident by analysis of entire communities and could facilitate the spread of invasive species amenable to attaching to boat hulls. Thus, the debate about whether community composition is more strongly influenced by local environmental conditions or regional dispersal may vary depending on the scale of consideration (i.e., individual species vs. whole community).     

The fishery of the Comoros,with comments on its possible impact on coelacanth survival

Synopsis The traditional methods of deepsea handline fishing in the Comoros are described. The main target species is the oilfish Ruvettus pretiosus, and the coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae is caught as a bycatch. In recent years motorised dugout canoes as well as outboard- and inboard-powered boats have been introduced into the fishery, and more efficient fishing tackle has become available. The more modern gear is intended for use on pelagic fishes and has added a new dimension to the fishery. Traditional handline fishermen are not considered to be a threat to the coelacanth, but the fishermen equipped with motorised boats and modern tackle would constitute a real threat if they direct their efforts on inshore reefs.     

Myth, Experiment, and the Reinvention of Polynesian Voyaging

Experimental canoe voyages between Hawai'i, Tahiti, and Aotearoa (New Zealand) indicate that proponents of the "mythical" view of voyaging traditions cannot casually dismiss their historical basis because they believe it impossible for canoes navigated without instruments to have been intentionally sailed over such long distances. Furthermore, the key role of Hawaiians in this reinvention of Polynesian voyaging, and in particular their efforts to extend the sailing and navigational trials far beyond the original experimental plan, point toward a more Polynesian interpretation of voyaging traditions than one developed solely through Western analytical approaches.     

Morphological and chemical studies of the spores and parasporal bodies of Bacillus laterosporus

Spores of Bacillus laterosporus were studied to determine the chemical and morphological nature of their basophilic canoe-shaped parasporal bodies. An unusually high phosphorus content of these spores compared to other Bacillus species appeared to be associated with the parasporal body. Preparations of these "canoes" still attached to the spore coats were indeed high in phosphorus, but also in nitrogen. They were free of lipide-soluble and nucleic acid phosphorus and stained for protein. Some 50 per cent of the total nitrogen, but only 6 to 10 per cent of the total P were liberated by extraction with alkali-thioglycollate (pH 11.5) or alkali alone (pH 12.2-12.5). Proteinaceous material was recovered from these alkaline extracts and electron microscopy indicated that there had been a marked loss of "canoe" substance. Extraction with acid, removed some 80 per cent of the phosphorus associated with the "canoes" as orthophosphate. Chromatographic analyses for amino acids indicated some 14 ninhydrin-positive spots in the canoe-coat preparations whereas the whole spores contained at least 16.     

Morphological and Chemical Studies of the Spores and Parasporal Bodies of Bacillus laterosporus

Spores of Bacillus laterosporus were studied to determine the chemical and morphological nature of their basophilic canoe-shaped parasporal bodies. An unusually high phosphorus content of these spores compared to other Bacillus species appeared to be associated with the parasporal body. Preparations of these "canoes" still attached to the spore coats were indeed high in phosphorus, but also in nitrogen. They were free of lipide-soluble and nucleic acid phosphorus and stained for protein. Some 50 per cent of the total nitrogen, but only 6 to 10 per cent of the total P were liberated by extraction with alkali-thioglycollate (pH 11.5) or alkali alone (pH 12.2–12.5). Proteinaceous material was recovered from these alkaline extracts and electron microscopy indicated that there had been a marked loss of "canoe" substance. Extraction with acid, removed some 80 per cent of the phosphorus associated with the "canoes" as orthophosphate. Chromatographic analyses for amino acids indicated some 14 ninhydrin-positive spots in the canoe-coat preparations whereas the whole spores contained at least 16.     

