Meru Betiri National Park - Indonesia

General

The Meru Betiri National Park lies at the south coast of east Java and is 50,000 ha. It was named after the highest mountain in the area: the Gunung Betiri (1,223 m).

The park consists of one of the last extensive areas of lowland rainforest on Java, as well as mangrove, lowland swamp forest and beach formations. Rumour says that here the last Javan Tigers have their domicile. Other endemics in the park are the plants Rafflesia zollingeriana and Balanphora fungosa. On the southern beaches, near Sukamade, five species of sea turtle lay their eggs.

Access

Meru Betiri National Park can be reached from Banyuwangi. Take a bus to Pesanggaran and from there continue with a minibus to Sarongan or a truck to Sukamade. From Sukamade trucks ride to Rajagwesi. Permits and guides are available at the PHPA office in Sarongan.

Accomodation

Rajagwesi PHPA Guesthouse Sukamade Wisma Sukamade

Trekking

The PHPA office organizes walks through the park.

Sarongan - Bandealit 3 days Sukamade - Turtle Bay 1 hour

Fauna

Rhizophora spp., Avicennia spp., Bruguiera spp., Sonneratia spp.. Endemic species: Rafflesia zollingeriana, Balanphora fungosa.

Fauna

Animals

Javan Tiger?? (Panthera tigris sondaicus), Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Banteng, Leopard, Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor), Javan Leaf Monkey, Long-tailed Macaque, Pangolin, Silvered Leaf Monkey, Black Giant Squirrel, Reticulated Python, Water Monitor, Green Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Loggerhead Turtle, Large Flying Fox.

Birds

Green Peafowl, Black-banded Barbet, Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus), Asian Pied Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Javan Coucal, Spotted Kestrel (Falco moluccensis), Rufous-bellied Eagle (Hieraaetus kienerii), Black Eagle, Collared Scops-Owl (Otus lempiji), Javan Owlet (Glaucidium castanopterum), Osprey, Banded Pitta, Red-breasted Parakeet, Crested Serpent-eagle, Blyth's Hawk-eagle (Spizaetus alboniger), Changeable Hawk-Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

from : http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/4466/meru1.htm

Greenpeace activists block palm oil shipment in Indonesia

10 November 2008
Dumai, Indonesia — In the latest stage of the Esperanza's Forests for Climate tour around south-east Asia, activists have arrived in Dumai, Indonesia to block a palm oil shipment from departing for Europe.
The shipment was supposed to leave from Dumai, a large port on the eastern coast of Sumatra and Indonesia’s main palm oil export port. Activists from the Esperanza left to expose three palm oil tankers anchored in Dumai port. Despite the crew of one ship blasting the activists with fire hoses, the team managed to paint “Forest Crime” and “Climate Crime” on the hull of all three ships, as well as the side of a barge loaded with timber from the rainforest.

Peatland protection
The largest ship to receive a new coat of paint was the Gran Couva, bound for Rotterdam in the Netherlands with 27,000 metric tonnes of palm oil from Wilmar, one of the largest palm oil companies in Indonesia.

Much of Sumatra's forest has been destroyed but small pockets remain, including one critical area of Riau. This area of forest is similar in size to Switzerland or Taiwan, but it grows in a thick layer of peat. When drained and burnt to make way for oil palm plantations, the peat releases huge quantities of greenhouse gas, contributing to climate change. If the remaining forests and peatland in Riau are destroyed, they will release the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of global emissions.

Fixed anchor for Forests
Following the exposure of these forest criminals with the painting of the ships, an activist climbed the anchor chain of the Gran Couva, and has secured himself there. This means the ship - and the palm oil it is carrying - have been immobilised and will not be leaving the port. For updates on the situation, read the ship tour blog.

During the ongoing tour of Indonesia, the crew of the Esperanza has witnessed massive conversion of Papua’s tropical forests for palm oil plantations in a concession near Jayapura operated by Sinar Mas, the largest palm oil company in Indonesia. They have also exposed ongoing forest destruction for timber in Papua, and discovered fresh forest clearances in concessions in the peatland forests of Riau.

Greenpeace is calling on the Indonesian government to enforce an immediate moratorium on deforestation, as well as on the international governments to create a funding mechanism to provide international funds for forest protection in Indonesia and other forest countries.

www.greenpeace.org

Potensial of Forest Resource in Indonesia

Biodiversity : Remarkable Natural Wealth.

We have to be graceful that Indonesia is situated on equator and has avast and dense tropical forest. Hence, Indonesia has numerous natural resources with its valuable biodiversity, not only for Indonesia nation, but also for the international society in general. The Indonesian tropical forest is in the third rank (based on on area) after Brazil and Zaire.

Indonesia archipelago spreads over 5000km along the equator. Biogeographically, this country is affected by Indomalayan plain at the west side and Australasian at the east, on that account specifically Indonesia biogeography can be divited into seven main regions : Sumatera, Jawa - Bali, Borneo (including Natuna and Anambas), the Lesser Sundas (including Wetar & Tanibar), Celebes, Moluccas and New Guinea (including Aru and Kai islands). The Lesser Sundas, Celebes, and Moluccas are considered transitional region between Indomalayan and Australasian plains.

Amongst the 17000 islands in the archipelago, many of the have been separated from the main plains for thousands of years. Thus, these islands exhibit unique characteristics, and the have high entemism. This is one factor why Indonesia is rich species. Although Indonesia occupies only 1,3% of the global area, this country is endowed with abundant natural wealth. The abundance is indicated by the existence of a 10% of the total flowering plants in the world, 12% of the total mammal species, 16% of the total bird species, and 25% of the fish species in the world.

From book of : Sustainable Forest Development as Reflection of Faith and Piety