Pitcairn Islands
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Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn, Henderson, Oeno and Ducie form the isolated Pitcairn Islands (south central Pacific). Pitcairn, a small but mountainous island, is inhabited by the descendants of the Bounty mutineers. Henderson is a raised atoll covered by extensive woodland and has been designated as World Heritage Site. Like all inhabited oceanic island, Pitcairn has been heavily affected by centuries of human activities, however its natural ecosystem has fared comparatively better than that of other tropical islands. As elsewhere soil erosion is a problem. Stands of heavily disturbed native forests remain and a number of endemic plants and more particularly animals have survived. However numerous non-native species have been introduced to Pitcairn and some pose a threat to the native biodiversity and agricultural systems. The miro tree from Henderson Island is extensively harvested by Pitcairners to make curios. Being the islanders' major source of income the sustainable management of this resource is an important conservation issue. |
View of Pitcairn from the south-west |  |
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| St Paul's natural sea pool during heavy seas (height of stacks is over 10m) |  |
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| The Hollow - area that has suffered from soil erosion since the 19th century (113520 bytes) |  |