Currently the natural vegetation coverage on Yap has been reduced by more than 3 quarters as a result of human actions. All four subsections of the island clearly show cleared and reduced vegetation coverage on infrared imaging. This loss is most present on the southernmost part of the island where Yap international airport is located. This is the part of the island that has suffered the most clearance as a result of the airport and from bombing during the Second World War. The remaining forest on the Yap is found mostly in both the northern and western part of the islands of Maap and Gagil-Toomil (Image ). These areas of red are highest concentration of remaining forest that Landsat was able to capture. The sparse area of forest that appears as red is much less than the 43 square kilometers that Benowitz and his colleagues measured. At the same time it is much less than the established total forested area on the island of 69.5 square kilometers that Donnegan and his colleagues came up with in 2006. (Donnegan, 2006). Yet, the reason for this difference could be in that the image that was used contained quite a lot of cloud cover. It is easy to see the interference that cloud coverage has in this image as it shows up as dark/grey spots that cross the island from left to right. My suspicion is that under those clouds one would find still more forest that would appear on a clear image that does not have cloud cover.
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| Image 10. |
The vegetation coverage on Yap has always faced forces threatening its survival. Typhoons have traditionally been the island greatest threat to the well being of vegetation on the island. Fire to a lesser extent has also been a threat to the islands vegetation as well. For these reasons the vegetation on the island has been forced to adapt in order to be able to recover from such events that pass over the island. The arrival of humans to the island placed a bigger threat than anything that natural phenomenon. The most dramatic events are the bombing runs that occurred in World War 2. Yet, the greatest and biggest distribution of land clearance can be attributed to the clearance of land as a result of farming by the islands inhabitants. These two events are the reason that so much of the island has lost its original vegetation cover of forest. Combating this loss may prove difficult as a long entrenched caste system dictates who owns all of the land on the entire island.
Conservation efforts might prove difficult as a result of the complex land ownership system that exist on the island based on ones caste. (World Wildlife Fund). Sale of land on the island is almost unheard of as a lands change hands from generation to generation. While the caste system on the island ensure that the higher caste keep control of all of the land on the island. This systems keeps the lower caste in their place and does not allow for social mobility. (Everyculture). It is for this reason that it is in the interest of the owners of the land to pass it along to their children. Thus ensuring that the family continues to belongs to the upper caste.
Forest Reserve areas
If it is possible to overcome the cultural barriers that exist over who controls the land on Yap, then it is possible to save the remaining forest on that remain on the island. All efforts should be focused on preserving the pockets of forest that are found on the northern islands of Maap and Gagill-Toomil. It is here in these sites where the creation of a reserve or a national park is best suited in order to preserve what forest is left. The density of the forest and height of the tree canopy in Image demonstrate what Yap once looked like before it lost so much of its forest due to the human interference.(Image 11). If preservation is implemented then it is possible to prevent the complete loss of Yap native tropical forest. Previous work on Palua by Endress & Chinea demonstrates that it is possible for tropical forests in Micronesia to prosper quite well in lands that have experienced human disturbance. (Endress & Chinea, 2001). Yet, without any sort of intervention it is very possible that all the tropical forest that remains may be cleared in order for the land to be put to human uses.
Comments and future research
Limitations in available imagery on Yap meant that all the images used had cloud coverage that did interfere with the analyses of the island. It seems that no available imagery is currently available free of charge that does not contain any cloud cover over the island. This interference by clouds meant that it was not possible to make thorough analyses of the entire island. For this reason it is my belief that future work looking into the vegetation of Yap should first most importantly obtain clear images of the island before undertaking any study. While preservation and conservation should be undertaken first with ethnographic work that can address the established caste system that exists. This should be done in order to offend social norms about power and class that dictate the lives of Yap's citizens. It is very easy to disregard norms and peoples way of life all in the name of preservation and conservation.
Conservation efforts might prove difficult as a result of the complex land ownership system that exist on the island based on ones caste. (World Wildlife Fund). Sale of land on the island is almost unheard of as a lands change hands from generation to generation. While the caste system on the island ensure that the higher caste keep control of all of the land on the island. This systems keeps the lower caste in their place and does not allow for social mobility. (Everyculture). It is for this reason that it is in the interest of the owners of the land to pass it along to their children. Thus ensuring that the family continues to belongs to the upper caste.
Forest Reserve areas
If it is possible to overcome the cultural barriers that exist over who controls the land on Yap, then it is possible to save the remaining forest on that remain on the island. All efforts should be focused on preserving the pockets of forest that are found on the northern islands of Maap and Gagill-Toomil. It is here in these sites where the creation of a reserve or a national park is best suited in order to preserve what forest is left. The density of the forest and height of the tree canopy in Image demonstrate what Yap once looked like before it lost so much of its forest due to the human interference.(Image 11). If preservation is implemented then it is possible to prevent the complete loss of Yap native tropical forest. Previous work on Palua by Endress & Chinea demonstrates that it is possible for tropical forests in Micronesia to prosper quite well in lands that have experienced human disturbance. (Endress & Chinea, 2001). Yet, without any sort of intervention it is very possible that all the tropical forest that remains may be cleared in order for the land to be put to human uses.
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| Image 11. Source: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/26990172.jpg |
Limitations in available imagery on Yap meant that all the images used had cloud coverage that did interfere with the analyses of the island. It seems that no available imagery is currently available free of charge that does not contain any cloud cover over the island. This interference by clouds meant that it was not possible to make thorough analyses of the entire island. For this reason it is my belief that future work looking into the vegetation of Yap should first most importantly obtain clear images of the island before undertaking any study. While preservation and conservation should be undertaken first with ethnographic work that can address the established caste system that exists. This should be done in order to offend social norms about power and class that dictate the lives of Yap's citizens. It is very easy to disregard norms and peoples way of life all in the name of preservation and conservation.
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