Bukit Tigapuluh National Park
Encyclopedia
Bukit Tigapuluh National Park (also called Bukit Tiga Puluh and Bukit Tigapulah) - The Thirty Hills - is a 143,223 hectare National Park
in eastern Sumatra
, consisting primarily of tropical lowland forest, largely in Riau province, with a smaller part of 33,000 ha in Jambi province. It is famous as one of the last refuges of endangered species
such as the Sumatran Orangutan
, Sumatran tiger
, Sumatran elephant
, Sumatran rhinoceros
and Asian tapir, as well as many endangered bird species. It forms part of the Tesso Nilo Complex
biodiversity
hotspot. The Park is inhabited by the indigenous
peoples of the Orang Rimba and Talang Mamak tribes.
The Park itself has been under consistent threat from illegal logging
and palm oil
plantations, with two thirds of the park logged.
types within the Park include lowland and highland forests, with flora such as Gutta-percha
, Shorea
, Alstonia scholaris
, Dyera costulata, Koompassia excelsa
, Rafflesia hasseltii, Daemonorops draco
and various kinds of rattan
.
According to a 1994 survey Bukit Tigapuluh National Park has 59 species of mammal, 6 species of primate, 198 species of bird, 18 species of bat and various species of butterfly.
Mammals include Sumatran Orangutan
, Sumatran tiger
, Sumatran elephant
, Sumatran rhinoceros
, Asian tapir, Sun bear
, Siamang
, Crab-eating Macaque
, Sumatran Surili
, Sunda Loris
, Clouded Leopard
, Leopard Cat
, Marbled Cat
, Malayan Civet, Indian Muntjac
, Sumatran Serow
and Java Mouse-deer
.
Bird species include: Great Argus
, Little Green-pigeon
, White-rumped Shama
, White-bellied Woodpecker
, Crested Serpent-eagle, Hill Myna, Helmeted Hornbill
, Wrinkled Hornbill
, White-winged Wood Duck
, Storm's Stork
, Garnet Pitta
and Grey-breasted Babbler
.
The Park also has an important role in protecting the hydrology of the Kuantan Indragiri watershed.
The Park has been under consistent threat from illegal logging and palm oil plantations, with two thirds of the park logged. Surrounding buffer zone
s and wildlife corridor
s are diminishing, with 30,000 hectares, the largest area of forest remaining outside the Park, released in May 2009 by the Indonesian government for logging, with the licence granted to a joint venture
company involving Asia Pulp & Paper
/Sinar Mas Group
(APP), to clear the largest area of forest outside the Park.
in North Sumatra.
In January 2003 orangutans were transferred to Bukit Tigapuluh National Park from the Batu Mbelin orangutan quarantine centre under the auspices of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, and reintroduced shortly after. Since then, over 190 orangutans have been treated at the quarantine center and over 125 of these have already been transferred to Bukit Tigapuluh for reintroduction. At least 3 infants have also been born to reintroduced mothers, these infants being the first to be conceived and born in the forests of Jambi possibly for more than 100 years.
plans to clear large areas of the forest.
In November 2011, the WWF has announced 5 endagered cats in the forests of Riau. Within 3 months of systematic survey using automatic surveillance cameras at the 'corridor' between the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Rimbang Baling Sanctuary, they found Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae
), Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi), Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmoata
). Golden Cat (Catopurna temmincki, and Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis
). The cats passing the same tracks all the time in the 'corridor', but both areas connected by 'corridor' are currently threatened by deforestation.
National 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...
in eastern Sumatra
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...
, consisting primarily of tropical lowland forest, largely in Riau province, with a smaller part of 33,000 ha in Jambi province. It is famous as one of the last refuges of endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
such as the Sumatran Orangutan
Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran orangutan is one of the two species of orangutans. Found only on the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, it is rarer and smaller than the Bornean orangutan. The Sumatran orangutan grows to about tall and in males...
, Sumatran tiger
Sumatran Tiger
The 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...
, Sumatran elephant
Sumatran Elephant
The 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...
, Sumatran rhinoceros
Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although is still a large mammal. This rhino stands high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of ...
and Asian tapir, as well as many endangered bird species. It forms part of the Tesso Nilo Complex
Tesso Nilo National Park
Tesso Nilo National Park is a national park in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. It was declared a national park by the Indonesian government in 2004....
biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
hotspot. The Park is inhabited by the indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
peoples of the Orang Rimba and Talang Mamak tribes.
The Park itself has been under consistent threat from illegal logging
Illegal logging
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the...
and palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
plantations, with two thirds of the park logged.
