Pulau Panaitan
Location:
6°32'-6°40'S, l05°04'-105°l4'E; off the extreme western tip of Java, north of Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java.
Area:
17,500 ha, including 1,700 ha of mangrove swamp.
Altitude:
Sea level to 320m.
Biogeographical Province:
4.22.12.
Wetland type:
01, 05, 07 & 21.
Description of site:
Panaitan is a relatively large offshore island, some 10 km northwest of Ujung Kulon. It has sandy beaches, a large shallow bay with mangrove swamps, and hills rising to 320m. The terrestrial vegetation consists of dry beach forest and lowland rain forest.
Climatic conditions:
Humid tropical maritime climate with an average annual rainfall of 3,140 mm.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove forest with Sonneratia spp, Avicennia sp and Nypa fruticans. Dry beach forest on the coastal sand dunes is dominated by Pandanus tectorius, Barringionia asiatica, Hibiscus tiliaceus and Terminalia catappa. The shoreline is often fringed with Calophyllum inophyllum. The rain forest is characterized by an abundance of palms, notably species of Arenga and Oncosperma.
Land tenure:
State owned; managed by PHPA.
Conservation measures taken:
The island has been protected as a Nature Reserve since 1921, and was declared a National Park in March 1980.
Conservation measures proposed:
It has been proposed that the inshore waters surrounding the National Park be designated as a Marine Park.
Land use:
Nature conservation and wilderness zone; fishing in the adjacent seas.
Disturbances and threats:
Fishing within the park boundaries, oil pollution from passing tankers, the collection of seaweed, and the illegal collection of firewood.
Economic and social values:
The island has high scenic values and has considerable potential for outdoor recreation, conservation education and scientific research.
Fauna:
Fishes include Chaetodon spp, Balistoides niger, Pomaeanthus spp, Platax firmaetus, Asiochus sp, Acanthurus spp, Seorus spp and Ctenochaitus strigonis. The island is important for a variety of waterfowl and sea-birds including Phalacrocorax sulcirostris, Anhinga melanogaster, Fregata ariel, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ardeola specios& Egretta sacra, Ardea cinerea, A. sumatrana, Mycteria cinerea, Charadrius mongolus, Numenius phaeopus, Actitis hypoleucos and Sterna spp. Other birds include birds of prey such as Pandioa haliaetus, Haliastur indus, Haliaeetus leucogaster, Ichihyophaga ichthyaetus and Fake peregrinus, and the kingfisher Halcyon coromanda.
Mammals known to occur on the island include Sus scrofa, Tragulus javanicus, Muntiacus muntjak, Callosciurus notalis, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Macaca fascicularis, Ratula bicoloc. Cuon alpinus and Panthera pardus. Reptiles and amphibians include Varanus salvator and species of Mabouya, Python, Rana.
Special floral values:
No information.
References:
Blower & van der Zon (1978); Hoogerwerf (1953).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b. 2a, 3b.
Source:
Marcel J. Silvius, Edi Djuharsa and Agustinus W. Taufik.