ÿþ<html lang="en"> <head> <title>Round Island - &Icirc;le Ronde</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="Description" content="Round Island is a 151-hectare nature reserve about 20 kilometers off the northern coast of Mauritius. It is said to support more threatened plant and animal forms than any comparable area on earth"> <meta name="KeyWords" content="Mauritius,Maurice,Mauritian,Mauricien,Mascarene,Mascareignes,Island,Round, Gecko,Hurricane,Palm,Goat,vegetation,Phelsuma guentheri"> <meta name="Resource-type" content="Document"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/en.css"> <script language=javascript src="/en.js"></script> </head> <body bgcolor="FFFFF0" font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"> <center> <a name="Top"></a> <table width="686" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody > <tr> <td width="380" Height=1><img height=1 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=380 border=0></td> <td width= "5" Height=1><img height=1 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=5 border=0></td> <td width="301" Height=1><img height=1 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=301 border=0></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <table border="1" width="100%" bgcolor="#336699" height="88"> <tr> <td width="261"> <table width="261" border="0" cellpadding="2" height="73"> <tr> <td width="93" height="71"><img src="/Images/Logo.png" width="93" height="73" border="0"></td> <td width="154" align="center" height="71" bgcolor="#336699"> <table border="0" cellpadding="2"> <tr> <td> <font size="3" color="#E9E9E9" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">ENCYCLOP&AElig;DIA</font> <br> <font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="6" color="#E9E9E9">Mauritiana</font> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5"></font></td> <td align="center"> <font size="6" color="#E9E9E9" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Round Island - &Icirc;le Ronde</font></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p> Round Island is the remnant of an extinct, eroded and now partly submerged volcanic cone situated about 22 kilometres (15 miles) to the North East of Mauritius, this island is an ecological treasure house. Numerous species of endemic plants some of which no longer exist on the mainland and the presence of endemic reptiles make this island a unique place. </p> <p>It is some 150 hectares in extent and raises like a cone out of the water to reach a maximum height of 300 metres. The geological basic composition is an agglomeration of tuff, volcanic ash, laid down in compact layers that look like rock. </p> <p>Round Island is sufficiently isolated that not only is it the final refuge for many Mascarine endemics, but over the eons, a number of unique animals and plants have evolved there, but like Mauritius, it has suffered degradation. </p> <p>In the early 19th century goats and rabbits were introduced to Round Island. Their browsing was largely responsible for the total loss of the island s natural hardwood scrub-forest, the severe degradation of the last example of a unique palm association, as well as the loss through erosion of around 90% of the island s soil. So severe was the destruction that this photo shows the only remaining individual of the Round Island Hurricane Palm on the island. Goats were removed in 1979 and in 1986 Don Merton and team eradicated the rabbits, thus saving this unique plant species along with ~15 other Red Data Book plants & animals in their native home. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Articles :</h3> <a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/Success.htm">Case Study: Round Island - A Success Story</a><br> <a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/Scientifiques.htm">Les scientifiques s'installent à l'île Ronde</a> <br> <a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/Surveillance.htm">L'Ile Ronde sous surveillance écologique</a> <br> </td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td align="right" valign="top"> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0 width="151"> <tbody class="ArialBlack"> <tr> <td width="10" height="1"><img height="1" width="10" border="0"></td> <td colspan="2" height="1"><img height="1" width="117" border="0"></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor=#336699 height="2"> <td width="10" ><img width=10 height=2 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif"border=0></td> <td width="112" height="2"><img height=2 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=112 border=0></td> <td width="5" height="2"><img height=2 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=5 border=0></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor=#336699> <td height="23">&nbsp;</td> <td colspan="2" height="23" valign="middle" align="left" class="IndexWhite"> <p><a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/index.html">Round Island - Île Ronde</a></p> </td> </tr> <tr bgcolor=#F3F3F3 height="2"> <td width="10" ><img width=10 height=2 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif"border=0></td> <td width="112" height="2"><img height=2 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=112 border=0></td> <td width="5" height="2"><img height=2 alt=. src="/Images/pixel.gif" width=5 border=0></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="F3F3F3" valign="baseline"> <td><img src="/Images/RightGreyOn_F3F3F3.gif" width="8" height="9" align="baseline"></td> <td colspan="2"><a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/index.html">Introduction</a></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="F3F3F3" valign="baseline"> <td><img src="/Images/RightGreyOn_F3F3F3.gif" width="8" height="9" align="baseline"></td> <td colspan="2"><a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/Success.htm">Success Story</a></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="F3F3F3" valign="baseline"> <td><img src="/Images/RightGreyOn_F3F3F3.gif" width="8" height="9" align="baseline"></td> <td colspan="2"><a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/Scientifiques.htm">Les scientifiques s'installent à l'île Ronde</a></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="F3F3F3" valign="baseline"> <td><img src="/Images/RightGreyOn_F3F3F3.gif" width="8" height="9" align="baseline"></td> <td colspan="2"><a href="/Nature/Geography/Islets/RoundIsland/Surveillance.htm">L'Ile Ronde sous surveillance écologique</a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0 width="151"> <tbody class="ArialBlack"> <tr> <td width="10" height="1"><img height="1" width="10" border="0"></td> <td colspan="2" height="1"><img height="1" width="117" border="0"></td> </tr> <tr 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