Ecological island

An ecological island is a term used in New Zealand, and increasingly in Australia, to refer to an area of land (not necessarily an actual island) isolated by natural or artificial means from the surrounding land,^[1] where a natural micro-habitat exists amidst a larger differing ecosystem. In New Zealand the term is used to refer to one of several types of nationally protected areas.

In artificial ecological islands (also known as mainland islands):

• all non-native species (at least predator species) have been eradicated,
• native species are reintroduced and nurtured, and
• the natural or artificial border is maintained to prevent reintroduction of non-native species.

The ultimate goal is to recreate an ecological microcosm of the country as a whole as it was before human arrival. There is usually provision for controlled public access, and scientific study and research.

The definition does not include land within a fence erected to:

• protect farm animals from wild predators
• protect a specific species from specific predators
• exclude farm animals only
• exclude native animals (although some native animals, weka for example, may need to be excluded during a species' recovery phase).