Wallacea Program

The biogeographical region of Wallacea in Sulawesi, Maluku and Lesser Sunda is between the Sunda and Sahul continental shelves with an area of ​​33.8 million hectares. Globally, this area is famous for its extraordinary endemism because the two continental shelves, which were connected around 25,000 years ago, are now separated by oceans, creating an isolation zone for the flora and fauna within. Another factor supporting isolation is geographic shape and topography.

As a result of volcanic activity and subduction, the Wallacea landmass was fragmented into thousands of small islands and several large islands separated by deep straits. The marine waters in this area and its surroundings, which form the coral triangle, have the richest marine biodiversity on earth. Overall, in this region there are 251 land KBAs and 74 sea KBAs.

The biological richness in the Wallacea Region has its own characteristics which differ from individuals in the Asian region as well as Australia and Papua New Guinea. Wallacea is home to 560 species, of which 254 species are marine species, including 110 endemic marine species in the Critical (three species) and Endangered (25 species) categories. Of the 697 bird species in this area, 249 of them are endemic with various rare statuses.

The natural vegetation in the lowlands of Wallacea around the equator, concentrated in Sulawesi and Maluku, is evergreen and semi-perennial forests while the Lesser Sunda subregion, which is dry and frequently changes seasons, is dominated by deciduous forests. Most of this type of forest has been cleared for agricultural land, mining and development. Other types of forest in Wallacea are bushland, swamp, ultrabasic rock forest, savanna, grassland and mangrove. Sulawesi Island, the area contributing the largest cover to Wallacea (56%), is located within the mountain forest biome, which includes important centers of plant endemism in Latimojong and Bogani Nani Wartabone National Parks.

Rainfall in this area has an impact on natural conditions, health and food availability. The northern Wallacea region has two rainy seasons a year, while the southern region is more seasonal with a rainy season once a year and a long dry season. Water supply and management of catchment areas on small islands are important factors for economic development and the lives of local communities.

The immediate causes of the main threats in both the Indonesian and Timor-Leste parts of Wallacea are grouped into two main categories. The first is excessive exploitation of natural resources such as illegal logging, unsustainable fishing, hunting and harvesting. The second category is habitat degradation, fragmentation and conversion including mining, oil and gas, agricultural and forestry industries, small businesses in agriculture and livestock, urbanization, infrastructure and energy development. The expansion of the agricultural industry is mainly aimed at palm oil and sugar cane commodities.