Minami-Iwo-To: The Last Vestige of Wilderness in the Ogasawara Islands

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Minami-Iwo-To is a small, isolated member of the Volcano Islands, part of the Ogasawaras. It is a rare example of an island that has maintained a complete original ecosystem without human disturbances or invasive alien species owing to its severe topographical conditions. The most significant feature of Minami Iwo-To is that tens of thousands of seabirds breed there. Seabirds fulfill various ecosystem functions—they disperse seeds, add soil nutrients via their excrement and physically alter habitats. As an ecosystem with seabirds, Minami-Iwo-To can serve as a model for nature restoration programs in the Ogasawara Islands.