Wandammen Peninsula
Location:
2°30'-2°55'S, 134°28'-134°40'E; on the west side of Cenderawasih Bay, Kabupaten Pantai, Irma Jaya.
Area:
Area of wetlands unknown; peninsula 79,500 ha.
Altitude:
Sea level to 2,075m.
Biogeographical Province:
5.1.13.
Wetland type:
01, 05, 06, 07 & 14.
Description of site:
A very mountainous peninsula with peaks rising to 2,075m and many streams draining into Wandammen Bay and Umar Bay. On both sides of the peninsula, broad intertidal mudflats are exposed at low tide. Most of the peninsula is covered with moist lower montane forest (77,910 ha), but there are 1,590 ha of beach vegetation along the coasts and some sago swamps near the head of Wandammen Bay. The east coast is uninhabited, but there are several small settlements on the west coast.
Climatic conditions:
Humid tropical climate.
Principal vegetation:
Beach vegetation and sago swamps; moist lower montane forest elsewhere on the peninsula.
Land tenure:
No information.
Conservation measures taken:
None.
Conservation measures proposed:
The entire area has been proposed as a Nature Reserve (Cagar Alam).
Land use:
A little cultivation, logging and hunting.
Possible Changes in Land use:
No Information.
Disturbances and threats:
Ladang encroachment on the western boundary, cutting of timber and hunting.
Economic and social values:
No information.
Fauna:
The intertidal mudflats are of considerable importance as staging and wintering areas for migratory shorebirds. Sixteen species have been recorded including Numenius minutus, N. madagascariensis, Heteroscelus brevipes and H. incanus. Other waterbirds known to occur include Fregata ariel, Nycticorax caledonicus, Egretta sacra, E. garzetta, E. intermedia, E. atha and Rallicula leucospila. No other information is available on the fauna.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
Diamond et al. (1983) have conducted some avifaunal surveys in the area.
References:
Diamond et al. (1983); MacKinnon & Artha (1981b).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b, 3b.
Source:
Marcel J. Silvius.