Sulawesi forests harbor a hoard of endemic species: More than 60 percent of its mammals and more than one third of its birds are found nowhere else on the planet. Scientists have, poorly studied the rich biodiversity this island offers. While the world focuses on the galapagos, conservationists ignore this rainforest gem.
Rice fields planted on former mangrove forest land, Image credit
Sulawesi is the perfect blend of two large continents: Asia and Australia. Many of Sulawesi’s species can trace their ancestry to these continents. More than half of this ecoregion’s original forest has been cleared, with only a few tracts remaining.
Agriculture, irrigation schemes, quarrying, and human-induced fire are ongoing threats to native forests. Repeated burnings have resulted in permanent grasslands in some areas and savannas with fire-resistant trees in others.
Lowland rice paddies of Sulawesi, Image credit
Texas Tech University biologist Dr. Charles H. Cannon and colleagues have developed maps of important conservation frontiers on the island of Sulawesi. Their findings concluded: Less than five percent of the island’s mangrove and lowland forests are undisturbed while 99 percent of its wetlands have been damaged or destroyed.
(Bubalus or Anoa depressicornis) of Celebes and the Philippines, having short pointed horns, Image credit
Overall, more than half of Sulawesi’s forests were in poor condition or had been converted for intensive human use. Only 30 percent of its forests–most of these in upland areas exceeding 1500 m in elevation could are classified as in good or better condition.
The flexible nature of the map has applications beyond Sulawesi. Cannon said the methodology can be applied in other regions, especially in places where biodiversity is poorly known but threatened.
Babirusas, Image credit
It is in these forests that the The babirusas a rare pig endemic to Sulawesi’s rainforests is found . Babi means pig and rusa deer in the local language.
I quote Dr. Charles H. Cannon as he talks passionately about Sulawesi needing more attention from the conservation organizations around the world:
It represents a truly unique ecoregion, with examples like the anoa and babirusa just representing the tip of the iceberg of the endemic biodiversity. Because of the crazy geography of the island and its richness in heavy metals, like nickel, most areas are exposed to conversion. There is also an incredibly rich set of human cultures, also vulnerable to extinction, like the Wana people in Morowali
Source: Mongabay