Sumatran Islands Lowland and Montane Forests - A Global Ecoregion
Sumatran Islands Lowland and Montane Forests
Snapshot: Ecoregion 26
Size:
335,000 sq. km (130,000 sq. miles)
335,000 sq. km (130,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Geographic Location:
Indonesia: Sumatra and surrounding islands
Conservation Status:
Critical/Endangered
Quiz Time!
What is so unique about the great argus pheasant?
Answer:
The great argus pheasant goes to great lengths to find a mate. The male will clear more than 100 square feet or over 9 square meters of the forest floor of debris and begin to call to attract a female. When she arrives, he performs a dramatic dance, proudly displaying his 5-foot (150 cm) long tail. After mating, he leaves the raising of the young to the female!
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Sumatran tropical pine forests; Sumatran lowland rain forests; Sumatran montane rain forests.
These forests are extraordinarily diverse with extensive areas of limestone, supporting high levels of regional and local endemism, and provide one of the last opportunities to conserve populations of Sumatran tigers, Sumatran rhinoceroses (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), Malaysian Tapirs (Tapirus indicus), and Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) - barely surviving in the rapidly dwindling forest.Local Species
Numerous creatures found in this ecoregion are of global importance such as the Tiger (Panthera tigris), Asian elephant, Malaysian tapir, Orangutan, and the Sumatran rhino.
Orangutans may weigh as much as 90 kg, and they spend most of their lives in trees, making them the largest arboreal mammals in the world.
The Malaysian tapir is black-brown with a white "saddle" extending from its shoulders to its hips, is about size of a large hog, and may weigh as much as 320 kg.
Among the numerous endemic birds found in this ecoregion are Blue-masked leafbird (Chloropsis venusta), Sumatran drongo (Dicrurus sumatranus), Blue-tailed trogon (Harpactes reinwardtii), and the Blue-wattled bulbul (Pycnonotus melanoleucus).
Threats
Between 65 and 80% of these forests have already been lost to agriculture (mainly oil palm plantations) and logging. On the flat lowlands of southern Sumatra, for example, the vast stands of ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri), a species of great commercial importance producing an exceptionally durable timber, have been almost entirely destroyed. Sumatra is probably losing its natural vegetation faster than any other part of Indonesia.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
