Île de l'Est (6898)
French Southern Territories, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1, B2, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Île de l'Est
Central coordinates: Latitude: -46.4167, Longitude: 52.1667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1090
Area of KBA (km2): 117.43285
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Île de l’Est is, as its name suggests, the easternmost island of the Crozet archipelago. It is also the most mountainous, reaching 1,090 m, with a coastline of high cliffs. Several steep-sided valleys of glacial origin cut across the island, in three of which rabbits occur, the only introduced animal species. Otherwise, the landscape is mainly mountainous bare rock. There is no human presence or infrastructure on the island, which is only rarely visited by research scientists.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. In addition, numbers of Pterodroma lessonii, Anas eatoni and Chionis minor are believed to exceed thresholds, but no quantitative data are available. This island holds the most diverse community of seabirds in the world: 32 species, of which 19 are hole-nesting petrels. Many are believed to number tens of thousands of pairs. Three taxa are particularly abundant, Pelecanoides georgicus, P. urinatrix and Pachyptila salvini salvini. Estimates of the population sizes of each are of several million pairs which, in the case of P. s. salvini, represents 80% of its global population. The site is also home to 350 pairs of Diomedea melanophris. Non-bird biodiversity: The island is home to the largest population of the mammal Mirounga leonina in the archipelago. Orcinus orca (LR/cd) occur in coastal waters. There is no information on fur seals Arctocephalus spp. Three endemic plant and 59 endemic arthropod species occur.
Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | not utilised
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The whole island is an ‘Area restricted to scientific and technical research’ to which access is limited. It is also a proposed Nature Reserve. Bird populations, unlike the vegetation, seem little affected by the presence of rabbits. There is a real risk of the accidental introduction of rats.
Additional information
References: Despin et al. (1972), Jouventin and Micol (1992), Jouventin et al. (1984, 1988, 1996), Weimerskirch and Jouventin (1987, 1997), Weimerskirch et al. (1999).