Flora and Fauna
Indonesia’s
moderate climate throughout the year, its fertile soil brought about by
lava, and its minerals found on land and in the sea caused by volcanic
eruptions, have made this the ideal habitat for a large number of unique
and endemic flora and fauna. Indonesia has among the most diverse
variety of species of animal life on land and in the seas found anywhere
in the world.
Indonesia’s flora and fauna is
divided by the “Wallace Line” that runs between Bali and Lombok,
continuing north between Kalimantan and Sulawesi. West of the Line,
vegetation and wildlife are Asian in nature, whereas east of the Line,
these resemble those of Australia.
Vegetation found in different
parts of the archipelago varies according to rainfall, soil and
altitude. On the wetter islands, on Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua,
ancient rainforests cover large areas. These forests are rich in
valuable hardwood, aromatic and spice trees, as well as exotic fruit
trees. Lately, however, through illegal logging and human settlements,
large tracts of forests have been decimated leaving infertile land that
cause flooding and erosions.
On the islands east of Bali known
as the Nusatenggara islands (or once known as the Small Sunda Islands),
there are savannahs, while on other mountain tops such as in the Mt.
Gede National Park only 100 kms from Jakarta, one finds edelweiss, more
reminiscent of Switzerland.
Indonesia’s wildlife varies from the Java mouse deer (or kancil) and the one-horned rhino to the Sumatran and Kalimantan Orang Utan, the Sulwesi anoa (a small water buffalo), the prehistoric giant Komodo lizard to the exotic Bird of Paradise in Papua.
How about flora?. Here in Indonesia, you can find Raflesia Arnoldi in Bengkulu, one of the giant and unique flower in the world.
To preserve these unique flora and fauna Indonesia has designated 44 national parks throughout the archipelago, covering both land and sea, a large number of protected reserves offering ecotourism opportunities, as well as botanic gardens and zoos.
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