Pulau Kobroor
Location:
5°55'-6°22'S, 134°15'-134°47'E; in the Aru Archipelago, about 120 km off the south coast of Irian Jaya, Kabupaten Maluku Tenggara, Moluccas.
Area:
99,000 ha, including 9,000 ha of mangrove forest and 1,000 ha of peat swamp forest.
Altitude:
Sea level to 125m.
Biogeographical Province:
5.1.13.
Wetland type:
05, 06, 07, 08, 11 & 21.
Description of site:
Kobroor is the central island of the Aru Archipelago. It is the least populated and least disturbed large island in the group, and has a wide range of habitats including mangroves, peat swamp forest and lowland deciduous tropical forest. The western part of the island is a karst area. The eastern part is generally flat with a few undulating hills. The few permanent rivers are subject to tidal influence far inland. There are many deep wells in which the water level rises and falls with the tides. These provide abundant fresh water throughout the year. The island is almost entirely fringed with mangrove swamps, and there are a few patches of seasonal swamp in the coastal zone.
Climatic conditions:
Tropical maritime climate with an average annual rainfall of 2,177 mm.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove swamps with species of Sonneratia, Bruguiera and Avicennia and the Nipah Palm Nypa fruticans.
Land tenure:
State owned (BKPH P.P. Aru).
Conservation measures taken:
None.
Conservation measures proposed:
The island has been proposed as a Game Reserve.
Land use:
Fishing and hunting.
Disturbances and threats:
Shifting cultivation, illegal felling of mangroves, and illegal hunting of endangered species, particularly cockatoos, birds of paradise, crocodiles and dugongs. There is a considerable amount of trade in wildlife, and lack of any effective management.
Economic and social values:
No information.
Fauna:
The island is very rich in wildlife. Waterbirds include Phalacrocorax melanoleucos, Nycticorax caledonicus, Butorides striatus, Egretta intermedia, Ardea sumatrana, Tadorna raa'jah, Haliaslur indus, Esacus magnirostris and Halcyon chioris. Land birds of note include the Two-wattled Cassowary, Nicobar Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Palm Cockatoo (Casuarius casuarius, Caloenas nicobarica, C'acatua galerita and Probosciger aterrimus).
The Dugong Dugong dugon occurs around the island; other mammals include Phalanger orientalis, Thyogale bruijnii, Paradoxurus hermaphrodftus, Sus scrofa, Cervus timorensis, Petaurus breviceps and Macroglossus lagochilus.
Both the Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus porosus and the New Guinea Crocodile C. novaeguineae occur on the island along with Hydrophis mertoni.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
Preliminary faunal surveys have been carried out.
References:
FAO (1981e & 1981f); Smiet et al. (1981).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b, 2a, 2b, 3b.
Source:
Marcel J. Silvius and Agustinus W. Taufik.