Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park
Encyclopedia
Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is a national park in Sumatra
, Indonesia
. The park has a total area of 3,568 km², and spans three provinces: Lampung
, Bengkulu
, and South Sumatra
. Together with Gunung Leuser
and Kerinci Seblat
national parks it forms a World Heritage Site
, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
.
The park has recently lost 20% of its forests to illegal agriculture, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature
. WWF found that more than 450 km² of park land is being used for growing coffee, and the organisation is now working with multinational coffee companies (including Nestle
) to help them avoid buying illegally grown coffee.
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, 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...
. The park has a total area of 3,568 km², and spans three provinces: Lampung
Lampung
Lampung is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra and borders the provinces of Bengkulu and South Sumatra. Lampung is the original home of the Lampung people, who speak a distinct language from other people in Sumatra and have their own alphabet. Its...
, Bengkulu
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is on the southwest coast of the island of Sumatra, and borders the provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung. The capital and largest city is Bengkulu city. It was formerly the site of a British garrison, which they called Bencoolen...
, and South Sumatra
South Sumatra
South Sumatra is a province of Indonesia.-Geography:It is on the island of Sumatra, and borders the provinces of Lampung to the south, Bengkulu to the west, and Jambi to the north...
. Together with Gunung Leuser
Gunung Leuser National Park
Gunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km² in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces. The national park, named after Mount Leuser , protects a wide range of ecosystems. An orangutan sanctuary of Bukit Lawang is located inside...
and Kerinci Seblat
Kerinci Seblat National Park
Kerinci Seblat National Park is the largest national park in Sumatra Indonesia. It has a total area of 13,791 km2, and spans four provinces: West Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu and South Sumatra....
national parks it forms a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra
The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. It comprises three Indonesian national parks on the island of Sumatra: Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park...
.
Flora and fauna
The park is home to many endangered species, including:- Sumatran ElephantSumatran ElephantThe Sumatran Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant, and native to Sumatra island of Indonesia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
(about 500 animals, or 25% of the total remaining population of this subspecies live in the park) - Sumatran Striped RabbitSumatran Striped RabbitThe Sumatran Striped Rabbit , also known as the Sumatra Short-eared Rabbit or Sumatran Rabbit, is a rabbit found only in forest in the Barisan Mountains in western Sumatra, Indonesia...
(all recent records of this poorly known species have been from the park) - Sumatran Rhino (an estimated 60-80 Sumatran rhinos live in the park; approximately the same number live in Gunung Leuser National ParkGunung Leuser National ParkGunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km² in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra and Aceh provinces. The national park, named after Mount Leuser , protects a wide range of ecosystems. An orangutan sanctuary of Bukit Lawang is located inside...
, and when combined the two parks account for the majority of this species' population) - Sumatran TigerSumatran TigerThe Sumatran tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected at 176 to 271 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50...
(approximately 40 adult tigers or 10% of the remaining Sumatran tigers live in the park).
Conservation and threats
Starting as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1935, the area became a National Park in 1982.The park has recently lost 20% of its forests to illegal agriculture, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
. WWF found that more than 450 km² of park land is being used for growing coffee, and the organisation is now working with multinational coffee companies (including Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
) to help them avoid buying illegally grown coffee.
See also
- List of national parks of Indonesia
- Geography of IndonesiaGeography of IndonesiaIndonesia is an archipelagic island country in Southeast Asia, lying between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is in a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean. The country's variations in culture have been shaped—although not...
External links
- Taman Nasional Bukit Barisan Selatan
- WWF: Illegally grown coffee threatens tiger habitat in Indonesia
- World Database on Protected Areas: Entry of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park