| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Hosnie's Spring |
| Designated | 11 December 1990 |
| Reference no. | 512[1] |
Hosnies Spring formerlyHosnie's Spring orHosnies Springs) is awetland onChristmas Island, anAustralian external territory in the easternIndian Ocean. It has been recognised as being of international importance by designation under theRamsar Convention on Wetlands.
Hosnies Spring was known earlier but the uniqueecosystem was noted in late 1980s. It was incorporated into theChristmas Island National Park in 1989, and listed on 11 December 1990 as Ramsar site 512, one of two such sites on the island and the smallest in the world.[2] In 2010 a proposal was made to increase the area of the Ramsar site to 202 ha. Justification for its Ramsar designation is because it:[3]
Although some restrictedphosphate mining occurs nearby, human activity has had little impact on the site.
The small, 3,300 m2 site comprises permanentfreshwaterstreams andseepages emerging from the base of acliff on anupliftedmarine terrace about 24–37 masl and 120 m inland from the seaward cliff.[4]
Thesprings form a wetland supporting a unique 120,000-year-old stand of themangrovesBruguiera gymnorhiza andBruguiera sexangula.[4] The stand contains between 300 and 600 trees, including some of the largestBruguiera ever recorded, several with trunks of more than 80 cmdiameter and with a canopy 30–40 m high. Several species ofbirds andcrabs endemic to the island occur on the site.[3]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)[permanent dead link]10°28′40″S105°41′30″E / 10.47778°S 105.69167°E /-10.47778; 105.69167
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