Baluran National Park
Encyclopedia
Baluran National Park is located in East Java
, Indonesia
. It has a relatively dry climate and consists of lowland forests, savanna
, mangrove forests and hills, with Mount Baluran (1,247m) as its highest peak.
Baluran National Park is situated at the north-eastern extremity of Java
, close to the islands of Bali
and Madura
. The park is bordered by the Madura Strait
to the north, the Bali Strait
to the east, the river Bajulmati (Wonorejo village) to the west and the river Klokoran (Sumberanyar village) to the south. The park is a rough circle, with the extinct volcano
, Baluran, at its centre. Its total area is 25,000 ha. It consists of five zones: the Main Zone (12,000 ha), the Wilderness Zone (5,537 ha, comprising 1,063 ha water and 4,574 ha land), the Intensive Utilization Zone (800 ha), the Specific Utilization Zone (5,780 ha) and the Rehabilitation Zone (783 ha).
The park is dominated by forest and savanna vegetation. The coastline is formed by irregular peninsulas and bays. Near the coast are living coral areas, sandbanks, and mudflats. The peninsulas are covered with mangroves, while other parts of the coastline are covered with swamp forest. The volcano is covered with lowland and upland monsoon forest.
established Baluran as a Wildlife Preservation Area. It was re-established as such by the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs on 11 May 1962. On 6 March 1980, on the occasion of the World Strategic Conservation Day, it was declared a National Park by the Minister of Agriculture.
has a typical monsoon
climate with a long dry season. It is of type F in the Schmidt and Ferguson system of climate classification
. The temperature varies between 27,2°C and 30,9°C, humidity averages 77%, wind velocity averages 7 knots and the wind direction is influenced by a strong south-east wind. The rainy season lasts from November to April and the dry season from April to October. The highest rainfall is in December and January, subject to global conditions.
, volcanic ash
, and intermediary volcanic rock
. These soils are rich in minerals but poor in organic material, and have high chemical but low physical fertility. Most of these soils are very porous and do not retain water well. Black soils, on which most of the savannas are found, are highly erodible and very muddy in wet seasons, but form deep cracks (a few centimetres wide and sometimes more than 80 cm deep) in dry seasons. Many stream bed
s only contain water in the wet season, because much water seeps through the very porous volcanic soils until it reaches the hardened underground lava streams.
Marine soils are limited to some areas near the coast on the salt flats and in the mangrove swamps.
to Labuhan Merak beach. The Klokoran and Bajulmati rivers form the western and southern borders of the park. Many stream beds form in the short wet season, but the water is absorbed in great quantity by the very porous volcanic ash, and after it reaches the hardened underground lava it comes to the surface in form of springs in coastal areas (Popongan, Kelor, Bama, Mesigit, Bilik, Gatel, Semiang and Kepuh), in downhill areas (Talpat spring), in Air Tawar Bay and on the Sedano peninsula. In wet seasons the black soils are least permeable, and water then flows on the surface, forming many pools, particularly in the southern area from Talpat to Bama. In the long dry periods, those pools are often dry.
, which grows between Pandean and Tanjung Candibang and in Labuhan Merak, Pandanus tectorius
in Tanjung Bendi, Pemphis acidula
in Air Karang, Acrophora, Porites lutea
, Serioptophora histerix and Stylophora
species.
forests are present on the north coast and eastern parts of the national park, in Bilik, Lambuyan, Mesigit, Tanjung Sedano and in Kelor. Short mangrove, which grows best on mud substrate, is found in Kelor and Bilik, including Avicennia
, Sonneratia
, Rhizophora
species, Ceriops tagal and Rhizophora apiculata
. Saline bog is found in North Pandean, Mesigit, Westside Room and some other places. Some small trees that grows here are Avicennia species and Lumnitzera racemosa
with no lower plant.
, Syzygium polyanthum, and Buchanania arborescens
.
and Sorghum nitidum. Trees include Acacia leucophloea
and Schleichera oleosa.
Surging savannah grows above big rocky black land, over an area of ca. 6,000 ha in the north and north-east. Here there are grazing animals such as banteng
, water buffalo
and Javan rusa. Dominant grasses are Dichantium caricasum, Sclerachne punctata and Sorghum nitidum. Trees are Schleichera oleosa, Acacia leucophloea, and Zizyphus rotundifolia. The savanna always changes, as result of combustion, logging and shepherding by people around the forest; this takes place gradually. Change has also been caused by the invasive Acacia nilotica
, originally introduced as a fire breaker. Acacia nilotica has spread over most of the Bekol savanna, the Curah Udang savanna and a small part of the Kramat savanna and Balanan.