Flora and fauna
EcosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
types within the Park include lowland and highland forests, with flora such as Gutta-percha
Gutta-percha
Gutta-percha is a genus of tropical trees native to Southeast Asia and northern Australasia, from Taiwan south to the Malay Peninsula and east to the Solomon Islands. The same term is used to refer to an inelastic natural latex produced from the sap of these trees, particularly from the species...
, Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
, Alstonia scholaris
Alstonia scholaris
Alstonia scholaris Alstonia scholaris Alstonia scholaris (Apocynaceae, commonly called Blackboard tree, Indian devil tree, Ditabark, Milkwood pine, White cheesewood and Pulai; syn. Echites scholaris L. Mant., Pala scholaris L...
, Dyera costulata, Koompassia excelsa
Koompassia excelsa
Tualang, or Koompassia excelsa, is an emergent tropical rainforest tree species in the Fabaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. It is one of the tallest tropical tree species: the tallest measured specimen is 85.8 m or 88 m tall.Tualangs grow mostly in...
, Rafflesia hasseltii, Daemonorops draco
Daemonorops
Daemonorops is a genus of rattan palms in the family Arecaceae found primarily in the tropics and subtropics of southeastern Asia.The stems of the Daemonorops are harvest for their cores, which is used for everything from canes to furniture. The fruits of certain species, in particular Daemonorops...
and various kinds of rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
.
According to a 1994 survey Bukit Tigapuluh National Park has 59 species of mammal, 6 species of primate, 198 species of bird, 18 species of bat and various species of butterfly.
Mammals include Sumatran Orangutan
Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran orangutan is one of the two species of orangutans. Found only on the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, it is rarer and smaller than the Bornean orangutan. The Sumatran orangutan grows to about tall and in males...
, Sumatran tiger
Sumatran Tiger
The 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...
, Sumatran elephant
Sumatran Elephant
The 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...
, Sumatran rhinoceros
Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although is still a large mammal. This rhino stands high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of ...
, Asian tapir, Sun bear
Sun Bear
The sun bear , sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.-Description:The sun bear...
, Siamang
Siamang
The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
, Crab-eating Macaque
Crab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
, Sumatran Surili
Sumatran Surili
The Sumatran surili is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is endemic to Sumatra in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-External links:...
, Sunda Loris
Sunda Loris
The Sunda slow loris or greater slow loris is a strepsirrhine primate and a species of slow loris native to Indonesia, western Malaysia, southern Thailand and Singapore. It measures from head to tail and weighs between...
, Clouded Leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
, Leopard Cat
Leopard Cat
The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...
, Marbled Cat
Marbled Cat
The Marbled Cat is a small wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as vulnerable by IUCN as it occurs at low densities, and its total effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with no single population numbering more than...
, Malayan Civet, Indian Muntjac
Indian Muntjac
The Common Muntjac , also called the Red Muntjac, Indian Muntjac or Barking deer is the most numerous muntjac deer species. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small...
, Sumatran Serow
Sumatran Serow
The Sumatran Serow , also known as the Southern Serow, is a species of goat-antelope native to mountain forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The former name of this species is "mainland serow", as all the mainland species of serow used to be considered...
and Java Mouse-deer
Java Mouse-deer
The Java Mouse-deer is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family. At maturity it is about the size of a rabbit, making it one of the smallest ungulates. It is found in forests in Java and perhaps Bali. It formerly included the more widespread T. kanchil and the poorly known T....
.
Bird species include: Great Argus
Great Argus
The Great Argus, Argusianus argus is a brown-plumaged pheasant with a small blue head and neck, rufous red upper breast, black hair-like feathers on crown and nape, and red legs. The male is among the largest of all pheasants. He measures in total length, including a tail of , and weighs . It has...
, Little Green-pigeon
Little Green-pigeon
The Little Green Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand....
, White-rumped Shama
White-rumped Shama
The White-rumped Shama is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae. It was formerly classified as a member of the Thrush family, Turdidae, causing it to be commonly known as the White-rumped Shama Thrush or simply Shama Thrush.-Distribution:They are native to South and Southeast Asia, but...
, White-bellied Woodpecker
White-bellied Woodpecker
The White-bellied Woodpecker is found in evergreen forests of tropical Asia. It has 14 subspecies, part of a complex including the Andaman Woodpecker . Many island forms are endangered, some are extinct. Populations differ in the distribution and extent of white...
