Summary
Batang Gadis is a national park covering 1,080 km2 in North Sumatra province, Indonesia extending between 300 and 2,145 metres altitude. It is named after the Batang Gadis river that flows through the park.[1] Signs of the endangered Sumatran tiger and the threatened Asian golden cat, leopard cat and clouded leopard were seen in the park. The protection of Batang Gadis as a national park is part of a plan to create the Northern Sumatra biodiversity conservation corridor, which would be connected, via a series of protected areas and forests, to Gunung Leuser National Park in the north of the island.[2]
| Batang Gadis National Park | |
|---|---|
 Sorikmarapi volcano, the highest point in the national park. | |
  Batang Gadis NP Location in Sumatra  Batang Gadis NP Batang Gadis NP (Indonesia) | |
| Location | North Sumatra Province, Indonesia |
| Nearest city | Panyabungan |
| Coordinates | 0°59′N 99°23′E / 0.983°N 99.383°E |
| Area | 1,080 km2 |
| Established | 2004 |
| Governing body | Ministry of Forestry |
Flora and fauna edit
There are at least 47 species of mammals, 247 of birds, 240 vascular plants and 1,500 microorganisms in the park.
By sampling of a 200 square metres area, researchers found 242 vascular plants or about 1 percent of all flora in Indonesia.[3] Heptapleurum aromaticum is often the most common plant to occur in the understory of montane primary forest, where it is found at densities of 7% to 17% in the forest cover. The fern Diplazium proliferum is the second most common plant in this area. At lower elevations in both primary and secondary forest it is also the second most (after Dracontomelon dao), or most, respectively, dominant understory plant, but it occurs at lower densities. On less diverse, more heavily degraded land however, it is even more dominant, occurring at up to 25% of the forest cover. Where the forest is disturbed the only understory species more common than this Heptapleurum in the park is Ganua kingiana.[4]
The mammals that can be found are Sumatran tiger, Malayan tapir, Malayan porcupine, Asian golden cat, leopard cat, Indian muntjac, goral (Naemorhedus sumatrae), Java mouse-deer, binturong, sun bear and Sambar deer. There were 13 endemic species of bird recorded in the park, including Salvadori's pheasant and Schneider's pitta. Amphibians include the caecilian Ichtyopis glutinosa and the long-nosed horned frog, etc.
In 2008 the population of Sumatran tigers has been estimated to be between ca. 30 to 100.[5] In 2013 their number has been estimated to be between 23 and 76, or 20% of the total population.[6]
Conservation and threats edit
Parts of the forest within the national park have been protected by the Dutch colonial government since 1921. The proposal for a national park was submitted by the local government in 2003,[1] and the Batang Gadis National Park was declared in 2004.[2]
The wildlife in the park is threatened by poaching, and encroachment by an Australian gold mining company that holds a 200,000-hectare concession that overlaps with the national park.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia: "Taman Nasional Batang Gadis" Archived November 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 6 December 2013
- ^ a b Indonesia Declares Batang Gadis National Park, 20 May 2004
- ^ "TN Batang Gadis Benteng Terakhir bagi Flora dan Fauna Langka". April 28, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-29.
- ^ Kuswanda, Wanda; Antoko, Bambang S. (2008). "Keanekaragaman jenis tumbuhan pada berbagai tipe hutan untuk mendukung pengelolaan zona rimba di Taman Nasional Batang Gadis" [Flora Species Diversities of Forest Types and Its Contribution on Wilderness Zone Management in Batang Gadis National Park]. Jurnal Penelitian Hutan dan Konservasi Alam (in Indonesian). 5 (4): 337–354. doi:10.20886/jphka.2008.5.4.337-354.
- ^ Wibisono, Hariyo T.; Figel, Joe J.; Arif, Sugesti M.; Ario, Anton; Lubis, Abu H. (2009). "Assessing the Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae population in Batang Gadis National Park, a new protected area in Indonesia". Oryx. 43 (4): 634–638. doi:10.1017/S003060530999055X.
- ^ a b Vidal, John: "Industry, fires and poachers shrink Sumatran tigers' last stronghold", in The Guardian, 26 May 2013
