As a legacy of unique evolutionary history, this ecosystem is an irreplaceable natural treasure. The following is a list of the 10 islands of the most unique ecosystems in the world.
1. Mona Island
Mona Island is located in the middle of the Mona Passage and administratively is part of Puerto Rico. It was the largest of three islands located in the straits, the other is the monitoring island and the island of Desecheo.
The island was discovered by Columbus in 1493, during a second trip to the New World. Mona Island has become a nature reserve since 1919 and uninhabited for more than 50 years.
Due to the unique topography and ecology of the Mona, Desecheo and the monitoring has been dubbed the "Galapagos Islands, Caribbean". Mona iguanas that are not found elsewhere in the world, is considered the most spectacular species on the island. As the largest native herbivore derived from these ecosystems, it is important to maintain a balance between climate and vegetation. The island is also home to many cave drawings left by the inhabitants of the island in pre-Columbian.
2. Sir Bani Yas
Sir Bani Yas is the largest island of nature in the United Arab Emirates. Over the last two decades the island has been converted to wildlife reserve by the ruler of United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed.
Millions of trees were planted and many species of animals introduced to the island, including deer, rhea, giraffe, and ostrich.
The Arabian gazelle, antelope species, now extinct in the wild, but Sir Bani Yas Island is home to more than 400 cattle that roam freely on the island.
3. Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island is a small island in the Tasman Sea, 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of mainland Australia. Lord Howe Island is an outstanding example of an island ecosystem, developed from submarine volcanic activity, has a rare diversity of scenery, flora and fauna.
Nearly half of the native plants of this island merrupakan endemic. One of the most famous is Howea, which is a member of the genus known palm with palm kentia and can be an ornamental plant home. Several million are exported every year which is a major industry on the island other than tourism. Lord Howe Island has a population of about 350 people. Only 400 tourists are allowed to visit this island at one time.
4. Mount Bosavi
Bosavi mountain is a volcano in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. An expedition in 2009 by a team of international scientists and a television crew from the BBC has found more than 40 species.
Previously unknown when they go down into the crater of Mount Bosavi and explore the virgin forest habitat filled with life that has evolved in isolation since the volcano last erupted at around 200 000 years ago.
Species found in this place are 16 species of frogs, at least 3 fish, various insects, spiders, bats and a giant rat, measuring 82 cm (32 inches) from nose to tail and weigh about 1.5 kg.
5. Ogasawara Islands
Ogasawara Islands is an archipelago consisting of 30 subtropical and tropical island, is administratively part of Tokyo but is located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of the city.
Until 1830, the Ogasawara Islands are uninhabited and are called "Muninjima" (meaning "uninhabited island") which changed its name to the Bonin Islands.
Because they have been free from human activity to date, the ecosystem of the island has been maintained properly. Ogasawara Islands are sometimes referred to as the Eastern Galapagos.
Currently there are about 2,300 people who live on the island of Chichijima and Hahajima, and about 17,000 tourists visit the islands each year, attracted by the island's unique ecosystem and the beauty of the sea.
6. Mount Roraima
A "table mountain" is found in the highlands of Guiana in South America. Tepui the highest (2772 m/9094ft) and most famous is Mount Roraima.
Because the mountain is really isolated from forest soil, nearly a third of plant species live in Roraima evolved there into a unique form in the highlands.
Mount Roraima has been made famous in 1912 when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a fictional novel titled The Lost World.
He describes climbing Mount Roraima by an expedition to search for prehistoric plants and dinosaurs that apparently they live in an isolated and unchanged for millions of years at the top of the mountain.
7. Christmas Island
Named in 1643 for the discovery day, Christmas Island is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. The island is located 2600 kilometers (1,600 miles) northwest of Perth.
The city has a population of about 1,400 inhabitants. Geographical isolation and minimal human disturbance history on the island led to a high endemic among the flora and fauna there.
Species endemic to the island's most famous is probably the red crab. Although limited to relatively small areas, it is estimated that up to now there are 120 million red crabs may live on the island, thus being the most abundant of 14 species of land crabs on Christmas Island.
The annual red crab mass migration to the sea to spawn has been called one of the wonders of the natural world and takes place every year around November.
8. Socotra
Socotra or Soqotra, an area off the coast of Yemen, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Largest island, also called Socotra, has an area of about 95% of the mainland islands.
The island is very secluded and is located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) east of the Horn of Africa and 380 km (240 miles) south of the Arabian Peninsula.
Isolation of geologic time on the islands of Socotra and the fierce heat and drought have contributed to creating a unique and wondrous ecosystem. Surveys have revealed that more than a third of the 800 or so plant species of Socotra are found nowhere else.
9. Komodo National Park
Komodo National Park is a national park in Indonesia located in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Park includes three main islands of Komodo, Padar and Rincah, and 26 smaller ones.
This park was originally established to conserve the unique Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard in the world. Since then conservation goals expanded to protect the entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.
Komodo dragons are the largest living reptiles and can reach 3 meters or more in length and weighing more than 70 kg. Because of their size, these lizards dominated island ecosystems where they live.
Although Komodo dragons eat mostly carrion of dead animals, they are formidable predators and will also hunt prey including birds, and mammals.
10. Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Islands is a small island which includes the volcanic islands in Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean to the east. The islands are quite remote and isolated, located about 1000 km (620 miles) west of South America.
Galapagos Islands consist of 15 main islands, three islands and 107 smaller islands and rocks scattered around the equator. Galapagos Islands duni famous for the unique ecosystem and the island which is a source of inspiration for the theory of natural selection by Charles Darwin. Giant tortoises, sea lions, penguins, marine iguanas and different bird species can all be seen and approached.
Tight controls on tourist access are maintained in order to protect natural habitats. The islands currently receive an average of 60,000 visitors per year.
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