Kangean Archipelago
Location:
6°30'-7°12'S, 115°1 1'-116°16'E; in the Bali Sea, 120 km east of Madura Island and 120 km north of Bali, Kabupaten Sumenep, East Java.
Area:
25,252 ha, including 12,910 ha of mangrove swamp.
Altitude:
Sea level to 390m.
Biogeographical Province:
4.22.12.
Wetland type:
05 & 07.
Description of site:
The Kangean Islands are a group of about 30 islands situated 120 kin north of Bali and east of Madura. The largest island is Kangean, with a length of 40 km and width of 25 km. The island group consists of coral-lime heaved up by volcanic action. The greater part of Kangean is hilly, although there are some lowland areas at the southern end. A large part of the western half of the north coast is bordered by sandy beaches, while the eastern half and a part of the southern plain are fringed with coral reefs and overgrown with mangroves. A tropical sub-montane forest covers the hill ridge in the central and northern parts of the main island. There are still large areas of undisturbed mangrove forest in the archipelago, mainly at the southern end of Kangean and on some of the smaller islands such as Saubi.
Climatic conditions:
Tropical monsoonal climate. The wet monsoon lasts from October to March, and the dry season begins in late April or May. During the dry season, the average daily temperature reaches 31-32°C, while during the wet monsoon, the average daily temperature is 28°C.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove forest with Rhizophora sp, Bruguiera sp, Sonneratia acida and Calophyllum inophyllum. The vegetation in the interior of the islands includes Terminalia catappa, Alsionia sp, Mangifera indica, Lantana sp and Tectonia grandis.
Land tenure:
State owned (Local Government of East Java).
Conservation measures taken:
None.
Conservation measures proposed:
The islands have been proposed as a Nature Reserve and Marine Conservation Area.
Land use:
Fishing and agriculture.
Disturbances and threats:
Dynamite fishing, over-exploitation of the forestry resources, hunting of dugong and sea-turtles, and increased human settlement.
Economic and social values:
The islands have considerable potential for conservation education and scientific research.
Fauna:
Fishes include Decapterus spp, Clupea biogaster, Heriramphus sp. Euthymus sp, Scomberomorus commersoni and Chanos chanos.
The islands are important for a wide variety of waterfowl and sea-birds including Phalacrocorax sulcirostis, Fregata ariel, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ardeola speciosa, Bubulcus ibis, Butorides striatus, Egretta sacra, E. garzetta, Ardea purpurea, A. cinerea, Dendrocygna javanica, Anas superciliosa, Numenius phaeopus, Tringa glareola, Act itis hypoleucos, Sterna sumatrana, S. bergii and S. albifrons. Other birds of note include the raptors Pandion haliaetus, Hal jastur indus, Haliaeetus leucogaster; the pigeons Ducula bicolor, Caloenas nicobarica; and the kingfishers Alcedo meninting, Ceyx rufidorsus and Halcyon sancta. The endangered Dugong Dugong dugon still occurs in the shallow seas around the islands. Terrestrial wildlife includes Fells temmincki, Panthera pardus, Macaca fascicularis, Presbytis cristata, Mungiacus muntjak, Cervus timorensis, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus. Viverricula malaccensis, Rattus rattus, Cynopterus brachyotis. Myotis adversus, Hipposideros larvatus, Rinolophus madurensis and Neofelis nebulosa.
Reptiles include the Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas, Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochclys imbricata and monitor lizard Varanus salvator.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
Basic faunal and floral surveys have been carried out.
References:
Direktorat P.P.A. (1986d); de Iongh et al. (1982).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3b.
Source:
Agustinus W. Taufik and Marcel J. Silvius.