Mountainous monsoon forest occurs on Mount Baluran, Mount Klosot and Pot Mount. Its trees are: candlenut (Aleurites moluccana), Emblica officinalis, Homalium foetidum
, Vitex pubescens, Dryopetes ovalis, and Casia fistula.
, squid
and other marine species. Fishing often occurs in the area.
s are found along Bama, Lempuyang, Bilik-Sijile, Air Karang, Kajang, Balanan and Kalitopo beaches. Baluran's coral reef includes edge corals of varying widths, at depths ranging from 0.5 to 40 meters. Coral species include Acropora
Branching, Acropora Encrusting, Acropora Tubulate and Mushroom Corals
.
, dhole
, green peafowl
and fishing cat
.
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It has a relatively dry climate and consists of lowland forests, savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, mangrove forests and hills, with Mount Baluran (1,247m) as its highest peak.
Baluran National Park is situated at the north-eastern extremity of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, close to the islands of Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
and Madura
Madura
Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately 4,250 km². Madura is administered as part of the East Java province. It is separated from Java by the narrow Strait of Madura.-History:...
. The park is bordered by the Madura Strait
Madura Strait
Madura Strait is a stretch of water that separates the Indonesian islands of Java and Madura. The islands of Kambing, Giliraja, Genteng, and Ketapang lie in the Strait....
to the north, the Bali Strait
Bali Strait
Bali Strait is a 2.4 kilometer strait between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Java....
to the east, the river Bajulmati (Wonorejo village) to the west and the river Klokoran (Sumberanyar village) to the south. The park is a rough circle, with the extinct volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, Baluran, at its centre. Its total area is 25,000 ha. It consists of five zones: the Main Zone (12,000 ha), the Wilderness Zone (5,537 ha, comprising 1,063 ha water and 4,574 ha land), the Intensive Utilization Zone (800 ha), the Specific Utilization Zone (5,780 ha) and the Rehabilitation Zone (783 ha).
The park is dominated by forest and savanna vegetation. The coastline is formed by irregular peninsulas and bays. Near the coast are living coral areas, sandbanks, and mudflats. The peninsulas are covered with mangroves, while other parts of the coastline are covered with swamp forest. The volcano is covered with lowland and upland monsoon forest.
History
Around 1928, Dutch hunter A.H. Loedeboer had a plantation concession area in Labuhan Merak and Gunung Mesigit. He noticed that Baluran has an important role in large herbivore conservation. In 1930, K.W. Dammerman, director of Bogor Botanical Garden, proposed that Baluran should become a protected forest. On 25 September 1937 the Governor General of the Dutch East IndiesDutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
established Baluran as a Wildlife Preservation Area. It was re-established as such by the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs on 11 May 1962. On 6 March 1980, on the occasion of the World Strategic Conservation Day, it was declared a National Park by the Minister of Agriculture.
Climate
Baluran National ParkNational park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
has a typical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
climate with a long dry season. It is of type F in the Schmidt and Ferguson system of climate classification
Climate classification
Climate classification systems are ways of classifying the world's climates. A climate classification may correlate closely with a biome category, as climate is a major influence on biological life in a region...
. The temperature varies between 27,2°C and 30,9°C, humidity averages 77%, wind velocity averages 7 knots and the wind direction is influenced by a strong south-east wind. The rainy season lasts from November to April and the dry season from April to October. The highest rainfall is in December and January, subject to global conditions.
Soil and geology
Most of the soils in the national park are volcanic, derived from weathered basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
, volcanic ash
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
, and intermediary volcanic rock
Volcanic rock
Volcanic rock is a rock formed from magma erupted from a volcano. In other words, it is an igneous rock of volcanic origin...
. These soils are rich in minerals but poor in organic material, and have high chemical but low physical fertility. Most of these soils are very porous and do not retain water well. Black soils, on which most of the savannas are found, are highly erodible and very muddy in wet seasons, but form deep cracks (a few centimetres wide and sometimes more than 80 cm deep) in dry seasons. Many stream bed
Stream bed
A stream bed is the channel bottom of a stream, river or creek; the physical confine of the normal water flow. The lateral confines or channel margins, during all but flood stage, are known as the stream banks or river banks. In fact, a flood occurs when a stream overflows its banks and flows onto...
s only contain water in the wet season, because much water seeps through the very porous volcanic soils until it reaches the hardened underground lava streams.
Marine soils are limited to some areas near the coast on the salt flats and in the mangrove swamps.
