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Introduction
The primary threat
to biodiversity
in Wallacea is habitat
loss. Commercial
logging began early
in the 20th century.
Illegal logging
activities threaten
remaining forests,
which are poorly
managed due to lack
of law enforcement.
Forests have also
been cleared to
make way for agriculture
and for human settlements
to support the growing
human populations;
the population growth
rate in Wallacea
is around 2% per
year, compared to
the world average
of just over 1%
per year. Transmigration
schemes have caused
further forest clearance
in order to relocate
people from the
densely populated
island of Java to
less populated areas
in Indonesia.
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Hotspot Statistics
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Original
Vegetation
Area (km²)
|
338
494
|
|
Vegetation
Remaining
(km²)
|
50
774
|
|
Threatened
Endemic
Mammals
|
44
|
|
Threatened
Endemic
Birds
|
49
|
|
Threatened
Endemic
Amphibians
|
7
|
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Human
Population
Density
(people/km²)
|
81
|
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Hunting is another problem
in some areas. Although
vulnerable species such
as anoas and babirusas
are protected under Indonesian
law, law enforcement is
difficult in isolated
regions, and poaching
is still a problem in
protected areas. Most
of Indonesia's population
are Muslims who don't
tend to hunt or eat forest
animals to a great extent.
However, in North Sulawesi,
most of the population
are Christians who are
known to hunt animals
such as anoas, babirusas,
wild pigs and macaques.
Natural fires are also
a problem, such as the
fires resulting from El
Nino in 1997. Fires are
made worse by dry conditions
created by logging and
are also created intentionally
for land clearance.
Although there has been
considerable decline in
natural habitat, around
45% of Wallacea is still
covered in forest. However,
only 15% of primary vegetation
remains. Wallacea is composed
of thousands of islands,
which are vulnerable to
species extinctions, especially
if habitat loss continues.
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Sulawesi
The upper montane
rainforests have
around three-quarters
of their original
habitat remaining.
Sulawesi is mountainous,
and the steep terrain
and lack of commercially
important tree species
make land cultivation
and logging difficult.
Lowland rainforests
are more accessible
and over half of
the original habitat
has been deforested,
resulting in fragments
of forest.
In the south-west,
extensive areas
of forest have been
cleared for agriculture
and cattle grazing.
Nickel mining occurs
in some forested
areas. Cattle farmers
set fire to areas
of land to encourage
new growth, resulting
in grassland habitats.
Hunters also set
fires in this way
to attract anoas.
The
Lesser Sundas
More than half
of the deciduous
forests have been
cleared in the Lesser
Sundas, mainly to
make way for agriculture.
Only fragments of
natural habitat
remain on most of
the islands. Fires
are also used to
encourage new growth
for domestic animals
and to attract wild
animals. As a result,
grassland habitat
has replaced forest
in many areas, and
tree species resistant
to fires such as
Casuarina junghuhniana
have dominated.
On lombok, dipterocarp
forests have almost
been completely
cleared by commercial
logging. On Sumbawa
island, which contains
largely undisturbed
forest, there is
a mining concession.
On the island of
Sumba, almost three-quarters
of deciduous forest
have been deforested.
Most of the monsoon
forests have been
replaced by grassland
as a result of fires.
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Sulawesi
Rainforest
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The
Moluccas
On the island of Halmahera,
lowland forests are being
depleted by commercial
logging, mainly for damar
trees (Agathis).
However, the island has
almost 80% of it's primary
forest intact, although
as forests are depleted
on other islands there
may be pressure from logging
companies to exploit the
islands forests. Mining
companies have obtained
licences to search for
minerals on several islands.
Seram is also still largely
forested, and large areas
of intact primary forest
remain. However, in lowland
areas commercial logging
of damar trees occurs.
The pet trade represents
one of the biggest threats
on the island, with exotic
bird species such as parrots
and the salmon-crested
cockatoo being collected
for exportation. Manusela
national Park is faced
with oil exploration,
forest clearance for transmigration
settlements and a hydroelectric
scheme.
Banda-sea
islands
The deciduous forests
on these islands are still
largely intact, having
lost only 20% of their
original habitat. Invasive
species represent the
primary threat on some
smaller islands. Cats
and rats have been accidently
introduced onto some islands,
which are a serious threat
to bird populations.
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Sulu-Sulawesi
seas
The southern edge
of the Sulu-Sulawesi
sea is located in
Wallacea. The region
has one of the highest
population densities
in the world, which
puts pressure on
marine life. Coral
reef ecosystems
here are under threat
from dynamite fishing,
collection of coral
for building materials
and capture of exotic
fish for the wildlife
trade. Mangroves
are being cleared
as a result of expanding
human populations.
Banda-Flores
sea
The Banda-Flores
sea lies east of
Sulawesi. Major
threats to marine
life are dynamite
fishing and shark
fin fisheries. Run-off
from logging and
mining on land as
well as sewage pollution
affect water quality
in some areas. Coral
is particularly
sensitive to pollution,
and bleaching occurs
as a result.
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Coral
reef in the Sulu-Sulawesi
seas
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