Characterization of wood components of Portuguese medieval dugout canoes with high-resolution solid-state NMR

High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance of carbon 13 was employed to characterize archaeological wood samples from Portuguese medieval dugout canoes. Structural and chemical modifications were assessed by comparing the structural features of archaeological wood samples with modern wood. The main results concern the strong decrease of sugar moiety with a complete disappearance of hemicelluloses. During ageing in water environment, the β-O-4 inter-unit linkages of lignins have not been degraded. The features of the ¹³C NMR spectra clearly reveal that the products of degradation of the carbohydrates occurring during depletion of sugars were not recombined inside the lignocellulosic matrix. Finally, this article gives a clear illustration that although the water contents of archaeological wood can certainly be used as a good criterion concerning their state of degradation, solid-state ¹³C NMR lead to unambiguously data as far the structural properties of archaeological waterlogged woods are concerned.     

Diversity of plant uses in two Caiçara communities from the Atlantic Forest coast, Brazil

Caiçaras are native inhabitants of the Atlantic coast on southeastern Brazil, whose subsistence is based especially on agriculture and artisanal fishing. Because of their knowledge about the environment acquired through generations, Caiçara people can play an important role in Atlantic Forest conservation. An ethnobotanical study was conducted within two Caiçara communities (Ponta do Almada and Camburí beach, São Paulo State, Brazil), focusing on plant uses. In 102 interviews, 227 plant ethnospecies were quoted, mainly for food, medicine, handicraft and construction of houses and canoes. People from studied communities depend on the native vegetation for more than a half of the species known and used. Using diversity indices, plant uses are compared between studied communities and between gender and age categories within each community. We found quantitative differences in the knowledge about plants between gender categories for each kind of use (medicinal, food and handicrafts). Older and younger informants also have different knowledge about plants for handicraft and medicine, but not for edible plants.     

Tahitala's Revenge: Monumental Architecture and the Great Canoe,Lomipeau

In discussing ways that monumental architecture symbolises political power, I suggest that vehicles are a unique category of monument construction. Their ability to travel, and to be used for politically momentous tasks, increases the prestige of the rulers who make use of them. The Lomipeau, a large double‐hulled canoe used by Tongan rulers in the sixteenth century, exemplifies the concept of a monumental vehicle. To demonstrate the concept, I examine the origins of the canoe, the archaeology of sites associated with its exploits, and its use in ceremonial voyages of national importance. Identifying vehicles as a distinctive class of monumental architecture in future studies will help us to comprehend the complex variety of ways leaders express power across cultures.     

Ethnobotanical studies of the tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India. I. Onge

This paper deals with the ethnobotany of the Onge tribe. Brief accounts of the geography of the island, ethnology, and history of ethnobotanical studies in addition to the methodology of the present work are given. Plants used in everyday life, such as for bows and arrows, dugouts and canoes, fibers, food, medicines, and shelter, are described and discussed. The 40 species dealt with in the paper have 52 uses. The present study indicates that the Onge tribe shows certain similarities with other southeastern Asian Negrito races.     

Extractive forest resources of the Tana River national primate reserve,Kenya

Plant uses by the Pokomo and their influence on riverine forest structure and composition are examined in the Tana River National Primate Reserve, Kenya. Of a total 98 plant species identified with one or more uses, 15 are used as food, 34 for construction material, 43 for technology, 23 for remedy, 2 for commerce, and 20 for other uses. The mean basal area of cut wood is 3.21 m²/ha, mostly from palms (1.96 m²/ha) and understory trees (1.20 m²/ha). Measured impacts on forest structure include the loss of large trees for canoes or beehives, lowered palm heights, and tree coppicing. Accessibility explains much of the spatial pattern of use. Extraction activities do not reduce forest area, and causal effects on productivity are complicated by the heterogeneous environment and past disturbances. In view of regional pressures on forests and cultural traditions, limited resource extraction offers incentives for local stewardship of a unique ecosystem.     

Inheritance, ecology and the evolution of the canoes of east Oceania

We consider patterns in the evolution of canoe technology in the eastern Pacific relative to three general processes: movement of canoe traits along the Polynesian settlement sequence, adaptations to local island environment, and post-settlement interaction between island groups. Using model selection methods on the distributions of canoe technology, we show that social and ecological covariates together consistently outperform each considered individually, though knowledge of island area and post-settlement trading spheres does not add explanatory power. In particular, decorative canoe traits are not effectively explained by either our ecological or transmission models. We also estimate negative effects from both settlement sequence and island geomorphology, consistent with the die-off of particular canoe designs on resource-rich high island groups such as Hawaii and New Zealand. This decline in measured traits may be owing to the lifting of ecological constraints on population size or building materials.     

