Freycinetia awaiarensis

Normanby Island now exports pineapples and some copra and timber (Encyclopædia Britannica 2016, R.Johns pers.comm. 2016), which suggests that agricultural activity and logging may be impacting on the natural vegetation at lower altitudes and there are also ongoing habitat losses as a result of shifting agriculture at these lower altitudes (BirdLife International 2014). However, as this species only occurs just below the summit of Mt Pabinama, the altitude, together with the steep gradients, make this area unsuitable for agriculture and the scrubby forest less suitable for timber. The island is part of the Dawson Strait volcanic group. It is noted, in the Global Vulcanism Program, that the monitoring station on Normanby, at Esa Ala, recorded occasional seismic swarms from 1989-99, but there has been no historical eruptive activity (Siebert et al. 2010, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History 2016, Volcano Discovery 2016). However, earthquake activity has the potential to cause landslides on the steeper slopes. Landslides also result from a build up of excessive biomass on forested slopes and from intense rainstorms. In areas of Southeastern Papua cyclones have also been known to flatten areas of rainforest (Johns 1986). In addition fire is a threat to habitats, particularly in dry years, for example, on the mainland, in the Finisterre Ranges large areas were deforested as a result of fires, probably during the El Niño period of 1997-1998. Such droughts associated with El Niño and global warming impacts are becoming more frequent and severe (Shearman et al. 2008).

There is only one small protected area on the island (IUCN 1991) and this is not near the area of herbarium specimen collection. Further research is needed into the distribution, population status and trends, specific threats and any actions needed. Raising awareness of the very limited distribution of this species and establishing protected area status for the area where it occurs are recommended. Also ex situ conservation measures should be considered for this endemic range restricted species.