The SILVERY GIBBON PROJECT PO BOX 335 COMO 6952 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Website: www.silvery.org.au E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 61 8 92933052 September 2009 From the President… Dear Members, Welcome to the September edition of the Silvery Gibbon Project newsletter. We have lots of exciting news to report on this month, both on the home front and in Java. October is to see an historic event occur with the first release of ex-pet Javan Gibbon back into semi wild habitat. This project has been in the pipeline for many years and we are very excited that we have been able to contribute to the fruition of such an important step in Silvery gibbon conservation. The pair of gibbons, Echi and Septa have been residing in a purpose built soft release cage in an area of forest adjacent to the Javan Gibbon Centre and are due for actual release in mid October. We eagerly await news of their progress and wish the JGC staff (and the gibbons!) all the very best in this exciting leap forward. SGP Vice President Karen Payne and committee member Holly Thompson will be travelling to Java in early October and will have the opportunity to assist with some veterinary procedures on several gibbons as well as visit Echi and Septa in Pattiwel forest. A full report on their trip will be provided in the next newsletter. SGP Art Auction Committee have been working furiously to pull everything together for the much anticipated event on the 31st October. They have managed to source some beautiful artworks and this event is sure to be a great success for us. Please bring along your family and friends and share a great night with the Silvery Gibbon Project. We also hope you enjoy our article on Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park which was compiled by committee member Robin Stevens. This article provides some background information on one of the most important areas of remaining Silvery Gibbon habitat and introduces you to some of its other inhabitants. It is important to remember that through protecting silvery gibbon habitat, we indeed serve to protect so much more than this, we are preserving a whole ecosystem and all that lives within it. In this issue: Take care, President’s report ………………..………….1 Clare. Gunung Gede Pangrango ……………..….2 National Park Javan Gibbon Centre update ………....4 World Animal Day ………………….………..6 On the Home front …………………..…....8 Silvery Gibbon Project …………………...9 Art Auction Membership form ……………………......12 Photo: Kate O’Connell Page 2 Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park The following article was collated by Silvery Gibbon Project committee member Robin Stevens and provides brief information on the ecology of Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, one of Java’s last relatively un- disturbed mountain forests. The Javan Gibbon Centre, SGP’s primary project to date, borders this national park which is a protected area and has been a centre for biological research and conservation for over a hundred years. Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park is located in central West Java surrounding the twin volcanic moun- tains, Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango, both of which climb to 3,000m above sea level. The area lies close to the equator, and is hot and humid, and characterised by tropical forests and mountain grasslands and swamps. High elevation waterfalls cascade through lush tropical vegetation, and birds, insects, mammals and other animals fill the dawn with a chorus of sound. The park was established as one of Indonesia’s pre- eminent national parks in 1980 from existing areas set aside as conservation reserves. It forms part of the (UNESCO listed) Cibodas Biosphere Reserve, an area recognised for over a hundred years for its extraordi- nary rich biological diversity. In 1861 Sir Alfred Russell Wallace climbed the summits of both peaks, examin- ing flora, and later declared that it was the most interesting part of his visit to Java. The reserve can be divided into three principal forest zones, determined by altitude: sub-montane forest, montane forest, and at higher altitudes, subalpine forest, giving way to mountain grasslands and lakes. It is also the wettest for- est in Java, receiving 3,000 – 4,200 mm rain annually; and provides vast water resources to the surrounding areas, including a population of over 20 million people in the near region. Some of this water is trapped into large lakes (or tropical swamps), which themselves create mini-ecosystems within the wider biosphere. The park expands a little over 150 square kilometres in area (that is, 15km by 10km). Mount Gede offers wonderful natural attractions, such as Ratu crater – formed by previous volcanic erup- tions - and expansive displays of edelweiss flowers (Anaphalis javanica). Its proximity to Jakarta (some 120km) means that it is a popular location with both Javanese and foreign tourists; and is Java’s most climbed mountain. Gede-Pangrango has generally been recognised as one of the most important biodiversity rich areas within