Hydrology
Baluran National Park has a radial water system. The Kacip river flows from the calderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
to Labuhan Merak beach. The Klokoran and Bajulmati rivers form the western and southern borders of the park. Many stream beds form in the short wet season, but the water is absorbed in great quantity by the very porous volcanic ash, and after it reaches the hardened underground lava it comes to the surface in form of springs in coastal areas (Popongan, Kelor, Bama, Mesigit, Bilik, Gatel, Semiang and Kepuh), in downhill areas (Talpat spring), in Air Tawar Bay and on the Sedano peninsula. In wet seasons the black soils are least permeable, and water then flows on the surface, forming many pools, particularly in the southern area from Talpat to Bama. In the long dry periods, those pools are often dry.
Ecosystem
Baluran National Park is often referred to as a microcosm of Indonesian vegetation types because almost all kinds of Indonesian vegetation can be found here. This includes mountainous rain forest on Mount Baluran, lowland monsoon forest, coastal forest, sea grass, and coral reefs, as well as the savannah that covers about 40% of the national park.Coastal forest
Coastal Baluran consists of black sand, small black coast stone, or rock bevel, depending on the area. The coastal vegetation is formed of BarringtoniaBarringtonia
Barringtonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae. A common name is cornbeefwood.Bengali name is "Hijalna".Species include:* Barringtonia acutangula* Barringtonia asiatica* Barringtonia calyptrata...
, which grows between Pandean and Tanjung Candibang and in Labuhan Merak, Pandanus tectorius
Pandanus tectorius
Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus that is native to Malesia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Common names include Thatch Screwpine, Hala , Bacua , and Vacquois ....
in Tanjung Bendi, Pemphis acidula
Pemphis
Pemphis is a possibly unispecific genus of maritime plants in family Lythraceae, represented by the type species, described in 1775, Pemphis acidula .Pemphis are highly adaptive...
in Air Karang, Acrophora, Porites lutea
Porites
Porites is a genus of scleractinian coral which is characterised by a finger-like morphology. Members of this genus have widely spaced calices, a well-developed wall reticulum and are bilaterally symmetrical...
, Serioptophora histerix and Stylophora
Stylophora
The stylophorans are an extinct, possibly polyphyletic group allied to the echinoderms, comprising the cornutes and mitrates. It is synonymous with the subphylum Calcichordata....
species.
Mangrove forest
MangroveMangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forests are present on the north coast and eastern parts of the national park, in Bilik, Lambuyan, Mesigit, Tanjung Sedano and in Kelor. Short mangrove, which grows best on mud substrate, is found in Kelor and Bilik, including Avicennia
Avicennia
Avicennia is a genus of flowering plants currently placed in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. It contains mangrove trees, which occur in the intertidal zones of estuarine areas and are characterized by aerial roots. Species of Avicennia occur worldwide south of the Tropic of Cancer.The...
, Sonneratia
Sonneratia
Sonneratia is a genus of plants in the family Lythraceae. Formerly the Sonneratia were placed in a family called Sonneratiaceae which included both the Sonneratia and the Duabanga, but these two are now placed in their own monotypic subfamilies of the family Lythraceae...
, Rhizophora
Rhizophora
Rhizophora is a genus of tropical mangrove trees, sometimes collectively called true mangroves. The most notable species is the Red Mangrove but some other species and a few natural hybrids are known. Rhizophora species generally live in intertidal zones which are indundated daily by the ocean...
species, Ceriops tagal and Rhizophora apiculata
Rhizophora apiculata
Rhizophora apiculata is a species of plant in the Rhizophoraceae family. It is found in Australia , Guam, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan,Maldives Thailand, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.Rhizophora...
. Saline bog is found in North Pandean, Mesigit, Westside Room and some other places. Some small trees that grows here are Avicennia species and Lumnitzera racemosa
Lumnitzera
Lumnitzera is an Indo-West Pacific mangrove genus in the family Combretaceae. The English common name is Black Mangrove. Lumnitzera, named after the German botanist, Stephan Lumnitzer , occurs in mangroves from East Africa to the Western Pacific , and northern Australia.The genus has two species of...
with no lower plant.
Salt water forest
Brackish forest attracts few wild animals because of the lack of fresh water. The biggest brackish forest in the park is on the south-eastern side of Sungai Kepuh; there are smaller areas in Popongan, Kelor, east Bama and north-west Gatal. The vegetation here is Excoecaria agallochaExcoecaria
Excoecaria is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, comprising about 40 species. The genus is native to the Old World Tropics.The milky sap of Excoecaria agallocha, also known as Thillai, milky mangrove, blind-your-eye mangrove and river poison tree, is poisonous. Mangroves of this plant...