, Crested Serpent-eagle, Hill Myna, Helmeted Hornbill
Helmeted Hornbill
The Helmeted Hornbill is a very large bird in the hornbill family. It is found in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo....
, Wrinkled Hornbill
Wrinkled Hornbill
The Wrinkled Hornbill or Sunda Wrinkled Hornbill is a medium-large hornbill which is found in forest in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo...
, White-winged Wood Duck
White-winged Wood Duck
The White-winged Duck or White-winged Wood Duck is a large species of duck, formerly placed in the genus Cairina and allied with the dabbling ducks...
, Storm's Stork
Storm's Stork
The Storm's Stork, Ciconia stormi is a large, approximately long, stork with black and white plumages, red bill, orange bare facial skin, red legs and yellow orbital skin. Both sexes are similar. The young has duller plumage and bare skin....
, Garnet Pitta
Garnet Pitta
The Garnet Pitta, Pitta granatina, is a species of bird in the Pittidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
and Grey-breasted Babbler
Grey-breasted Babbler
The Grey-breasted Babbler is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore....
.
The Park also has an important role in protecting the hydrology of the Kuantan Indragiri watershed.
Conservation and threats
In 1982 the National Conservation Plan highlighted the importance of Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem and classified the two conservation areas of Bukit Besar Wildlife Sanctuary (200,000 ha) and Seberida Nature Reserve (120,000 ha) as priority I conservation areas. In 1992 the Indonesian Government in cooperation with the Norwegian Government conducted a research to document the biological value of the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem. As the result of research, the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem with an area of 250,000 ha was recommended to be determined as national park. In 1995 Bukit Tigapuluh was established as national park by Ministerial Decree comprising an area of 127,698 ha. In 2002 its area has been extended to 144,223 haThe Park has been under consistent threat from illegal logging and palm oil plantations, with two thirds of the park logged. Surrounding buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
s and wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
s are diminishing, with 30,000 hectares, the largest area of forest remaining outside the Park, released in May 2009 by the Indonesian government for logging, with the licence granted to a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
company involving Asia Pulp & Paper
Asia Pulp & Paper
Asia Pulp & Paper, also known in the paper industry as APP is based in Singapore, is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It was founded by Eka Cipta Widjaja, who had significant ties to the Suharto ruling family in Indonesia. APP claims to obtain 80-90% of the fiber for...
/Sinar Mas Group
Sinar Mas Group
Sinar Mas Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia. It was formed in 1962. It has many subsidiaries including Asia Pulp & Paper and palm oil producer PT SMART....
(APP), to clear the largest area of forest outside the Park.
Orangutan reintroduction
In 2002 the Batu Mbelin orangutan quarantine center was completed near MedanMedan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
in North Sumatra.
In January 2003 orangutans were transferred to Bukit Tigapuluh National Park from the Batu Mbelin orangutan quarantine centre under the auspices of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, and reintroduced shortly after. Since then, over 190 orangutans have been treated at the quarantine center and over 125 of these have already been transferred to Bukit Tigapuluh for reintroduction. At least 3 infants have also been born to reintroduced mothers, these infants being the first to be conceived and born in the forests of Jambi possibly for more than 100 years.
Cats
Camera traps set up in the Bukit Tigapuluh forest in March and April 2011 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have taken images of 12 rare Sumatran Tigers, including a mother playing with cubs. Subsequently the organisation intensified its campaign against the planned logging of the area. Although the Indonesian government has agreed in 2010 to implement a 2-years moratorium on new forest clearance, the presidential regulation that imposes the moratorium was only signed in May 2011. None of the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape is covered by the morarotium and Asia Pulp & PaperAsia Pulp & Paper
Asia Pulp & Paper, also known in the paper industry as APP is based in Singapore, is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It was founded by Eka Cipta Widjaja, who had significant ties to the Suharto ruling family in Indonesia. APP claims to obtain 80-90% of the fiber for...
plans to clear large areas of the forest.
In November 2011, the WWF has announced 5 endagered cats in the forests of Riau. Within 3 months of systematic survey using automatic surveillance cameras at the 'corridor' between the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Rimbang Baling Sanctuary, they found Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae
Sumatran Tiger
The 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...
), Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi), Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmoata
Marbled Cat
The Marbled Cat is a small wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as vulnerable by IUCN as it occurs at low densities, and its total effective population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, with no single population numbering more than...
). Golden Cat (Catopurna temmincki, and Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis
Leopard Cat
The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...
). The cats passing the same tracks all the time in the 'corridor', but both areas connected by 'corridor' are currently threatened by deforestation.