Mapping of habitat critical to the surviMapping of habitat critical to the survival of the species

Mapping of habitat critical to the survival of the species

The distribution of Abbott’s booby breeding sites in 1991 was mapped by Yorkston and Green (1997)(Fig. 1). Most sites were mapped accurately, according to the island grid surveyed for phosphate mining. The accuracy of some sites mapped earlier and a few areas away from the grid could be improved by remapping them according to a few points established by Global Positioning System. However, given that most of the breeding habitat is in the National Park, and hence already protected, accurate mapping of habitat critical to the species within the park should be a low priority action.

Although most Abbott’s booby habitat is within the Park, its limited extent makes long-term protection of quality habitat outside the Park a desirable goal. Recommendations of the draft Conservation Management Plan for Terrestrial Wildlife on Christmas Island outside the National Park (Dexter 2002) include assessment of the ecological quality of primary rainforest outside the Park and mapping of habitat that fits the criteria of habitat critical for endangered species.

A more recent helicopter survey identified a significant cluster of nesting Abbott’s boobies outside the Park. Given this and the proposal by Phosphate Resources Ltd (PRL) to undertake surface mining, transport and off-site processing of phosphate at nine sites (EPBC 2001/487), which the Minister for the Environment and Heritage has declared must be assessed, mapping of important Abbott’s booby habitat on Crown Land and other jurisdictions outside the Park would be invaluable.