, Syzygium polyanthum, and Buchanania arborescens
Buchanania arborescens
Buchanania arborescens, Little gooseberry tree, is a small slender tree native monsoon forests of northern Australia, south-east Asia, and the Solomon Islands....
.
Savanna
Savannas are subject to regular wildfires and the ecosystem appears to be the result of human use of fire. There are two types of savanna in the park: flat savanna and surging savanna. The flat savanna grows on young stony alluvial terrain over an area of around 1,500 – 2,000 ha in the south-east, around Plalangan and Beko. Dominant grasses in this area are Dichantium caricasum, Heteropogon contortusHeteropogon contortus
Heteropogon contortus is a tropical, perennial tussock grass with a native distribution encompassing Southern Africa, southern Asia, Northern Australia and Oceania. The species has also become a naturalised weed in tropical and subtropical regions in the Americas and East Asia. The plant grows to ...
and Sorghum nitidum. Trees include Acacia leucophloea
Acacia leucophloea
Acacia leucophloea , also called reonja, is a moderate sized tree sometimes mistaken for prosopis cineraria with spreading crown and somewhat malformed and crooked trunk....
and Schleichera oleosa.
Surging savannah grows above big rocky black land, over an area of ca. 6,000 ha in the north and north-east. Here there are grazing animals such as banteng
Banteng
The banteng , also known as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat...
, water buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
and Javan rusa. Dominant grasses are Dichantium caricasum, Sclerachne punctata and Sorghum nitidum. Trees are Schleichera oleosa, Acacia leucophloea, and Zizyphus rotundifolia. The savanna always changes, as result of combustion, logging and shepherding by people around the forest; this takes place gradually. Change has also been caused by the invasive Acacia nilotica
Acacia nilotica
Acacia nilotica is a species of Acacia native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent...
, originally introduced as a fire breaker. Acacia nilotica has spread over most of the Bekol savanna, the Curah Udang savanna and a small part of the Kramat savanna and Balanan.
Mountainous rain forest
Located around Mount Baluran up to 1200m above sea level is the most virgin forest in Baluran, because of the difficulty of human access. From there, plentiful spring water is available for wildlife – needed especially during a long dry season.Monsoon forest
There are two monsoon forest types in Baluran: lowland monsoon forest and mountainous monsoon forest. Lowland monsoon forest covers around 1500 ha of the Baluran area, bordered by plantation forest, evergreen forest, and savannah at Bekol Kramat. Its trees include: Zizyphus rotundifolia, Emblica officinalis, Aleucophloea species, Tamarindus indica, Schoutenia ovata, Azadirachta indica, Acacia tomentosa, Talok Grewia eriocarpa and Schleichera oleosa.Mountainous monsoon forest occurs on Mount Baluran, Mount Klosot and Pot Mount. Its trees are: candlenut (Aleurites moluccana), Emblica officinalis, Homalium foetidum
Homalium foetidum
Homalium foetidum is a species of plant in the Salicaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.-References:...
, Vitex pubescens, Dryopetes ovalis, and Casia fistula.
Sea grass
Sea grasses of Baluran occur on beaches where the waves are fewest, including Bama beach, Kajang beach, Balanan beach, Lempuyang beach and westward to Bilik-Sijile beach and Air Tawar beach. Sea grasses provide habitat for MilkfishMilkfish
The milkfish is the sole living species in the family Chanidae. - Description and biology :...
, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
and other marine species. Fishing often occurs in the area.
Coral reef
Coral reefCoral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s are found along Bama, Lempuyang, Bilik-Sijile, Air Karang, Kajang, Balanan and Kalitopo beaches. Baluran's coral reef includes edge corals of varying widths, at depths ranging from 0.5 to 40 meters. Coral species include Acropora
Acropora
Acropora is a genus of scleractinian coral in the Phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral. There are currently 149 described species...
Branching, Acropora Encrusting, Acropora Tubulate and Mushroom Corals
Fungiidae
Fungiidae is a family of Cnidaria. It contains thirteen extant genera.-Characteristics:Species are generally solitary marine animals that are capable of benthic locomotion. These corals often appear to be bleached or dead. In most genera, a single polyp emerges from the center of the skeleton to...
.
Fauna
The park is host to 26 species of mammal and 155 bird species. Endangered fauna protected in this park include: bantengBanteng
The banteng , also known as tembadau, is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat...
, dhole
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
, green peafowl
Green Peafowl
The Green Peafowl or Javan Peafowl, Pavo muticus is a large Galliform bird that is found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia...
and fishing cat
Fishing Cat
The Fishing Cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted...
.