Environment
Although not the largest island in Indonesia, Sulawesi is the perfect blend and off course an evolutionary melting pot between two large continents: Asia (including Kalimantan) and Australia (including Papua). Many of Sulawesi’s species can trace their ancestry to these continents. Because it has been isolated from these large landmasses for millions of years, however, the island has seen the evolution of many species not found elsewhere.
Although Kalimantan and Sulawesi are not separated by any significant physical barrier, the birds and mammals of these two islands are different. Sulawesi has the highest level of mammal endemism in Asia and is a major component of the Wallacea Biodiversity Hotspot as designated by Conservation International. Many of these species may be seen in Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Bogani Nani Wartabone (formerly known as Dumoga Bone) National Park and Lore Lindu Park.
Of the 127 mammal species found on the island, 79 are found nowhere else in the world. There are 19 endangered species, including the Babirusa, a type of pig whose teeth grow upwards, piercing the skull, the Anoa, a kind of violent dwarf buffalo, the black tailless Macaque, and the Tarsier (tarsius spectrum – the world's smallest primate) which can turn its head 180 degrees and has a body length of just 10 cm.
Snakes are very plentiful in Lore Lindu. There are 68 species in the park, including the largest snake in the world, the reticulated python which has been known to eat people. The python is found throughout South-East Asia, but the biggest one ever recorded—30 feet [9 meters] from head to tail—was found in Sulawesi.
Of its 227 bird species, 77 are found only in Sulawesi, such as the endangered Maleo bird which buries its single 250 gram egg in hot sand near geothermal springs, and incubates in mounds of soil warmed by sunlight, hot springs or volcanic vents, or the brightly-colored Red-knobbed Hornbill which can signal rain. The giant Allo, with a five-foot (1.5-meter) wing span, has even more unusual nesting habits—the male, helped by the female, builds a mud wall to close her in a hollow tree trunk, leaving a slit where he can slip her food. She's shut in until the nesting season is over. Their loud cries sound like harsh laughter, and give an eerie resonance to an already haunting place.
From the botanical standpoint the lines of descent are less clear. Sulawesi's plants appear to be more closely related to those of other drier parts of the archipelago. The predominant trees in the lower montane forests of this eco-region are oaks and chestnuts. As you move higher, more and more conifers are seen. The highest peaks have sub-alpine forests with smaller trees, whose branches are covered in lichen. Shrubs, colorful herbs, and grasses blanket the ground at the higher elevations. Several high-quality woods can be found in the nature reserves, such as ebony, ironwood, linggua, gopasa, nantu, meranti, etc. Rattan and colorful orchids, as well as various wild palms and other plant species, grow in abundance in the forests throughout the region.
Sulawesi is home to countless areas of rainforest, beautiful lakes and an astonishing 11 active volcanoes. Its high volcanic lakes have also produced isolated freshwater ecologies, with each lake supporting its own unique species. Some of the most extensive cave systems in Indonesia can be found on the island, inhabited by species of blind shrimp, long-antennae crickets, giant spiders, bats and cave swallows.
Although the forests of Sulawesi have so far been left relatively intact, logging pressures are increasing dramatically. In addition, it's becoming more and more common for people to burn the forest to clear land for agriculture. More than half of this eco-region’s original forest has been cleared, with only a few fairly large tracts remaining. Agriculture, irrigation schemes, quarrying, and human-induced fire are ongoing threats to native forests. Repeated burnings have resulted in permanent grasslands in some areas and savannas with fire-resistant trees in others.
Sulawesi's incredible wealth of indigenous wildlife is also threatened by loss of habitat through farming, hunting, and most recently, the growth of gold-mining. Miners refine gold using mercury, and then indiscriminately dump the left-over chemicals into streams and rivers, tainting water used by both humans and animals. As the mining shows no sign of diminishing, more and more living beings are at risk of mercury poisoning.
One of the most important lakes in the island is Lake Motano in Sorowako, South Sulawesi, under whose shores there are large deposits of nickel. Mining for this metal causes pollution and destroys habitat. Beside this lake is located the Canadian-owned Inco Nickel mine, which has been there for over 30 years. Lake Motano, created millions of years ago, is the deepest lake in South-East Asia. It supports a range of unique species, as well as providing food, sanitation and a home for lake-shore communities. Commercial fishing, industrial development, and the introduction of non-native species are among the main threats to this eco-region.
Sharks, sea-turtles, dolphins, raja laut (the coelacanth, an ancient fish pre-dating the dinosaurs) and more than 450 species of coral are just some of the creatures that thrive in the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas. Surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, this eco-region is one of the richest marine environments on Earth.
Destructive fishing techniques - especially those using dynamite and cyanide - are a major threat to the marine resources here. Although these destructive behaviors have been practised since colonial times, the techniques and methods have undergone significant development. In the early days, the destructive materials were made of natural ingredients (e.g. explosive powder, locally known as serbuk kuning, stuffed into a dry coconut shell). Now the techniques include the use of dynamite made of crop fertilizer stuffed into a soft-drink bottle. In addition, instead of throwing the bomb into the sea water, a detonator is now frequently used. Rapid coastal development and pollution are a permanent nightmare for the oceans and its populations.
Lore Lindu, on Indonesia's island of Sulawesi, is a forest with secrets. There are birds that laugh like people and ancient granite carvings, called megaliths that no one can explain. The megaliths vary in size from a few inches to 15 feet (4.5 meters) high. No one knows who carved them, when, or why. Only now are the existence and location of the megaliths being formally documented. Nature Conservancy is helping Indonesian park officials to find and protect the carvings, as well as the forest around them. So far more than 400 of these carvings have been found in and around the park.
