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The Amsterdam and Saint-Paul Islands of the South Indian Ocean are dormant volcanoes that rise from the ocean and provide habitats for a variety of species. About equal distances from Antarctica, Australia, and Africa, the islands are home to ocean-going animals, such as albatrosses, seals, and penguins.
The islands are made up of eroding volcanoes that house a number of plant species that vary with altitude. While the lower elevations are marked with tussock grass meadows and sedge grasslands, higher elevations are covered with dwarf shrubs, bogs, and mosses. On Amsterdam Island, the plateau at higher elevations was once the floor of the volcano’s crater.
The islands are an important home for many marine species. The Amsterdam albatross breeds only on Amsterdam Island, and other sea birds, such as the flesh-footed shearwater (named for the color of its feet) and the gentoo penguin, also call these islands home. This ecoregion is also an important breeding ground for the sub-Antarctic fur seal.
A variety of introduced species are causing problems for the native species in this ecoregion. Domestic cattle graze on native plants and trample sea bird eggs. Cats and introduced rats also threaten native species by feeding on roots, seeds, eggs and the breeding birds themselves. Introduced plants such as thistle are causing problems by crowding out native plants. For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report. All text by World Wildlife Fund © 2001
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