Siberut National Park

National park in indonesia

1°22′S 98°56′E / 1.367°S 98.933°E / -1.367; 98.933Area1,905 km²Established1992Governing bodyMinistry of Forestry

Siberut National Park comprises 1,905 km² (47%) of the island of Siberut in the Mentawai Islands of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The whole island including the national park is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.^[1]

The notable aspects of the park are its endemic fauna, flora, and indigenous inhabitants, the Mentawai, who still live according to hunter-gather traditions. The Mentawai Islands are thought to have been isolated from mainland of Sumatra for over 500,000 years, thereby producing unique ecosystems.^[1]

Flora and fauna

The dominant ecosystem type is Dipterocarpaceae rainforest, but the park comprises also four other ecosystems: mixed primary forest, swamp forest, coastal forest, and mangrove forest.^[2] A total of 864 plant species have been recorded in the park.^[1]

The park protects four endangered endemic primate species: Kloss's gibbon (Hylobates klossii), Siberut macaque (Macaca siberu), Siberut langur (Presbytis potenziani ssp. siberu) and pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor ssp. siberu). Among the 31 species of mammals in the park^[1] there are four endemic species of squirrel.^[2]

The park also protects 134 species of bird of which 19 are endemic,^[1] including the Mentawai scops owl.

Conservation and threats

Protection of the island's environment started in 1976 with the creation of the 6,500 ha Teitei Batti Wildlife Refuge. In 1979 this has been expanded to 56,500 ha and upgraded to Nature Reserve status. In 1981 the whole island has been declared a biosphere reserve. In 1993 the 190,500 ha large Siberut National Park has been declared.^[3]

Logging concessions threaten 70% of the forests outside the national park, and thus endanger the entire ecosystem of the island.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e UNESCO: Biosphere Reserves: Siberut, July 2011
^ ^a ^b Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia: "Siberut National Park" Archived 2013-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 16 December 2013
^ Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia: "History of Siberut Island Conservation Area", retrieved 16 December 2013
^ UNESCO: "Siberut Biosphere Reserve: Management and conservation challenges", retrieved 16 December 2013