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Biodiversity of the Sebangau tropical peat swamp forest, Indonesian Borneo

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posted on 2019-01-04, 10:15 authored by S. J. Husson, S. H. Limin, Adul, N. S. Boyd, J. J. Brousseau, S. Collier, S. M. Cheyne, L. J. D'Arcy, R. A. Dow, N. W. Dowds, M. L. Dragiewicz, D. A. E. Smith, Iwan, Hendri, P. R. Houlihan, K. A. Jeffers, B. J. M. Jarrett, I. P. Kulu, H. C. Morrogh-Bernard, S. E. Page, E. D. Perlett, A. Purwanto, B. R. Capilla, Salahuddin, Santiano, S. J. J. Schreven, M. J. Struebig, S. A. Thornton, C. Tremlett, Z. Yeen, M. E. Harrison
The importance of Southeast Asia’s tropical peat swamp forests for biodiversity is becoming increasingly recognised. Information on species presence within peatland areas is scant, however, limiting our ability to develop species conservation strategies and monitor responses to human activities. We compile species presence records for the Sebangau forest in Indonesian Borneo since 1993 and present the most complete Bornean PSF biodiversity inventory yet published. Including morpho-species that are likely to represent true species, this list comprises 215 tree, 92 non-tree flora, 73 ant, 66 butterfly, 297 spider, 41 dragon/damselfly, 55 fish, 11 amphibian, 46 reptile, 172 bird and 65 mammal taxa. Of these, 46 species are globally threatened and 59 are currently protected in Indonesia; 22 vertebrate species are Borneo endemics. Because our sampling is both biased and incomplete, the true number of species found at this site is likely to be much higher. Little is known about many of these taxa in Sebangau and peat swamp forests elsewhere. Many of these species are considered forest dependent, and the entire community is expected to be important for maintaining the resilience of the peat swamp forest ecosystem and the environmental services that it provides. This highlights the need for urgent conservation of Sebangau and its diverse biological community.

Funding

We thank the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) and UPT LLG CIMTROP UPR for research permissions in the NLPSF. Collection of the species records described here has been made possible through financial support from a large number of sources over the years, among which we are particularly indebted to The Orangutan Project, Arcus Foundation, US Fish & Wildlife Service Great Apes Conservation Fund, the StOLT fund of SaveTheOrangutan and the Orangutan Land Trust, Orangutan Appeal UK, EAZA, Bioparcs Foundation, Orangutan Outreach, Orangutan Conservancy, Taronga Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, Wallace Global Fund, Ocean Parks Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, Wildlife Conservation Society, Primate Conservation Inc., IFAW, Karen Hanssen Trust, the Rufford Foundation, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Clouded Leopard Project, Fresno Chafee Zoo, and Panthera and Robertson Foundation (through WildCRU, University of Oxford). A large number of staff, students, volunteers and other visitors from Borneo Nature Foundation and other organisations have contributed to this work, both generally and byWe thank the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) and UPT LLG CIMTROP UPR for research permissions in the NLPSF. Collection of the species records described here has been made possible through financial support from a large number of sources over the years, among which we are particularly indebted to The Orangutan Project, Arcus Foundation, US Fish & Wildlife Service Great Apes Conservation Fund, the StOLT fund of SaveTheOrangutan and the Orangutan Land Trust, Orangutan Appeal UK, EAZA, Bioparcs Foundation, Orangutan Outreach, Orangutan Conservancy, Taronga Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, Wallace Global Fund, Ocean Parks Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, Wildlife Conservation Society, Primate Conservation Inc., IFAW, Karen Hanssen Trust, the Rufford Foundation, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Clouded Leopard Project, Fresno Chafe

History

Citation

Mires and Peat, 2018, 22, Article 05, pp. 1–50

Author affiliation

/Organisation/COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING/School of Geography, Geology and the Environment/Physical Geography

Version

  • VoR (Version of Record)

Published in

Mires and Peat

Publisher

International Mire Conservation Group and International Peat Society

issn

1819-754X

Copyright date

2018

Available date

2019-01-04

Publisher version

http://mires-and-peat.net/media/map22/map_22_05.pdf

Language

en