Sundaland Hotspot

Sundaland

Hotspot

Why is it a Biodiversity Hotspot?

Sundaland is a Biodiversity Hotspot because it is a threatened area of high species diversity on earth.

Location

This Hotspot covers the western half of the Indo-Malayan archipelago (an arc of 17,000 equatorial islands.) Sundaland is dominated by two of the largest islands (Borneo and Sumatra)

-Conervation.com

Threats

Rainforest destruction

• Most destruction occurred just in the last three decades

• Result of major commercial logging and agricultural projects

Fires

• In recent years, fires are becoming more common

• Logging creates flammable condition like leaving fuel wood on forest floor, and leaving the understory exposed and dry

Lowland Forests

• Less than 33% of lowland forest and swamps remains

• At current rates, lowland forests and swamps will all end up disappearing

Only about 700,000 Km (4,349,598 miles) of forest remains. Only about 100,000 km (62,137 miles) remains somewhat intact.

Wildlife Trade

• Orang-utan numbers are going down due to pet trade

• Tigers and Rhinos are hunted for their skin, horns, and other body parts

• Turtles, Snakes, geckos, bears, and monkeys are all involved in illegal wildlife trade.

Endemic Animals

Javan Hawk eagle

This bird is the national bird of Indonesia

Orangutans

Orangutans share about 97% of their genetic material with humans

Proboscis Monkey

Some believe the big nose of these monkeys help amplify their call to other monkeys.

Slender Toad

The slender toad prefers to live in fast moving streams

Golden arowana

The arowana live in shallow water, preferably in the shaded parts.

Endemic Plants

Rafflesia

Scyphostegia

Dipterocarp

What is being done to help Sundaland?

• In Sundaland, about 111,846 square miles of land is protected, which represents 12% of Sundaland's total land area, though the more important land are still vulnerable to agriculture development.

• Peace parks are being formed and are used as international cooperation and ecosystem cooperation.

• In 2004, the Indonesian government created a committee that added twelve new protected areas.

• The Indonesian government is creating policies that will promote conservation, such as a policy that is reducing the number of logging activity to half,

• CANOPI (Conservation Action Network Program, Indonesia) allows local and international groups exchange information, coordinate field activities, and develop sustainable financing for the protected area.

(All conservative information was found on conservation.com)

Five Facts

• Sundaland is home to over 380 mammals, about 170 mammals are endemic

Sundaland's clouded leopard

• Sundaland has only recorded 4 species go extinct.

The Javanese Lapwing was last seen in 1940

• Sundaland is home to over 450 species, about 250 are endemic

The False Gharial

The Dumbo Octopus is not extinct, but very few of them remain

• More than a million years ago, Sundaland and its islands were connected to Asia.

• Sundaland has about 25,000 species of plants on its islands. About 15,000 (60%) are endemic and found no where else.

Some of Sundaland's plants

Eclectus Parrot

Would I visit?

I believe I would visit Sundaland because of its tropical animals. Also, I have always wanted to visit an island. And, the animal species are declining at a steady rate, so who knows how long the animals or the island itself will be around.

The End