Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park
| Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park | |
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  Rawa Aopa Watumohai NP Location in Sulawesi | |
| Location | Sulawesi,Indonesia |
| Coordinates | 4°26′S121°53′E/ 4.433°S 121.883°E |
| Area | 1,050 km² |
| Established | 1989 |
| Designated | 6 March 2011 |
| Reference no. | 1944[1] |
Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Parkis anational parkon theIndonesianisland ofSulawesi,in the province ofSouth East Sulawesi.It was declared in 1989 and has an area of 1,050 km². The park ranges from sea level to an altitude of 981 m.[2]It contains the Aopapeat swamp,the largest in Sulawesi,[3]and is recognised as a wetland of international importance.
Flora and fauna
[edit]The park has varied vegetation: sub-montane rain forests, mangrove forests, coastal forests, savanna, and freshwater swamp forests. In the park, 323 plant species have been recorded, includingBorassus flabellifer,Bruguiera gymnorhiza,Callicarpa celebica,Cratoxylum formosumandMetrosideros petiolata.[2]
It is home toBabirusa,both species of endangeredAnoa– miniaturewater buffaloes– and 155 bird species, of which 37 areendemicto Sulawesi. Birds in the park include themaleo,lesser adjutant,woolly-necked stork,collared kingfisher,Yellow-crested cockatoo,vinous-breasted sparrowhawk,Sulawesi black pigeonandNicobar pigeon.[2]The park also provides habitat to a population of 170 endangeredmilky storks.[1]Primates in the park include thespectral tarsierand the vulnerablebooted macaque.[2]
The park also protects 11 reptile and 20 fish species and is an important nursery area for crabs, fish, and prawns.[1]
Human habitation
[edit]The area of the park has been traditionally inhabited by theMoronenepeople. During theDutch colonial era,there were 7 villages within the area of the current national park. In the 1950s many Moronene villagers moved to other parts of the island, but since the 1970s there has been a back-migration. However, local authorities doubted that those returning were of Moronene ancestry and would have rights to the land. Consequently, after the national park has been declared, there have been several attempts by local authorities to evict people living in the park. In 1997 security forces burned down 175 houses, and the following year another 88 houses. In a third intervention in 2001, another 100 houses were destroyed.[4]
Conservation and threats
[edit]The national park was declared in 1989,[2]and in 2011 it was designated as aRamsar wetlandof international importance.[1]
Threats to the park includeillegal logging,poaching, and collection of eggs.[1]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^abcde"Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park".RamsarSites Information Service.Retrieved25 April2018.
- ^abcdeMinistry of Forestry of Indonesia:"Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park"Archived2015-09-23 at theWayback Machine,retrieved 5 December 2013
- ^ASEAN:"Site Nomination for Peat Site Profiles in Southeast Asia",retrieved 5 December 2013
- ^Down to Earth:"Moronene people forced out of national park",February 2001
External links
[edit]- Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park home page
- List of notable species recorded in the parkArchived2007-09-29 at theWayback Machine
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