One of the world's foremost experts on plants of the South Pacific region, Dr. W. Arthur Whistler, visited the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) Division of Community and Natural Resources (CNR)/Land Grant division last week to help with a project to map the territory's forest vegetation. Botanist and author Dr. Arthur Whistler, who literally "wrote the book" on classification of vegetation in Samoa, spent two weeks working with CNR to help facilitate its vegetation mapping project by training the staff in identification of trees and other plants, as well as techniques for classification and mapping of forest vegetation types.

Whistler's association with the islands began years ago when he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in independent Samoa teaching at Samoa College . Since then, he has spent over 35 years studying the plants of Samoa and the rest of the South Pacific. His numerous books include Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore (1992), Polynesian Herbal Medicine (1992), Tongan Herbal Medicine (1992), Wayside Plants of the Islands (1995), Samoan Herbal Medicine (1996), Tropical Ornamentals (2000), Plants in Samoan Culture (2001), The Samoan Rainforest (2002), Rainforest Trees of Samoa (2004), and Plants of the Canoe People (2009).

Dr. Whistler currently serves as an adjunct associate professor at the Lyon Arboretum in Oahu's Manoa Valley and the Botany Department at the University of Hawaii , and also as a research affiliate of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu . Whistler runs his own publishing and consulting company Isle Botanica . He has come to Samoa and American Samoa many times to help CNR and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations build their botanical expertise.

Dr. Whistler accompanied the Land Grant staff to field sites representing all the different types of forest vegetation. The staff increased their knowledge of plant identification and learned how to distinguish vegetation classes based on the plant species present. On the final day, he gave several presentations providing an overview of Samoan vegetation, threats from invasive plant species, and the plight of rare and endangered plants. With the training by Whistler now complete, the forestry staff will continue their work by using satellite imagery in combination with visual assessments at field sites to create the new forest vegetation map. They expect to complete this project by September, in time to serve as a basis for discussions with community stakeholders to assess the status of the territory's forests and to develop a strategic plan to ensure that those resources can be conserved and enhanced for the benefit of current and future generations.

The ASCC Land Grant Forestry Program is charged with assisting the community to improve conservation and management of its forest resources. This requires knowledge of the current status of the forest resources and threats to those resources. Accurate information about American Samoa 's forests and the threats to those forests will help the Forestry Program and its community partners to implement programs more efficiently-ensuring that federal funds supporting the territory's forestry efforts provide maximum benefit to the community. Also, by establishing a baseline of data on forest conditions, this information will provide a way to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs in conserving and enhancing the community's forest resources.

One of the most important tools for this forest assessment is an accurate and up-to-date vegetation map. Although American Samoa is small, its forests are relatively diverse. Many different types of forest occur within its 77 square miles. These forest types range from the mangroves ( togo ) on the coast to the montane scrub on the tops of Matafao and Rainmaker. Then there is the "urban forest" or the trees that provide beauty and shade in villages, parks, and other public areas. Each forest type has its own characteristics and faces different threats, and each forest type provides different resources that are valued by the community. For example, mangroves help protect the coastline and serve as a nursery for immature fish and crustaceans, and upland rainforests help protect the soil and underground water supplies.

The different tree and plant species that occur in each forest type provide different products of cultural importance, such as native woods and herbal medicines. The threats that endanger the different forest types also differ: mangroves are threatened by filling for construction and by accumulations of trash; the upland rainforests are threatened by alien invasive species, such as the tamaligi tree, that can out-compete the native trees. Having an accurate map of the different forest types will allow the Forestry Program to assist the community in managing the forest in ways appropriate to the resources, and to mitigate threats that characterize each forest type. Although vegetation maps have been made in the past, the Forestry Program feels it is now important to create a new map in order to take advantage of new technologies in satellite imagery analysis and to incorporate changes in the vegetation.

Anyone wishing further information about the ASCC Land Grant vegetation mapping project or the forest assessment and strategic planning process can contact Aufa'i Apulu Ropeti Areta or Neil Gurr at ASCC Land Grant, 699-1575.