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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Mount Lorentz Reserve - Irian Jaya - SEA Highest Peak


Mount Lorentz Reserve




Spectacular Mount Lorentz Reserve in central Irian Jaya is the largest conservation area in Indonesia, covering some 21,500 square kilometers. Its major feature is the exceptional range of habitats represented, from the glacier covered Puncak Jaya or Carstenz Peak, Indonesia’s highest mountain, down through formidably steep and rugged valleys and many types of forest to the freshwater swamps, plains and torrid mangrove swamps on the south coast.

This is one of only three places in the world where glaciers can be found at equatorial latitudes. The high mountains are of deeply weathered limestone, to the north o which are extensive alpine plateaux dominated by tree ferns.

In fact there are thirty-four vegetation types in the reserve, encompassing all the major environments recognized in Irian Jaya. Over 120 species o mammals have been recorded, equivalent to 80 per cent of the entire Irian Jaya mammal fauna. As one might expect, the bird fauna is also very rich, with 441 species recorded, including at least twenty species endemic to Irian Jaya such as the snow mountain quail, Orange-cheeked Honeyeater and long-tailed Paradigalla Bird of Paradise.

Doubt looms over the future integrity of this internationally important reserve, however, because sitting shoulder to shoulder with it to the west is the massive open-cast Freeport copper mine. Although there is a great deal more ore to extract from the lode currently being exploited, efforts are being made to excise some land from the Lorentz Reserve to allow for mining the future.

By:M.Devanand



[6:42 PM]


Posted at 6:42 PM, 5 Comment(s)


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