The island of New Guinea is home to one of the largest, most intact and biodiverse forest systems on the planet. The island itself is divided between the nation of Papua New Guinea, which makes up the eastern half of the island, and the Western half, which is the disputed territory of West Papua that is incorporated into Indonesia but is claimed by native groups.

What is clear is that the unique forests of New Guinea are under increasing threat from rapid development from roads like the Trans-Papua Highway, commercial logging and permanent conversion of agricultural commodities like pulpwood and palm oil.

French landscape ecologist David Gaveau was formerly the coordinator of the....