- Siberut
Infobox Islands
name = Siberut
image caption =
locator
native name =
native name link =
location =South East Asia
coordinates= coord|1|23|S|98|54|E|type:isle_scale:800000
archipelago =Mentawai Islands
total islands =
major islands =
area = 4,030 km²
highest mount =
elevation =
country = Indonesia
country admin divisions title = Province
country admin divisions =West Sumatra
country admin divisions title 1 = Regency
country admin divisions 1 =Mentawai Islands
country largest city =
country largest city population =
population = 30-35,000
population as of = 2001
density = 7.5/km²
ethnic groups = Mentawai. 10% of the population are from other parts of Indonesia.Siberut is the largest and northernmost of the
Mentawai Islands , lying 150 Kilometres west ofSumatra in theIndian Ocean . A part ofIndonesia , the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people.Fact|date=December 2007 The western half of the island was set aside as theSiberut National Park in 1993. Much of the island is covered withrainforest , but is subject to commerciallogging .Smaller islands adjacent to Siberut include
Karamajet andMasokut which lie in theBungalaut strait at the south of the island.The island is known for its range of
primate s, including theKloss Gibbon ("Hylobates klossii"),pig-tailed langur ("Simias concolor"),Mentawai Langur ("Presbytis potenziani") andMentawai Macaque ("Macaca pagensis").Siberut was affected by the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami , but without any known loss of human life. One report stated that the island may have been raised up to two metres by the earthquake.Geography
Siberut Island has a hot and humid
equatorial climate , with an annualrainfall of 4,000 mm. Temperatures range from 22 to 31 °C, and humidity averages 81-85%. The east coast has manyislet s,bay s andcoral reef s, and is covered withmangrove forest extending up to 2 km wide before giving way to nipah forest. The west coast features mainly "Barringtonia " forests and is difficult to get to because of rough seas and steep cliffs. The hilly interior elevates to 384 metres, with many streams eventually forming rivers in thesago -grove lowlands and swamp forests. There are also areas ofdipterocarp primary forest .Biodiversity
Siberut has been isolated from the mainland Sunda shelf since the
Mid-Pleistocene . This isolation has led to a much biodiversity, with about 900 species ofvascular plant s and 31 mammal species. Sixty-five percent of mammals and fifteen percent of other animals areendemic at some taxonomic level, making Siberut unique. Of the 134 bird species found on Siberut, 19 are endemic at some taxonomic level.Environment
Siberut was recognised as a
Biosphere Reserve in 1981. In 1993, the western part of the island was designated as a National Park, covering an area of 1,905 km².About 70% of the remaining forest outside the reserve is subject to logging concessions, some operative and others pending.
In 2001
UNESCO brought in a new phase of its Siberut Programme, with the intention of protecting the ecosystem through local development. This phase involves creating a partnership of local communities, conservation groups and local government, an approach which appears to be popular locally.[http://www.unesco.or.id/activities/science/env_sci/85.php]
Further reading
* page 437 of -
Indonesia (Guidebook) Eighth edition. Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Footscray, Victoria ISBN 978-1-74164-435-5
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