From Racing to Rugby: All Work and No Play for Gogodala Men of Western Province,Papua New Guinea

In this article, I analyse how Gogodala men in Western Province approach the sport of rugby league football as an extension of the practice of canoe racing. Despite colonial changes and mission attempts to redeem canoe racing by labelling them ‘cultural games’, canoe races continue to embody clan relations and demonstrate inner masculine strength, collective clan power and a local work ethic. Although there has been a general lack of attention given to studies of sport in Papua New Guinea, a discourse has emerged that analyses sports competitions as either a modern form of play and a replacement for past ritual activities or as a contemporary exemplar of warfare and other eradicated practices. As the Gogodala have not practised headhunting or warfare for over one hundred years, I want to contribute to this discussion by exploring how contemporary canoe racing and rugby league form an integral part of conceptualisations of work and dala ela gi, or ‘the male way of life’.     

Brachylaima apoplania n. sp. (Digenea: Brachylaimidae) from the Polynesian rat, Rattus exulans (Rodentia: Muridae), in New Zealand: origins and zoogeography

Brachylaima apoplania n. sp. is described from the small intestine of the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) on Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand. The new species is most similar to Brachylaima ratti Baugh, 1962, from Rattus rattus. The two species differ only in morphometric characters, B. apoplania possessing significantly smaller suckers, pharynx, testes, ovary, and cirrus sac. The close resemblance between B. apoplania and B. ratti, the close relationship between their hosts, and archaeological evidence on the origin and early dispersal of R. exulans are used to hypothesize a common Southeast Asian origin for the 2 Brachylaima species. Brachylaima apoplania is believed to have dispersed subsequently throughout the South Pacific islands, along with its rodent host, in the canoes of the ancestors of the modern Polynesians and Maoris.     

Laticiferous plants of economic importance III. Couma species

The commercial use of the exudation of several species of Couma as a source of gutta-gum is of recent development. Although the edible fruits have been known in the Amazon basin since prehistoric time, and the coagulated latex, or coagulum, is favored by the South American Indian for caulking dugouts and canoes, the utilization of this gutta-gum in industry, especially in the United States, began only about 30 years ago.     

Small-scale plant species richness in calcareous grasslands determined by the species pool, community age and shoot density

Variation in small-scale plant species richness was examined between twenty discrete sites of calcareous alvar grasslands in the western Estonian coastal area. This community type is very species rich at the small-scale. The pattern of diversity has often been explained by variation in ecological conditions which makes it possible to avoid competitive exclusion. Here we test an alternative species pool hypothesis. The species pool was defined as the set of species present in a community, but excluding all those species whose presence may be connected with exceptional environmental conditions for this community. Monte Carlo modelling was used to determine the strengths of the relationships between the non-independent variables: richness vs species pool and average shoot density vs richness. Site age was characterized by its elevation above sea level, since there is a continuous land uplift in the study area. Species richness was positively correlated to the size of the species pool, community age and vegetation density. We conclude that historical processes on both the regional and local levels, which determine the arrival of any particular species to a target community, and not environmental heterogeneity, are responsible for the variations in species richness between communities of this type.     

