Meru Betiri National Park
Encyclopedia
Meru Betiri National Park is a national park
in the province of East Java
, Indonesia
, extending over an area of 580 km² of which a small part is marine (8.45 km²). The beaches of the park provide nesting ground for the endangered Leatherback turtles, Hawksbill turtle
s, Green turtles, and Olive Ridley turtle
s.
The Meru Betiri area is influenced by monsoon wind. During November to March, the westerly wind brings rainfall to the area, whereas the dry season occurs during April to October.
The average annual rainfall is between 2,300 and 4,000 mm, with 4 dry months and 7 wet months in average.
The park provides habitat for many other protected animals, including 29 species of mammal and 180 species of bird. Among them are the Banteng
, Panther
, Wild boar, Long-tailed Macaque
, Dhole
, Javanese Flying Squirrel
, Leopard Cat
, Javan Muntjac
, and Green Peafowl
. The beaches of the park provide nesting ground for Leatherback Turtles, Hawksbill Turtle
s, Green Turtles, and Olive Ridley Turtle
s.
Meru Betiri National Park is known as the last habitat of the Javan Tiger
(Panthera tigris sondaica) which is now considered extinct, with the last sighting having been recorded in 1976.
Due to a research in 1997 found a tiger paw prints at size 26-28 cm, so the Forestry Ministry has agreed to monitor the existence of the Javanese tiger by camera trap in 2011.
in 1931. In 1972 the Meru Betiri Protected Forest (500 km²) was appointed as a wildlife sanctuary, prioritized for protecting the habitat of the than endangered Javan Tiger
. In 1982 the sanctuary was expanded to its current extent of 580 km² including a marine area of 845 ha. In 1982 the sanctuary was declared a National Park, which finally has been designated as such in 1997.
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 the province of East Java
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...
, extending over an area of 580 km² of which a small part is marine (8.45 km²). The beaches of the park provide nesting ground for the endangered Leatherback turtles, Hawksbill turtle
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. E. imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while E...
s, Green turtles, and Olive Ridley turtle
Olive Ridley
The olive ridley sea turtle , also known as the Pacific ridley, is a species of sea turtle.- Description :The olive ridley is a small extant sea turtle, with an adult carapace length averaging 60 to 70 cm 1...
s.
Geography and climate
Meru Betiri National Park has a varied topography reaching from a plain coast to highlands with an altitude of almost 1,200 meters. The tallest mountains within the park are Mount Gamping (538 m), Mount Butak (609 m), Mount Sukamade Atas (801 m), Mount Gendong (840 m asl), Mount Mandilis (844 m) and Mount Betiri (1,192 m). The topography along the coast is generally hilly to mountainous. There are only few sandy plain coasts, most of them located in the west, such as Rajegwesi Beach, Sukamade Beach, Permisan Beach, Meru Beach and Bandealit Beach. Some rivers across Meru Betiri NP are Sukamade River, a perennial river, Permisan River, Meru River and Sekar Pisang River that flow to the South coast.The Meru Betiri area is influenced by monsoon wind. During November to March, the westerly wind brings rainfall to the area, whereas the dry season occurs during April to October.
The average annual rainfall is between 2,300 and 4,000 mm, with 4 dry months and 7 wet months in average.
Vegetation
As a result of its diverse topography, Meru Betiri NP contains five distinct vegetation types:- Coastal vegetation, found around Sukamade Bay and Meru Bay. This vegetation includes the Barringtonia asiaticaBarringtonia asiaticaBarringtonia asiatica is a species of Barringtonia native to mangrove habitats on the tropical coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean from Zanzibar east to Taiwan, the Philippines, Fiji, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia...
, Calophyllum inophyllumCalophyllum inophyllumCalophyllum inophyllum is a large evergreen. It is native from East Africa, southern coastal India to Malesia and Australia.-Distribution and description:...
, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Terminalia catappaTerminalia catappaTerminalia catappa is a large tropical tree in the Leadwood tree family, Combretaceae. The tree has been spread widely by humans and the native range is uncertain. It has long been naturalised in a broad belt extending from Africa to Northern Australia and New Guinea through Southeast Asia and...
, and Pandanus tectoriusPandanus tectoriusPandanus 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 ....
. - MangroveMangroveMangroves 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...
vegetation, found at the eastern side of the Rajegwesi Bay as the outlet of Lembu and Karang Tambak Rivers, Meru Bay and Sukamade Coast. The dominant vegetations are RhizophoraRhizophoraRhizophora 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...
