Content Introduction to

Ecology of • : an overview • Ecology • Sumatra • Sumatra – the world heritage site • Main forest type of Sumatra Prepared by Onrizal • Lake Toba Under supervision of • Case study: services of shorelines protection Prof Mashhor Mansor

19 March 2008

Indonesia: an overview Indonesia: an overview

• The world’s largest archipelagic state • 17,508 islands • Main islands: – Greater • Æ divided between Indonesia Kalimantan, , and Malaysia’s state of Sabah and Sarawak • Sumatra • • – New Guinea – divided between Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua and independent nation of Papua New Guinea • Population: 222 million (2006) Indonesia is located at equator between two ( and ) between two ocean (Indian and Pacific)

A 16th century map of Sumatra Ecology Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera)

• the scientific study of the • Largest island entirely in distribution and abundance of Indonesia (approximately life and the interaction between 470,000 km2) organism and their natural • Sixth largest island in the environment world • Etymology Æ Sanskrit names of: – Swarnadwīpa ("Island of Gold") – Swarnabhūmi ("Land of Gold"), due likely to the gold deposits of the island's highlands

1 Sumatra

1 ,7 9 0 k • The interior of m • Sumatra is part of the ≅ the island is 1 Biodiversity Hotspot, one of 34 of ,1 0 dominated by 0 m the world where extraordinary levels of i two le 435 km ≅ 270 miles s biodiversity and endemism are coupled geographical with extremely high levels of threat. regions: • A total of 248 species found in Sumatra – the Barisan are listed as globally threatened on the Mountains are listed as globally threatened on the The highest point Æ active Mount Kerinci 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened in the west (3,805 m asl) (3,805 m asl) Species. – swampy plains in Most of Sumatra used to be covered the east by tropical rain forest

Sumatra Sumatra has

• Forest destruction remains the primary • Many big river threat to Sumatra’s spectacular biodiversity. • Many mount • Forest loss Æ 25% or 5.1 millions ha • Many lake (1990 to 2000), caused by commercial • Many forest type and illegal logging, as well as by land • conversion to oil palm and other • Etc. agricultural uses.

Sumatra – the world heritage site Sumatra – the world heritage site

Gunung Leuser National Park • 1,074,933 ha • Named after 3,381 m height of Bukit Barisan Selatan Mouth Leuser National Park Pongo abelii (CE; @ CI/David Hess) • Sumatran , Sumatran •336,233 ha Elephant, Sumatran •Sumatran Elephant, • Many endemic sp. (flora fauna) Sumatran Strippen Rabbit, Sumatran Rhino (60-85% of Kerinci Semblat National Park SR), • 1,300,647 ha • Including the highest peak of balangeran (CE; @ National Sumatra Herbarium Netherland/van Valgooy) • > 4000 sp. • Sumatran , Sumatran Rhino, Sumatran Elephant,

Bornean Clouded Leopard, Sources: Malayan Tapir, Malay Sun Bear, & •UNESCO. Tropical Heritage •Conervation International Indonesia et al. (2007) Key Dicerorhinus sumatrensis arnoldii 300 bird sp. Biodiversity Area (CE; @ CI/Haroldo Castro) The worlds’s largest individual flower

2 Sumatra – the world heritage site Sumatra – the world heritage site

Macaca pagensis Mentawai Ppanthera tigris (E; @ CI/Camera Trap) Critically Endangered © CI /Iwan Wijayanto

Rhacophorus angulirostris Elephas maximus (E; @ CI/Russ Kina Balu Flying Frog Mittermeier) Endangered © Andreas & Christel Noellert

Capricornis sumatraensis Serow Vulnerable Cairina scutulata White-winged © CI /Camera-trap duck (E; @ Riza Marlon)

Sources: Amorphopahllus titanum Amorphopahllus titanum •Conervation International Indonesia et al. (2007) Key The worlds’s tallest & largest flower The worlds’s tallest & largest inflorescence flower Biodiversity Area

Sumatra – the world heritage site

Notochelys platynota Malayan Flat-Shelled Turtle Vulnerable © CI /Darwin Initiative / Peter Paul van Dijk

Tomistoma schlegelii False Gharial Endangered © CI /Darwin Initiative / Peter Paul van Dijk

Ciconia stormi Storm’s Stork Endangered © CI /Brian Hutchinson

Sources: •Conervation International Indonesia et al. (2007) Key Biodiversity Area

Main Forest Type of Sumatra

Coastal forest Mangrove forest Swamp forest Tropical rain forest Peat swamp forest Tropical rain forest

Heath forest Sub montana forest Pine forest Mountain forest Heath forest

3 Lake Toba LOCATION North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. 2:21-2:56N, 98:26-99:15E; 905 m asl.

Mangrove forest

Swamp forest Peat swamp forest

Coastal forest

DESCRIPTION

Lake Toba lies in the northern part of Barisan Mountain Range, which is volcanic and traverses Sumatra Island from northwest to southeast as its backbone.

The lake trough is surrounded by precipitous cliffs 400-1,200 m high. Based on the topographic feature and the wide distribution of volcanic ejecta around the lake, some geologists and volcanologists have considered it to be a giant caldera or cauldron.

The water surface of L. Toba is 905 m above sea level and about 1,100 km2 wide. The total area of the lake, including the areas of Samosir and Paradapur Islands, amounts to 1,780 km2. The mountains around the lake are called Highlands. The only draining river from L. Toba, the Asahan, flows southeastwards dissecting the gentle slopes of the pyroclastic plateau.

Courtesy of Prof Ternala A Barus

Case Study

►Mangrove services of shorelines protection

4 LHOK NGA ( BESAR) ULEUE LHEU (BANDA ACEH)

Before After Before After

CALANG (ACEH JAYA) ACEH BESAR

Before After Before After

5 Sirombu, western coast of Nias Lahewa, northern coast of Nias (March 2005) (March 2005)

Courtesy of Onrizal Courtesy of Onrizal

Teluk Belukar, eastern coast of Nias (March 2005) Mangrove for shores protection

►Mangrove play an important role in storm protection, and this protection depended on the quality of the mangrove habitat. ►Degraded habitats or habitats with mangrove associate species instead of true mangrove species did not provide adequate protection

Courtesy of Onrizal

For more information

Please refer to: ►Tony Whitten, Sengli J Damanik, Jazanul Anwar, and Nazaruddin Hisyam (2000). The Ecology of Sumatra ►Others related website of Ministry of Forestry-Government of Indonesia, International Organization, and NGO

[email protected]; [email protected]

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