Indonesia, and a biological hot spot among the world’s protected conservation reserves. Large numbers of species – animal and plant - live within the reserve, several of which are endemic to the forest. This is critically important, as forests in Java are under serious threat from logging, with drastic con- sequences for numerous species which were once wide-spread throughout Java. The three forest types within the park are distinct in terms of the biology they support. The sub-montane (or lower montane) forest is supported by nutrient rich soils and clays, the result of past volcanic activity and dynamic weathering of the mountain slopes due to heavy rainfall and tropical storms. Sub-montane forest exists within the altitude range of 1000m - 1500m (asl), and incorporates the widest diversity of flora and fauna species among the three forest zones. These species are adapted to lowlands and low-altitude mountains. The area is in effect a distinct ecosystem. The forest floor is covered densely with mosses, herbaceous plants of various kinds, orchids, begonias, lianas and ferns; many of which are epi- phytes - plants and fungi that cling to other plants. They form an important part of the forest eco-system. Many, such as the orchids, trap tiny pools of water providing micro-habitats of a range of small organisms; and forests mosses - over 200 species of which live in the park - hold water, releasing it slowly, preventing erosion and nutrient run-off. An under-story of Ardisia fuliginosa and Dichrea febrifuga range 3m to 5m high. These expand below a lower canopy of laurel trees (Litsea spp.) and Antidesma tetandrum. Rising above them all – at between 30m to 60m - are the chestnuts (Castanopsis argentea and Castanopsis janavicus) and massive rasamala trees (Altingia excelsa). Here, the rasamalas exist at the upper (altitude) limit of their range, as do a num- ber of fauna – including the silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch). Silvery gibbons prefer to spend their time in the high canopy of the tallest trees, where they are safest. They eat almost exclusively forest fruits and leaves. Two introduced species; an orange-flowered tree, Cestrum auranticum, and the passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) are causing some problems, though the latter is a favoured food of the monkeys. Montane forest (or Upper montane forest) range in altitude from 1500m to 2400m (a.s.l.). The predominant spe cies of tree is the puspa (Schima walichii), but several conifers are also common. Clouds regularly hang Page 3 over the canopy, restricting sunlight. The cooler, damper and darker conditions at these higher altitudes mean that mosses flourish below the canopy. Other ground covering vegetation includes a range of herba- ceous plants, which are these days common garden shrubs, such as, begonia (Begonia isoptera), impatiens (Impatiens javensis) and lobelia (Lobelia angulata and Lobelia montana). The biological boundary, or ecotone, between the lower and upper montane vegetation is marked. The den- sity of vegetation (especially the under-story) is less in the upper montane, and generally quieter, as fewer animal species inhabit the zone. However, the rufous-tailed fantail (Rhipidura phoenicura) is a common bird seen about this zone. Sub-alpine forest exists above 2400m (a.s.l.). Species diversity is less marked than the lower regions. The tallest trees in this zone are the cantigi (Vaccinium varingiaefolium), which are fruit bearing trees with small edible berries. The cantigi can be seen on the high slopes of the mountains, and filter sunlight, protecting the plants below them from intense ultraviolet light. This high altitude zone, how- ever, is characterised by smaller trees (often stunted) and grasses. The mountain grasslands are character- ized by Javan edelweiss (Anaphalis javanica), also known locally as Bunga Abadi, tiny highland grass, and moss tussocks. Violets (Viola pilosa), buttercups, strawberries and primrose are also present, and lichens cling to plants and rocks, creating a unique eco-zone. Large highland swamps are located on the mountain tops, and provide further ecological variety within the Cibodas Biosphere, where the rare Javan hawk-eagle (Spizaetus bartelsi) can sometimes be spotted. Though there are fewer animals at the upper reaches of these mountains, the volcano swiftlet (Aerodramus vulcanorum) and island thrush (Turdus poliocephalus) are common sights. The forest’s rarest predator, the Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus javanicus), roams the upper areas in search of prey, and the Javan warty pig (Cuon alpinus javanicus) might be spotted about the swamps and grasslands. Shrews feast on the numerous inverbrates, and forest rats forage in the undergrowth. Gede Pangrango National Park has around 200 species of plant and over 550 species of vertebrate animal. (Continued on page 6) Page 4 Javan Gibbon Centre Update Things have been moving rapidly forward at the Javan Gibbon Centre! In the last newsletter we brought you an update on the development of the Pattiwel release site.