- Hans Lollik Island
The Hans Lollik Islands are two islands in the US Virgin Islands. [cite book |title=Our American Tropics |last=Jennings |first=John E. |year=2007 |publisher=READ BOOKS |isbn=1406742708 |pages=p. 224 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Sqr4sUE1KokC&pg=PA224&dq=%22Hans+Lollik%22+%2B(island+OR+islands)&num=100&client=firefox-a&sig=zkOeUu-h7KElndGwJrcK1DGwI74 ] The islands are owned by Bruce Randolph Tizes and Peter R. Morris.
Great Hans Lollik Island ("GHL") is found approximately 8,000 feet (2½ km) beyond the central northshore of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, separated from St. Thomas by theLeeward Passage .Little Hans Lollik andPelican Cay lie to the north of Hans Lollik on the same shelf. The major part of thebenthic zone around Hans Lollik is rocky and supports a dense diversecoral habitat.Fact|date=May 2008Terrestrial features
The terrestrial features of the Hans Lollik group are functions of their natural
topography , exposure totrade winds , and consequences of human occupation. In part because of its low elevation, GHL receives about 44 inches (1,120 mm) ofrainfall annuallyFact|date=May 2008, . Her east and northeast slopes experience regular northeasterlytrade wind s. The leeward hillsides and guts retain more moisture and support plant communities that differ from those on windward slopes in growth form andspecies composition.Fact|date=May 2008Human occupation has had a significant impact on the ecology of the island. From the early 1700s to the 1850s, the Virgin Islands were clear-cut and farmed. Local historians estimate that about 30 to 40 acres (12 to 16 ha) of GHL was cultivated for
cotton during this period. The steep profile of the island caused exposed soil to creep and wash into the sea as sediment run-off; some estimate that several feet oftopsoil were lost during this agricultural period. In the 1940s and 1950s, GHL was logged fortimber which was sold inSt. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands . While onlydonkeys , andEuropean rabbits remain on the island,goats also occupied the island in the past years.Fact|date=May 2008The legacy of modern human occupation of Hans Lollik has produced an island dissimilar to that seen by the
Arawak prior to the island’s discovery by Europeans (at the end of the 15th century). Clear-cutting, burning, and logging have modified the island’s vegetation. Seed stock for species once present on the island no longer exists locally. Fire allowed resistant species (e.g.,thatch palm ) to dominate, and logging left stock for a future forest canopy dominated bysoftwoods (e.g.,loblolly pine ,blolly , andGeiger tree ). Concomitantly, settlers introduced exotic species andcultivars , some of which spread and now dominate present plant communities on the island.Fact|date=May 2008Animal life
No native terrestrial
mammals occur on either of Great Hans Lollik or Little Hans Lollik. Theblack rat ("Rattus rattus") was introduced by early European settlers within the last 500 years. TheEuropean Rabbit ("Oryctolagus cuniculus"),cat s ("Felis cattus") anddonkey s ("Equus asinus") have been intentionally released. There should be four native species of bats present: "Noctillio jeporinus " (a fishing bat), "Molossus molossus " (a small insectivore),Jamaican fruit bat "Artibeus jamaicensis", andAntillean Fruit-eating Bat "Brachyphylla cavernarum" (a pollen and nectar feeder).Fact|date=May 2008Reptiles and amphibians
The
herpetofauna of Hans Lollik has not been well studied, but species composition should closely resemble that of St. Thomas. Several species of lizards, common on nearby islands, have never been documented on Hans Lollik. During a 1990s surveyFact|date=September 2007, sight records of three previously unrecorded reptiles were established: two lizards ("Ameiva exul " and "Anolis pulchellus ") and a snake ("Liophis portoricensis "). Another lizard, "Anolis stratulus ", was collected for the first time. Lizards previously documented include: "Anolis critatellus " and "Sphaerodactylus macrolepus ".Fact|date=May 2008Based on their distribution and habitat requirements on surrounding islands, one might expect the following species to be present as well: "
