Banda Sea Islands moist deciduous forests

The Banda Sea Islands moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes several island groups in the southwestern Banda Sea, including the Tanimbar Islands, Kai Islands, and the Barat Daya Islands except for Wetar.

Banda Sea Islands moist deciduous forests
Ecology
RealmAustralasian realm
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Geography
Area7,255 km2 (2,801 sq mi)
CountriesIndonesia
ProvinceMaluku
Conservation
Conservation statusVulnerable
Protected987 km² (14%)[1]

Geography

The islands in the ecoregion are part of Wallacea, a group of indonesian islands which lie between the Australian and Asian continents but were never part of either continent.[2]

Climate

The ecoregion has a tropical monsoon climate. Rainfall varies seasonally. The islands receive more rainfall than Timor, Wetar, and the other Nusa Tenggara islands to the east.

Flora

The principal plant communities are evergreen rain forest, semi-evergreen rain forest, moist deciduous forest, and dry deciduous forest.[3]

Fauna

The ecoregion has 22 species of mammals. The dusky pademelon (Thylogale bruinii) is a kangaroo native to the Kai Islands, as well as the Aru Islands and southern New Guinea. The Kei myotis (Myotis stalkeri) is an endemic bat. The Indonesian tomb bat (Taphozous achates) is native to the ecoregion and neighboring Timor.

The ecoregion is home to 225 bird species, of which 21 are endemic. It corresponds to the Banda Sea Islands endemic bird area.[4] 21 species are endemic.[5]

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 987 km², or 14%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[6] Protected areas include Kai Besar Nature Reserve.

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  • "Banda Sea Islands moist deciduous forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  • Banda Sea Islands endemic bird area (Birdlife International)

References
  1. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  2. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  3. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  4. BirdLife International (2020) "Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: Banda Sea Islands." Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2020.
  5. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  6. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
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