广西元宝山南方红豆杉群落特征的研究

根据 16 0 0 m2 样方统计 ,群落区系组成有 4 3科 6 4属的 80个种 ,平均 10 0 m2 5种 ,虽种类组成不复杂 ,其中 87.5%的属仅出现 1种 ,6 .3%的属含少数种。乔木层多数优势种为稳定型种群 ,所以乔木层优势区系成分相当稳定 ,表明该群落为一种顶极群落。 59个种子植物属只有 10个分布区类型和 4个变型 ,地理成分不复杂 ,其中热带分布 2 7属占 4 6 .6 % ,温带分布 31属占 53.4 % ;热带分布以泛热带和热带亚洲分布为主 ,分别占 52 .6 %和 4 7.4 % ,温带分布为北温带和东亚分布各占50 %。 2 5个乔木层树种中 ,中亚热带地理分布类型的占 76 % ,南亚热带地理分布类型的占 16 % ,北亚热带地理分布类型占 8% ,重要值指数排列前 6名的均为中亚热带地理分布类型 ,所以该群落为亚热带性质。已知 79种组成种类常绿成分占 595% ,落叶成分占 4 0 .5% ,其中以中高位芽植物最多 ,占 2 7.8% ,又以常绿阔叶中高位芽植物为多 ,占 15.2 %。 79种组成植物 ,小型叶多于中型叶 ,分别占 55.7%和 32 .9%。乔木层种类 6 0 0 m2 有 18种 ,16 0 0 m2 有 2 9种 ,均不多 ,但物种多样性指数接近亚热带地带性代表群落     

Comparison of regeneration following burning,clearing or mineral sand mining at Tomago,NSW: II. Succession of ant assemblages in a coastal forest

Abstract The dry sclerophyll forest community of the Tomago Sandbeds, near Newcastle in New South Wales, has been subject to regular disturbances due to fire, clearing and strip mining for over 18 years. In this study we use chronosequence analysis to examine whether the structure of the ant community varies with the type of disturbance and the time since disturbance. We treat the recovery trajectory after fire as a control trajectory because fire is an endogenous disturbance. The main analyses were based on an ant fauna comprising 72 species sampled from 44 sites surveyed in December 1992. Comparison with samples taken in April and December 1991, and for cumulative records for all sites over this 20 month period, all show quantitatively similar responses. Results suggest that while fire has a minor effect on the composition of the ant community over time, the impact of clearing and mining is much more severe. Ant species richness at cleared and mined sites recovers rapidly, overshoots controls in mid-succession and returns to control levels by 18 years after disturbance. The cumulative number of species recorded over all sites (from the total recorded fauna of 82 species) for each different disturbance type were: burned, 61; cleared, 55; and mined 56. Species composition at cleared or mined sites, after 18 years, approaches but does not match controls. The recovery trend for mined sites lags slightly behind that for cleared sites, which have reached 49% similarity with the oldest burned sites, while mined sites have not exceeded 39% similarity of species composition. The main patterns in the ant community appear to be related to habitat variables. These results provide further evidence that the ant community may be used as a reliable bio-indicator for evaluating the extent of habitat damage and recovery after disturbance in these Australian forests.     

东苕溪中下游河岸类型对鱼类多样性的影响

河流修复工程被美国《科学》杂志列入2000年最具发展潜力的六大领域之一,河流修复工程对水生生态系统的影响也成为各国科学家的研究热点。本文以东苕溪中下游河段为对象,研究4种不同河岸类型（自然河岸 水生植物（A）、自然河岸 无水生植物（B）、人工河岸 水生植物（C）、人工河岸 无水生植物（D））对鱼类生物多样性的影响。本次调查共采集鱼类标本499尾,经鉴定为32种,隶属于7目10科24属。鱼类生物多样性结果显示A、B的物种丰度和Shannon-Wiener指数与D存在显著差异（P<0.05）; A的优势度指数与D存在显著性差异（P<0.05）; A、C的均匀度与D存在显著性差异。鱼类群落NMDS排序与相似性分析（ANOSIM）显示D与A、B、C能完全分开,且D与A、C存在显著性差异（P<0.05）,其中A与C存在显著性差异。因此,河流修复工程中水生植被的恢复对于水生生物多样性的维持至关重要,且恢复水生植被的河流修复工程会减少该工程对鱼类群落结构和生物多样的负面影响。     

Ethnobotanical studies of the negrito islanders of Andaman Islands,India—the Great Andamanese

This paper deals with ethnobotany of the Great Andamanese tribe. Brief accounts of Andaman geography, ethnology, and previous ethnobotanical studies are given. Plants used in everyday life, such as for bows and arrows, canoes, fibers, food, medicines, rituals, musical instruments, tools, and shelter, are described and discussed. Scientific and vernacular names, uses, and ethnobotanical importance are listed.