Iguana iguana ", "Hemidactylus mabouia ", "Mabuya mabouya ", and "Amphisbaena fenestrata ". "Iguana pinguis ", a species endemic to the Puerto Rico Bank, has been extirpated from most developed islands in the region, but might survive on one or more of the islands in the study area. Two snakes found on St. Thomas might occur on Hans Lollik: "Typhlops richardii " and "Liophis exequuis ". "Liophis portoricensis " (a lizard-eating ground snake) has been reduced in numbers or extirpated on the large islands within its range. "Geochelone carbonaria ", the red-legged tortoise, has not been recorded but may be present.Fact|date=May 2008No
amphibians are known to live on Hans LollikFact|date=May 2008, but it is possible that one or more species ofcocqui ("Eleutherodactylus ") occurs there. These tiny frogs create foam nests to protect their eggs andtadpoles fromdesiccation and standingfreshwater is not required for reproduction while adult frogs hide in damp areas, such as the leaf bases of bromeliads, to avoid xeric conditions.Fact|date=May 2008Avifauna
Many bird species are seasonal visitors to the offshore cays and are only in evidence at Hans Lollik during the summer breeding season. The most conspicuous birds at the study sites are the resident
seabird species, including thebrown booby ("Sula melanogaster") and thebrown pelican ("Pelecanus occidentalis"). Both species utilize thebait -rich waters of Hans Lollik for feeding; both species target white fry, blue fry, or false pilchard as preferred prey. The prime roosting spots for these species have been located and mapped byJDA to enable the site planning process to avoid these areas. Hans Lollik has no critical nesting sites for any bird species. The cliff-site nesting areas for the tropic bird are de facto protected from humans by their precarious cliff location.Fact|date=May 2008Hans Lollik has not been a historically important
brown pelican -nesting site, and the sparse nesting which now occurs is opportunistic. This nesting may well be the result of a booming local population of pelicans, which is spreading out to new roosting and nesting sites, or it may be the result of displacement from other islands and cays. The brown pelican is listed as endangered, both federally and by the Virgin Islands. The brown pelican was once thought to be doomed due to the eggshell-thinning events brought about byDDT contamination. Since the DDT ban went into effect, brown pelican populations throughout the US have recovered, causing the species to be delisted throughout much of its range. The southeast U.S. (including Virgin Islands) populations have not yet been delisted, but indications are that these populations are also recovering.Fact|date=May 2008Noddy terns ("
Anous stolidus "),least tern s ("Sterna albifrons"),sooty tern s ("Sterna fuscata"), androyal tern s ("Thalasseus maximus") have all been recorded as nesting on nearby Pelican Cay, but not on Hans Lollik Island. Other bird species seen on Hans Lollik include the ubiquitous pearly-eyed thrasher ("Margarops fuscatus "), thebananaquit ("Coeroba flaveloa"), theoystercatcher ("Haematopus pallitus"), and thesparrowhawk ("Falco sparverius").Fact|date=May 2008Benthic features
The area between Hans Lollik and Little Hans Lollik is relatively shallow and is primarily a hard bottom with scattered large patches of sand and cobble. Currents flowing between the two islands are generally to the west, and are often quite swift. The shallows along the shores of both islands are colonized by head corals, "
Diplora strigosa ", "D. clivosa", "Sidereastrea siderea ", "D. labyrinthiformis", "Colpophyllia natans ", "Porites astreoides ", "Montastrea annularis ", "M. cavernosa" and "Dendrogyra cylindrus ". There are scattered elkhorn coral "Acropora palmata ", and staghorn coral "A. cervicornis". In the shallower areas, less than 10 ft (3 m) most of the "Acropora " is alive, while deeper there are numerous skeletons of these once massive spreading corals. There are also some very large remnants of "Porites porites " colonies that lie between the two islands. Some of these mounds are 10 to 12 ft (3 to 4 m) in height and width. "Agarcia ", "Millepora ", "P. porites", and a variety of sponge species have colonize the dead coral of these mounds. The entire area is destiny colonized by soft coral species andsea plumes , fans feathers are scattered throughout. To the southwest there is a sandy beach, and the sand extends offshore into the bentic environment. Within this sandy area