Forests have become part of the life of the Papuan people, who depend on natural forests. Most people live in the forest and manage forest resources sustainably. The West Papua rainforest is of natural and cultural knowledge source for environmental, conservation, and biological experts.
Papua’s Forests in General
Papua is the area with the largest land area owned by Indonesia with a large natural ecosystem. Papua has a complete ecosystem from the sea, coast, and forest to the peaks of eternal snowy mountains. On the mainland of Papua, about 75% of the land area is covered by dense tropical rainforests.
One of the uniqueness of tropical rainforests in this region is that they are always covered by fog, indicating that Papua has high humidity levels. The dense forest is a natural vegetation type in almost all of Papua, except in the southeast.
In the southeastern region, there is a dense monsoon forest, which is getting to the south, gradually turning into a Melaleuca forest and Eucalyptus savanna. Most of Papua is hilly; forests that grow above the ground are well-drained and tend to be less stunning, with trees with smaller and shorter trunks.
The Current Condition of the West Papua Rainforest
West Papua rainforests are the last hope for Indonesia’s intact forests. It is due to the reduction in forest land cover in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry noted that in 2015 the remaining primary forest in Indonesia was in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, covering an area of 38,153,269 hectares. In fact, until 2009, the forest area still reached 42 million hectares.
Then, in 2011 Greenpeace noted that the rate of deforestation in Papua reached an average of 143,680 hectares per year, while in West Papua Province, it was 293,000 hectares. The government’s infrastructure development plan will certainly impact the community and the environment. It results in a higher potential for deforestation. Papua has considerable natural resources, which is certainly the target of entrepreneurs and investors.
By performing various treatments to safeguard the forest, it is possible to strike a balance between economic and environmental factors. They include the creation of alternative industries that utilize natural resources to promote economic expansion. For example, the West Papua rainforest has the potential for ecotourism.
With an integrated agroforestry system, they can develop the production of non-timber forest goods such as fruits, medicinal plants, cocoa, honey, and orchids into a new source of livelihood for the community. This alternative does not completely cover the potential for plantations.
However, the government can transfer the agreements to old plantations and degraded and unproductive land. In this activity, the economic benefits must also reach the community, not only the entrepreneurs and owners of large companies, which will further widen the gap. The customary forest scheme is the right choice to be implemented in Papua. Communities can directly play a role in protecting forests from harmful encroachment.
1. Flora of West Papua Rainforest
West Papua rainforest is a source of life for the surrounding community and a habitat for plants and animals. Preservation and wise forest management will certainly affect this. The forest itself has many types of plants that live in it.
Preserving the forest also means preserving the plant ecosystem. As explained above, Indonesia’s deforestation rate is quite high. Therefore the existence of biodiversity is also threatened.
The widespread problem of reducing forest cover area is an issue that needs to be taken care of—considering that it affects biodiversity to maintain the survival of living things in the forest.
2. Fauna of West Papua Rainforest
Endemic/distinctive fauna is one thing that needs to be considered by the whole world community, not only local people. We must consider its existence carefully to maintain its sustainability because the population is small.
All elements of society cooperate in this maintenance, for example, by not keeping rare animals illegally, reporting to the authorities if they see violations, supporting conservation programs, etc.
The preservation of fauna and maintaining the population is also a source of knowledge, maintaining the balance of the ecosystem, etc.
West Papua rainforest has the highest level of biodiversity in the world, with 20,000 plant species, 602 bird species, 125 mammals, and 223 reptiles. Birds dominate Papuan vertebrates.
The special bird fauna includes 25 species of birds of paradise, three types of cassowary, about 20 parrots, pigeons, birds of prey, and king shrimp. Papua’s endemic animals are of various types.
Final Thoughts
A new source of income might be created by producing non-timber forest products such as fruits, medicinal plants, cocoa, honey, and orchids. One item that has to be taken into account by the entire world community, not just locals, is endemic or unusual fauna.
One of the forests in the world with the highest degree of biodiversity is the West Papua rainforest, home to 223 reptiles, 125 mammals, 602 bird species, and 20,000 different plant species.
