The Indonesian archipelago which consists of over 17,000 islands, is inhabited by two distinct types of fauna and flora of different origins. The west belongs mainly to the Indo-Malayan realm, while the east to the pacific and Australian realms. Although the country covers just 1,3 per cent of the Earth's land surface, it is home to some of the most spectacular and unusual wildlife - both plant and animal. Indonesia also owns a breathtaking level of biodiversity: ten per cent of the worlds flowering species, 12 per cent of the worlds mammal species, 16 per cent of all reptile and amphibian species, 17 per cent of all bird species and more than 25 per cent of known fish species.
A feature that makes Indonesian wildlife so interesting is the high degree of endemism. Many of the country's islands have been isolated for long periods of time, resulting in the evolution of new species different from those on other islands.
Tropical Forest in Indonesia
The forests in Indonesia are crucial to life on earth. They serve as powerhouses of the planet and play a vital role in controlling climate and in regulating water cycles. They also provide us with useful food and medicinal plants. The most widespread forests in Indonesia are tropical rain forests. Tropical forests do not only harbor a wealth of diverse flora, they are one of the richest ecosystems on earth in terms of wildlife diversity.
The greater part of the Indonesian archipelago was once covered with tropical rainforest. Today, although a considerable amount of former forest habitat has been lost, it still contains more tropical rain forest than any other country in the Asia-Pacific region. This is estimated to be 1,148,400 square kilometers - including some of the most species rich forests on planet Earth.
Indonesia's species rich forests harbor the worlds greatest diversity of palms (447 species, of which 225 occur nowhere else), more than 400 species of dipterocarp (the most valuable commercial timber trees in Southeast Asia), and an estimated 25,000 species of flowering plants. Indonesia is also rich in wildlife: it ranks first in the world for mammals (515 species, of which 36% are endemic), first for swallowtail butterflies (121 species, of which 44% are endemic), third for reptiles (more than 600 species), fourth for birds (1519 species, of which 28% are endemic), fifth for amphibians (270 species), and seventh for flowering plants.
Recent investigations suggest that some 40 million Indonesians are directly dependent on biological diversity for subsistence. Of these, 12 million people form indigenous (adat) communities who live in and around forests. Living in forest environments for centuries, these communities have developed the wisdom of sustainable exploitation of resources - recognizing the fact that their existence depended on continuous availability of food to collect and hunt. Helping to preserve their cultures and lifestyles is as important as, and related to the conservation of Indonesia's biodiversity.
Indonesia's Coastal Marine Environment
With a total coastal length of more than 81,000 kilometers, comprising 14 per cent of the Earth's shoreline, Indonesia has the longest coastline in the world. The range of marine ecosystems in Indonesia is extremely varied, especially the coastal ecosystems. These ecosystems support a huge collection of species. Indonesia is home to the most extensive mangrove forests, seagrass beds and spectacular coral reefs in Asia. Mangroves are most extensive on the east coast of Sumatra, and the coasts of Kalimantan, and Irian Jaya (which alone has 69 percent of Indonesia's mangrove habitat). While the deep blue seas of Maluku and Sulawesi harbor some of the worlds richest ecosystems in terms of the corals, fishes, and other reef organisms.
Indonesia's coastal waters provide feeding havens to large groups of marine mammals, reptiles, fish, and both resident and migratory birds. Besides, these coastal zones also provide many important services for people living in coastal settlements. The shallow coastal regions with offshore reefs and inshore mangrove forests protect the coastline from the adverse effects of high tides and storms. Indonesia's reefs are traditionally an essential source of food for coastal dwelling communities, a tradition which in the past has been carried out in a sustainable way and is of considerable economic value to the country. Rituals and taboos are commonly applied where marine resources are being exploited. In Sangihe Talaud for example, an area habitually fished by an adat community member becomes a reserve for a period after his death.
Indonesia's coastal zone supporst the highest concentrations of human populations in the country. Current estimations reveal 7100 coastal communities, many of which rely on traditional ways of fishing in waters close to the shores. Today these communities face many threats to their way of life. These threats include overfishing from national and foreign vessels, widespread collection of coral reefs, and in many communities dynamite fishing.
Every effort should be made to ensure that the ongoing development in Indonesia is planned with the interest of the environment and its people in mind. Development should be planes to preserve the integrity and beauty of Indonesia's abundant, valuable, and often irreplaceable bounty of natural resources.
