Hahajima islands (15048)
Japan, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Hahajima islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 26.6500, Longitude: 142.1500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 462
Area of KBA (km2): 25.85418
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Hahajimaretto islands are located 1,050 km south of Tokyo metropolitan area. It consists of Hahajima, Mukojima, Hirashima, Anejima, Imotojima, Meijima and others. Hahajima, the largest island, is about 20.21 km, the highest point is Chibusayama at about 463 m high. The island has a perimeter of about 58 km, and most are steep cliffs. Although main islands had once been settled before the World War II, all islands became uninhabited by the time of the reversion of Ogasawara islands to Japan in 1968. With this history, lost forests by the plantation have been rather recovered. However, Bischofia javanica, which was planted for firewood before the war is an invasive species competing with native vegetation since 1980, so the AKAGI (Bischofia javanica) extermination project has been going on.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Only in the future |
| Geological events | Earthquakes/tsunamis | Only in the future |