Developing and testing a forest management model

Context

Forests across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) are central to community wellbeing, providing food, water, livelihoods, and holding significant cultural and social value. While deforestation caused by human activity has been extensively documented, there is far less data on the extent of forest loss resulting from invasive plant species. This critical knowledge gap has been identified by the Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry (PHOAFS) as a high priority for action.

This project seeks to fill that gap by developing and testing a model to guide both research and policy decisions for managing invasive plant species and supporting long-term forest restoration. Using participatory methods, the project will work closely with communities to document priority invasive plant species, assess their impacts, and develop a methodology for mapping invasive cover and identifying suitable management or treatment options.

The project will be piloted in communities in Fiji and Tonga, where invasive plant species have had profound impacts on local forest conservation efforts. In Fiji, the Ministry of Forestry Strategic Development Plan 2017–2030 highlights the urgent need to identify funding and strategies to control invasive species as a key mitigation measure for successful reforestation. In Tonga, the project aligns with the National Forest Policy, which prioritises forest health through combating the spread of invasive species. Through this pilot, the project will help identify hotspot areas where invasive plants are most prevalent and determine appropriate treatments to mitigate or manage priority species as identified by the communities themselves.

The data and lessons from these pilots will inform research and guide policy directions for both countries, while providing a scalable model that can be replicated across other PICTs facing similar invasive species challenges. Ultimately, this project aims to strengthen forest restoration and conservation outcomes by reducing the impact of invasive plant species and supporting healthier, more resilient ecosystems across the Pacific region.

Project Objectives

The main objective of this project is to support communities' forest restoration efforts by developing a localised plant invasive species model to guide research and policy advice for Tonga and Fiji.

Target Communities

Forestry communities of Tonga and Fiji.

Activities and Outputs

The project will begin by conducting consultations with participating communities to identify invasive plant species that they consider most problematic. The primary output from this initial stage will be a prioritised list of invasive species for each community.

Following this, data collection will be undertaken with strong community (National stakeholders) participation to ensure a comprehensive and locally informed approach. The data gathered will form the basis for developing a community-driven invasive species model, designed to address the specific challenges identified through evidence collected during the consultations.

Working in partnership with the respective government ministries and local communities, SPC will help document the process and use the collected data to create Participatory Plant Invasive and Inventory Species Maps for the pilot communities in Fiji and Tonga.

Throughout the project, multiple rounds of consultations will be held to validate both the data and the methods used for its collection. This iterative process will ensure community ownership and accuracy of results. The final invasive species model will undergo stakeholder validation before it is finalised and published, providing a practical tool to guide ongoing and future forest restoration and invasive species management efforts.