Belawan (Timur Laut)
Location:
3°45'N, 98°45'E; north of Medan, Kabupaten Langkat, on the east coast of Sumatra Utara Province, Sumatra.
Area:
15,765 ha.
Altitude:
Sea level.
Biogeographical Province:
4.21.12.
Wetland type:
05 & 07.
Description of site:
A large area of mangrove forest (9,000 ha), with adjacent sandy beaches and remnants of dry beach forest. The terrestrial forests inland from the site have now been cleared for agriculture.
Climatic conditions:
Humid tropical climate.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove forest; some Casuarina equisetifolia forest in sandy areas.
Land tenure:
State owned (Indonesian Government).
Conservation measures taken:
The area has been protected as a Wildlife Reserve since 1980.
Conservation measures proposed:
It has been recommended that the wardening of the reserve be improved, and that degraded portions of the reserve be reafforested.
Land use:
Fishing for prawns in surrounding areas.
Disturbances and threats:
Clearance of mangroves for agriculture.
Economic and social values:
The mangrove is important in maintaining the local prawn fishery.
Fauna:
No information is available on the waterfowl. Sea-turtles are reported to nest on the sandy beaches.
Special floral values:
One of the few surviving large stands of mangrove forest on the east coast of Sumatra Utara Province.
References:
MacKinnon & Artha (1982a); Saim & Halim (1984).
Criteria for Inclusion:
0.
Source:
Marcel J. Silvius.