Kazan-retto islands (15049)
Japan, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Kazan-retto islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 24.7833, Longitude: 141.3167
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 916
Area of KBA (km2): 32.48738
Protected area coverage (%): 28.37
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The islands in Iwohretto are still active. They are a chain of islands on the Pacific Ocean about 1,200 km south of Tokyo metropolitan area, consisting of three islands- Kitaiwohto, Iwohto and Minamiiwohto. Iwohto is a flat island and 23.16 km2, and the highest point is at about 169 m. While Minamiiwohto is 3.54 km2, of which the highest peak is at 918 m, and Kitaiwohto is 5.57 km2, of which the highest point is 792 m. The island has precipitous cliffs. Kitaiwohto was inhabited before the World War, but not after the War. Leucaena leucocephala forests mainly dominate. There are natural ponds and marshes on the north part of Iwohto island, which are seldom among Ogasawarashoto islands.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 | |
| Forest | 33 | |
| Grassland | 33 |
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 | Only in the future |
| Geological events | Earthquakes/tsunamis | Only in the future | |
| Geological events | Volcanoes | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | War, civil unrest & military exercises | Ongoing |