Lord Howe Island and Its Attributes

Lord Howe Island is a spectacular collection of oceanic volcanic islands with a diverse array of plants and animals. It is also the home to the world’s most southerly real barrier reef.

Lord Howe Island provides essential nesting grounds for seabird colonies and a crucial natural habitat for protecting threatened species. Endangered species include the Lord Howe Woodhen, a flightless bird previously considered the world’s rarest bird, and the Lord Howe Island Phasmid, which was thought to be extinct until it was discovered on the Pyramid of Balls.

Area of the  Lord Howe Island:

The Mutton Bird Islands, Ball’s Pyramid, Admiralty Islands and surrounding islets make up about three-fourths of the property’s terrestrial portion. This includes the southern and northern mountains of the Lord Howe Island, the Mutton Bird Islands, Admiralty Islands, surrounding islets and Ball’s Pyramid. The property’s location is around 569 kilometres in the east direction from Port Macquarie in the Sea of Tasman. The property’s total size, including the sea region and related barrier reefs, is 146,299 hectares, with a land area of about 1,539 hectares.

History and Timeline of Establishment:

The preserve was formed under the  Lord Howe Island(Amendment) Act, 1981, Section 19A.

Within three nautical sea miles of the Lord Howe Island and Ball’s Pyramid, the NewSouthWales province proclaimed a State Marine Park (46,545 acres).

From 1 to 13 nautical sea miles off from each central island, a Commonwealth Marine National Park (3,005 km2) has been declared. It copies the bottom of the seamounts beneath the Ball’s Pyramid and Island and extends to a depth of 99 meters. It is separated into three zones: one for Habitat Protection (category IV of IUCN) and the other two for Sanctuary (category Ia of IUCN).

Attributes of the Lord Howe island Groups:

Vegetation: Lord Howe Island is mostly covered in rainforest, which is unique in that only around ten per cent of it has been destroyed, while grazing animals have disturbed another ten per cent. There are many vegetation types, with the diversity reflecting the spectrum of habitats: lowland, montane, valleys, ridges, and coastal locations. Wind and salt spray exposure appears to be the essential factors of vegetation presence, structure, and floristics.

Fauna: Except for a small population of the big forest bat Eptesicus sagittula, no indigenous native mammals are known. Large colonies of seabirds nest on the islands. At least 168 bird species have been identified as either residing on the islands or coming as vagrants, with 14 seabirds and 18 land birds breeding regularly. Several of them are endangered or rare. Lord Howe Island skink Oligosoma lichenigera (VU) and the Lord Howe Island gecko Phyllodactylus guentheri are two endemic terrestrial reptiles threatened with extinction on the main island but plentiful on the other islands in the group.

Climate: With an average temperature of 16°C in August and 23°C in February, the island’s environment is humid and subtropical.

Population: On the comparatively level area in the central section of the main island, there exists a population of about 350 permanent people.

Visitors And Accommodation: The total number of tourists per year and revenue generated by tourism is unknown. The number of tourists allowed at any given time is limited to 400, with three to four hundred people present at any given moment during the summer. Light aircraft are the primary mode of transport. Four licensed guest homes with an entire board and 13 self-contained flat complexes are available. 

Listings of Heritage:

The  Lord Howe Islands Group was included in the World Heritage List for its distinct geography, plants and animals, and generally intact natural beauty, and significant habitats for threatened species. In the Australian state of New South Wales history, it has some major cultural heritage ties.

Based on the World Heritage List, the Lord Howe Island and surrounding Admiralty Islands, islets, Ball’s Pyramid, Mutton Bird Islands and associated barrier reefs and marine surrounds were added to the National Heritage List of Australia on May 21, 2007.

On April 2, 1999, Lord Howe Island was added to the State Heritage Register of New South Wales province.

Conclusion

Lord Howe has piqued scientists’ interest since it offers crucial habitats for biological variety conservation and has been studied and scarcely damaged since its comparatively recent discovery in 1778. A series of scientific missions immediately established the international relevance of the island’s natural history in the nineteenth century. About ten per cent of the Board’s budget is dedicated to environmental preservation.  Lord Howe Island and its associated islands are under the administration and management of the Lord Howe Island Board, which comprises three local citizens, despite being administratively part of the Australian state of New South Wales.