Wetlands in Kutai National Park
Location:
0°05'S-0°35'N, 116°55'-117°35'E; in the Kutai Basin, 50-120 km NNE of Samarinda, Kabupaten Kutai, East Kalimantan.
Area:
Area of wetlands unknown; National Park 200,000 ha, proposed extension 120,000 ha.
Altitude:
Sea level to 398m.
Biogeographical Province:
4.25.12.
Wetland type:
07, 11, 14 & 21.
Description of site:
A large National Park containing examples of all the lowland habitats of East Kalimantan, including: (a) submerged and raised beaches, (b) mangrove and Nypa swamps, (c) freshwater swamps, (d) floodplains, (e) areas with poorly drained to moderately drained soils, (f) areas with well drained soils, and (g) excessively drained podsol soil or "kerangas° areas. There are some 7,000 ha of mangrove swamps in the coastal zone, backed by Nypa swamp and freshwater swamp forest. The latter also extends along the rivers, such as the Sungai Santan and Sungai Teluk Pandan. There are a few lakes in the area, notably Danau Maau, Santan, Besar and Sirapan, surrounded by freshwater swamp forest.
Climatic conditions:
Humid tropical climate with an annual rainfall of over 2,000 mm. The heaviest rainfall occurs during the west monsoon (December to February); the rainfall is relatively low during the east monsoon (June to August). There have been nine drought years since 1940 coinciding with El Nino events. Average temperatures range from 26-27°C.
Principal vegetation:
The lakes are overgrown with Hanguana malayana. Mangrove forest is dominated by species of Rhizophora and Bruguiera, with trees up to 25m in height. Nypa fruticans forms some pure stands further inland. Other mangrove species include Avicennia spp and Sonneratia spp. The freshwater swamp forest is dominated by Eugenia sp, and the floodplain forest by species of Octomeles, Pterosperinum and Barringtonia. In the western half of the park, there are forests of Eusideroxylon zwageri, Shorea spp and kapur, with trees up to 35m in height. In poorly drained conditions, E. zwageri is dominant. The other main forest types are mixed dipterocarp and kerangas forest.
Land tenure:
State owned (PHPA, Indonesian Government).
Conservation measures taken:
The entire area (200,000 ha) was designated as a Wildlife Reserve (Suaka Margasatwa) in July 1971, and upgraded to the status of National Park in October 1982, during the Third World Congress on National Parks in Bali.
Conservation measures proposed:
There is a proposal to extend the National Park to a total of 320,000 ha.
Land use:
Nature conservation, shifting cultivation, logging, fishing (mainly in the swamp areas and lakes), and exploration for oil and gas. Large tracts of the adjacent forests are under logging concessions or are used for shifting cultivation.
Possible Changes in Land use:
There are plans to clear-fell and develop all areas of forest surrounding the National Park.
Disturbances and threats:
Most of the area has been damaged to some extent by logging, oil exploration, shifting cultivation and forest fires. The park is completely surrounded by development activities including organized and spontaneous human settlement, development of the oil and natural gas industries, logging and coal-mining. Eventually, the National Park will p be the only forested area in the region, and as such will become invaluable.
Economic and social values:
The park serves as an important gene pool for forest products. It also plays an important role in protecting water catchment areas and stabilizing the flow in the Kedang Rantau, Mahakam, Sengata and Santan Rivers. This is crucial to the use of these rivers I for transportation and as a source of water for local industries. The park has considerable potential for recreation, tourism and scientific research.
Fauna:
The lakes are said to be very rich in fishes, but no details are available. The area is very rich in mammals, having nearly all the species occurring in East Kalimantan, although the Asian Two-horned Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is now probably extinct. Some 300 species of birds have been recorded, including about 80% of the forest birds of Borneo. Waterbirds include a variety of herons, egrets and shorebirds, six species of rails (Rallidae) and ten species of kingfishers (Alcedinidae). Both the Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus porosus and False Gharial Tomistoma schlegelii still occur in the area along with a variety of other reptiles such as monitor lizards, tree lizards, flying lizards, pythons and cobras.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
Numerous faunal and floral surveys have been carried out in the National Park, but little attention seems to have been given to the wetland habitats and almost no work has been conducted on the waterfowl.
References:
IUCN (in prep); Wirawan (1985).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b, 2a, 2b.
Source:
Marcel J. Silvius.