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ISLAND DIRECTORY
Islands of South Georgia
South Georgia [924]
Group: Archipelago: South Georgia
Country: United Kingdom - Falkland- South Georgia Region: South Atlantic
Lat: 54.48º S Long : 36.90º W
Area: 3717.5 sq. km Altitude: 2934 m
Shoreline: 700.1 km (scale 1:2500000) Coastal Index: 0.1883
Depth to nearest land: 1000 m
Nearest island: 1350 km group: 1350 km
Nearest continent: Antarctic Distance: 1600 km Isolation Index: 113
ISLAND TYPE: continental Natural Protection Indicator: 1
GEOLOGY/SOILS:
Elongate mountainous island 170 km by 5-40 km, high coastal cliffs
except to
north, deep bays and fjords; quartzose and tuffaceous sedimentary rocks
of
Mesozoic-Cretaceous origin, scree slopes, leached soils, podzols and
peat
accumulations; glaciers over 60% of island, numerous glacial ponds and
streams
CLIMATE: wet subpolar mean 2øC (-2 to 5ø), 1500 mm
ECOSYSTEMS: Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 4 Marine: 1
Coastal tussock [Paradiochloa (Poa) flabellata] grassland, dry meadows,
and
wet heath up to 250 m, fellfield, moss/lichen communities above 250-300
m;
ponds and streams; rocky shores with Macrocystis kelp offshore
| SPECIES NUMBERS: |
Total |
Endemic |
Threatened (EVRI) |
| Plants |
26 |
2 |
0 |
| Butterflies |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Land snails |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Rept/Amphib |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Land birds |
5 |
2 |
0 |
| Mammals |
3 |
0 |
0 |
SPECIES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST:
Plants:
26 native vascular plants, 2 endemics
125 mosses, 85 liverworts, 150 lichens
Acaena magellanica georgiaeaustralis (herb) endemic
Uncinia smithii (herb) endemic
Invertebrates:
148 arthropods, 40 insects, 50 endemics
4 spiders
1 earthworm
euchytraeids
1 land snail
10 freshwater crustacea
Reptiles/amphibians:
no indigenous species
Birds:
5 terrestrial species, including:
Anthus antarcticus (South Georgia Pipit) endemic
Anas georgica (South Georgia Pintail)
24 breeding seabirds plus 26 visitors
(more than half world populations in some cases)
Mammals:
6 seals, 4 breeding
Marine life:
10 endemic bottom-dwelling fish
SPECIES RICHNESS:
Species Richness Indicator - Terrestrial: 0 Marine: 1
poor
ENDEMISM: Terrestrial: Terrestrial Endemism Indicator - Island: 1 Group: 1
2 plants, 2 birds
Marine endemic species: 10
Marine Endemism Indicator - Island: 3 Group: 0
SPECIAL FEATURES : Special Features Indicator - Terrestrial: 2 Marine: 1
seabird/penguin rookery, seal rookeries
many seals and whales
INVASIVE SPECIES: Invasive Species Indicator: 3
60 plants, Reindeer, rats, mice, invertebrates
Rangifer tarandus (Reindeer) introduced 1911, now number 2000
HUMAN OCCUPATION: Inhabited, research station and military garrison
Population: 22 (1980) Density: 0.0 persons/sq. km
Maximum known population: 499
Growth Rate: 0.0%/yr Stable
Major Human Activities: scientific research, military, limited tourism
HUMAN IMPACTS:
Annexed by Captain Cook in 1775; centre of British and American sealing
from
1790; several whaling stations 1904-1965, elephant seal industry
1910-1964,
with population of 499 in 1964; British Antarctic Survey base
established
1969, unoccupied since 1982; military garrison since 1982.
Habitat: research/military bases Urban Pop: 0 Urban Indicator: 0
Accessibility: port
Conservation support: tenure, government support, legislation
PROTECTED AREAS: Protected Area Coverage Indicators - Terrestrial: 7 Marine: 0
Number: 3 Area: Terrestrial: 3717.5 sq. km Marine: 0 sq. km
Entire island is protected without special designation (375,600 ha)
Cooper Island, Specially Protected Area (500 ha)
Bird Island, Site of Special Scientific Interest (450 ha)
Annenkov Island, Site of Special Scientific Interest (1,500 ha)
Grytviken, Area of Special Tourist Interest
Bay of Isles, Area of Special Tourist Interest
Covered by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine
Living
Resources
DATA RELIABILITY: good Data Rel. Indicator: 3
HUMAN IMPACT INDEX HI: 3
CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX CI-Terrestrial: 11 Moderate
CI-Marine: 14 Moderate
REFERENCES:
Clark, M.R. and Dingwall, P.R. 1985. Conservation of islands in the
Southern
Ocean: a review of the protected areas of Insulantarctica. IUCN,
Gland and
Cambridge. 193 p.
Johnson, Timothy H. 1989. Unpublished ICBP profiles of Atlantic
islands.
Last updated: 15/09/90
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Page last updated: 09/05/10