there are emergent areas of rock that have become colonized by corals ("Siderastrea " and "Diplora ") andalga e. Further offshore there is shallow reef area that is highly impacted by the on coming waves. The reef area supports of variety of soft and hard coral colonization. Along the western side of the island and along the northwestern tip the shoreline is rocky, and the rock extends below the sea. There are large boulders and slabs of rock that lie just below the waters surface along the shore. A diverse community of corals and sponges colonizes this rock substrate that rapidly drops to a depth of 20 to 25 ft (6 to 8 m). Head corals ("Diplora strigosa", "D. clivosa", "Sidereastrea siderea", "D. labyrinthiformis", "Colpophyllia natans", "Porites astreoides", "Montastrea annularis", "M. cavernosa" and "Dendrogyra cylindrus"), branching corals ("Acropora palmate", "A cervicornis", "Porites porites"), and fire corals ("Millepora" spp.) are common within this area.Fact|date=May 2008Cetaceans and other marine species
The most common
cetacean species to move through the waters of the greater Hans Lollik area includebottlenose dolphin s ("'Tursiops truncatus") andhumpback whale s ("Megaptera novaeangliae"). Somepilot whale s ("Globicephala melaena") may also occur in the area. The presence ofhumpback whales is seasonal, with peak migrations occurring during January through March. In addition to reef fish, schooling fish have been evaluated in the area around GHL and Litte Hans Lollik. Fish abundance is greatest in the offshore area of the east coast fringing reef and in the deep-water areas off the northwest corner of GHL. Threesea turtle species occur around the island, theHawksbill Turtle ,Green Turtle , andLeatherback Turtle .Fact|date=May 2008.Prehistoric and historic human occupation
No significant evidence of prehistoric aboriginal occupation of the island has been found. Based upon historic accounts, a series of cotton plantation establishments were apparently developed and maintained from at least 1769, but probably several decades earlier. This occupancy continued until the mid-nineteenth century, followed by another enterprise in the 1950s. More recent uses have included logging, fishing, residence by an individual, and cattle raising in the 1950s when the existing overgrown circumferential road was created. An underwater survey of the bays on Hans Lollik failed to find any archaeological or cultural resources of importance. In Coconut Bay, a modern shipwreck was identified some years ago.Fact|date=May 2008
Trade winds
The Virgin Islands lie in the “
Easterlies ” or “Trade Wind s” which traverse the southern part of the "Bermuda High" pressure area. Thus, the predominant winds are usually from the east-northeast and east. These trade winds vary seasonally and are broadly divided into four seasonal modes: December to February; March to May; June to August; and September to November. There are numerous disturbances during the year, especially squalls and thunderstorms. These occur most frequently during the summer, lasting only a few hours and cause no pronounced change in the trade winds.Fact|date=May 2008.Nearby small islands and cays
* Necker Island (owned by Sir
Richard Branson )
* Guana Island & Norman Island (owned byHenry Jarecki )
* Little St. James (owned byJeffrey Epstein )
* Great St. JamesReferences
* Bruce Randolph Tizes [http://www.galtcapital.com]
* Alton A. Adams, Jr.
* Amy Dempsey, Bioimpact
* William Baird, W. F. Baird and Associates
* James Dobbin, Dobbin Associates
* Ronald Thomas, MAAR Associates
* Claudette Lewis, Director of Archaeology, USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources
* Vance P. Vincente, Wildlife Biologist,United States Fish and Wildlife Service
* Tere Rodrigues,U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
* McGill Marltime, Montreal, Quebec
*CISTI , Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information
* Marine Environmental Data Services, Asheville, North Carolina
*National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Distribution Branch, Riverdale, Maryland
* National Ocean Services Tidal Datum, Quality Assurance Section, Rockville, Maryland
* Zufriendenheit Archaeological Project, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
* P. L. Tolson, Tolson Zoo, Toledo, Ohio
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