Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra

Coordinates: 49°15′S 69°10′E / 49.25°S 69.17°E / -49.25; 69.17
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra
Kerguelen cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica) and Acaena sp. on Kerguelen
Ecoregion territory (islands inside red-dashed box)
Ecology
RealmAntarctic
Biometundra
Geography
Area7,441 km2 (2,873 sq mi)
Countries
Overseas territories
Coordinates49°15′S 69°10′E / 49.25°S 69.17°E / -49.25; 69.17
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/endangered
Protected0 km2 (0%)[1]

The Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra is a tundra ecoregion that includes several subantarctic islands in the southern Indian Ocean. [2] [3] [4]

Location and description

The ecoregion stretches from Prince Edward Islands in the west, past the Crozet Islands to the Kerguelen Islands 1500 km to the east, and includes the active volcano Heard Island and the nearby McDonald Islands.

Flora

These rocky islands support a variety of plant life, such as

Pringlea antiscorbutica), historically a source of vitamin C for sailors, is found on all the islands, not only the Kerguelens. There are also a number of endemic lichens and liverworts
.

Fauna

The islands are home to birds and insects such as

Macronectes giganteus)), Antarctic fur seal (Arctophoca gazella) and subantarctic fur seal (Arctophoca tropicalis
) on Prince Edward, Crozet and Heard Islands.

Vulnerable or endangered birds include three endemics, the duck, Eaton’s pintail (

Procellaria aequinoctialis
)).

Other breeding birds include the land-based

Pterodroma mollis
).

The largest seabird colonies are on the Prince Edward Islands, followed by the Crozet Islands which have breeding colonies of all six species of albatross as well as more than half the world's population of king penguins (

Aptenodytes patagonicus
).

All six Antarctic seals can be found here, the two fur seals, leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), and crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus)). The fur seals and southern elephant seal breed in the region, and are increasing in numbers now that seal-hunting has stopped, while large numbers of leopard seals winter on the rocks of Heard Island. The colony of southern elephant seals on Heard Island and the Kerguelens is one of the three largest in the world.

Threats and preservation

These isolated islands are relatively unspoilt but their wildlife is not very varied and therefore can be quickly damaged by any human activity and particularly by

Dissostichus eleginoides) in the seas around the islands; gray-headed albatross and white-chinned petrel have been especially damaged by this industry as they habitually follow fishing boats.[5]

See also

References

  1. PMID 28608869.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link
    )     Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  2. ^ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  4. ^ "Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

External links

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