Coconut Palms Dominate Over Half of Pacific Atoll Forests

First study of its kind shows that decades of coconut palm agriculture have led to deforestation on over 80 percent of Pacific atolls, and coconut palms now cover more than half the atolls’ forested areas.

The Gist

Coconut palms are king throughout the tropics serving as the foundation for human lives and cultures across the Pacific Ocean for centuries. However, 200 years of planting by colonial interests transformed the palm from the revered “Tree of Life” to a cash crop monoculture grown on Pacific atolls for a singular purpose—production of coconut oil (copra) for export around the world.

The Nature Conservancy and UC Santa Barbara released the first comprehensive maps of coconut agriculture, and the subsequent loss of native forests, on atolls throughout the tropical Pacific. Published in Environmental Research Letters, the research reveals that coconut palms now represent over half the tree cover on these low islands, ​confining ​​formerly widespread native broadleaf trees ​to small fractions of their natural ​range.

“That’s a problem,” says lead author Michael Burnett of UC Santa Barbara, “because replacement of broadleaf forests with coconut monocrops has been linked to groundwater depletion, declining seabird populations, and adverse impacts on adjacent coral reefs. Understanding the present extent of coconut plantation is crucial for confronting the challenges facing the communities across the Pacific’s 266 atolls.”

The Big Picture

“Coconut oil used to be essential to atoll economies, but today most coconut palm plantations are abandoned and overgrown,” notes Burnett. “With the growing climate threats facing Pacific atolls, it’s critical to figure out where these abandoned plantations are using up critical land and water resources, and where there may be opportunities to restore the native forests to the benefit of islands and islanders.”

Fortunately, coconut palm plantations have ​untapped potential for ecosystem restoration, resource conservation, and climate resilience. The paper’s vegetation maps are a first step in helping Pacific atoll communities visualize the state of their forests and evaluate the potential best uses—for coconut production, broadleaf forest restoration, or any path in between.

“As the world comes to terms with tradeoffs associated with converting primary forest to croplands, we should not ignore atoll forests and the opportunity to recover these dynamic, resilient systems,” says Alex Wegmann, Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy’s Island Resilience Strategy and an author on the paper. “There is increasing evidence atolls play an important role in ocean health as nodes of biological connectivity and as nutrient concentrators–restoring and protecting atoll ecosystems should be an ‘ocean health’ priority.”  

The Takeaway

Ecosystem management projects, including the conversion of abandoned coconut plantations to native forests and the restoration of seabird colonies, have shown great promise on atolls. Yet these are invariably multi-year endeavors, and such efforts must be pursued with urgency by local stakeholders to achieve resilience in the face of accelerating climate impacts.  

​“Coconuts and coconut trees are deeply woven into the lives and livelihoods of Pacific peoples and communities, symbolizing resilience, and sustenance” says Elizabeth Terk, Micronesia Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy. “However, restoring abandoned copra plantations on atolls to native forests offer invaluable ecological benefits, such as biodiversity recovery and climate resilience. Striking a balance between cultural heritage and environmental stewardship is essential for sustainable future. Mapping the extent of copra plantations on atolls is a crucial step for informed decision-making. Helping to provide a clearer picture of land use, enabling us to balance economic needs with ecological restoration and climate adaption efforts.”