, AvicenniaAvicenniaAvicennia 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...
and Bruguiera. At the outlet of the Sukamade River, there is Nypa fruticansNypa fruticansNypa fruticans, known as the attap palm , nipa palm , and mangrove palm or buah atap , buah nipah , dừa nước , Ging Pol in Sinhala in Sri Lanka and gol pata , dani . It is the only palm considered a mangrove in the Mangroves Biome...
. - SwampSwampA swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
vegetation, found at the back of the mangrove forest of Sukamade. Some tree species here are Manilkara kauki, Gluta renghas, Alstonia scholarisAlstonia scholarisAlstonia 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...
, and Sterculia foetida. - Lowland tropical rain forest, including among others tree species of PterospermumPterospermumPterospermum is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. Pterospermum is based on two Greek words, "Pteron" and "Sperma," meaning "winged seed."Some species are grown...
, Tetrameles nudifloraTetrameles nudifloraTetrameles nudiflora is a species of plant in the Tetramelaceae family. It is a tree found in Queensland , Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam...
, FicusFicusFicus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
variegata, DiospyrosDiospyrosDiospyros is a genus of about 450–500 species of deciduous and evergreen trees. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. They are commonly known as ebony or persimmon trees...
cauliflora, Aglaia variegata, DracontomelonDracontomelonDracontomelon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae.The most commonly eaten species is Dracontomelon duperreanum, which produces an edible fruit that is eaten in Cambodia, Vietnam and China. In Vietnamese, the plant is called cây sấu and is a common urban tree in Hanoi. and...
mangiferum, BischoffiaBischoffiaBischoffia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-References:*...
javanica, DysoxylumDysoxylumDysoxylum is a flowering plant genus in the mahogany family . There are about 70 species, mainly trees, occurring from Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and through to other parts of the western Pacific Ocean...
amoroides, Gossampinus heptaphylla, LitseaLitseaLitsea is a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes 200 to 400 species in tropical and subtropical areas of both hemispheres.-Overview:Trees or shrubs, dioecious...
, and PlectocomiaPlectocomiaPlectocomia is a genus of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It contains at least the following species:* Plectocomia assamica* Plectocomia elongata* Plectocomia himalayana* Plectocomia microstachys* Plectocomia perreana...
elongata. - Rheofit, found in the wetlandWetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
areas, such as at the Sukamade area. The dominant vegetation species here is the Saccharum spontaneum.
Fauna
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...
, Panther
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, Wild boar, Long-tailed 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:...
, 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...
, Javanese Flying Squirrel
Javanese Flying Squirrel
The Javanese Flying Squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia....
, 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...
, Javan 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...
, and 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...
. The beaches of the park provide nesting ground for Leatherback Turtles, Hawksbill Turtle
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. E. imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while E...
s, Green Turtles, and Olive Ridley Turtle
Olive Ridley
The olive ridley sea turtle , also known as the Pacific ridley, is a species of sea turtle.- Description :The olive ridley is a small extant sea turtle, with an adult carapace length averaging 60 to 70 cm 1...
s.
Meru Betiri National Park is known as the last habitat of the Javan Tiger
Javan Tiger
The Javan tiger is an extinct tiger subspecies that inhabited the Indonesian island of Java until the mid-1970s. It was one of the three subspecies limited to islands.Mazák, J.H., Groves, C.P....
(Panthera tigris sondaica) which is now considered extinct, with the last sighting having been recorded in 1976.
Due to a research in 1997 found a tiger paw prints at size 26-28 cm, so the Forestry Ministry has agreed to monitor the existence of the Javanese tiger by camera trap in 2011.
Conservation
The Meru Betiri Forest area was first appointed as a protected forest by the Dutch Colonial GovernmentDutch 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....
in 1931. In 1972 the Meru Betiri Protected Forest (500 km²) was appointed as a wildlife sanctuary, prioritized for protecting the habitat of the than endangered Javan Tiger
Javan Tiger
The Javan tiger is an extinct tiger subspecies that inhabited the Indonesian island of Java until the mid-1970s. It was one of the three subspecies limited to islands.Mazák, J.H., Groves, C.P....
. In 1982 the sanctuary was expanded to its current extent of 580 km² including a marine area of 845 ha. In 1982 the sanctuary was declared a National Park, which finally has been designated as such in 1997.