Onderstaande informatie is afkomstig van de
Indonesian Nature Conservation Database.
We hebben plannen om onder andere naar Komodo te gaan
tijdens een volgende vakantie.

COUNTRY:

Indonesia – Lesser Sunda Islands


NAME:

Komodo National Park
(including Mbeliling and Nggorang Protection Forest and Way Wuul
and Mburak Game Reserve)


Natural World Heritage Site – Criteria iii, iv

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:

Lies in East Nusa Tenggara province in the Sape Straits
between Flores and Sumbawa.
Access to Komodo village is by boat from Labuan Bajo
on the north-western tip of Flores
or from Sape on the east coast of Sumbawa.


DATE AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT:

The islands of Komodo, Padar, Rinca and Gili Motong and the surrounding waters
were declared a 75,000ha national park on 6 March 1980.
This was extended to 219,322ha in 1984 under Ministerial Decree
to include an expanded marine area and a section of mainland Flores.
The island of Padar and part of Rinca were first protected in 1938
when they were established as nature reserves (Auffenburg, 1981)
and extended in 1965 when Komodo Island was gazetted.
Komodo was internationally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve
under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1977
and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991.

AREA:

Komodo National Park and Biosphere Reserve: 173,500ha
Mbeliling and Nggorang Protection Forest: 31,000ha
Way Wuul and Mburak Nature Reserve: 3,000ha
Komodo Island World Heritage Site: 219,322ha

PHYSICAL FEATURES:

The generally steep and rugged topography
reflects the position of the national park
within the active volcanic ‘shatter belt’
between Australia and the Sunda shelf.
Komodo, the largest island, has a topography dominated
by a range of rounded hills
oriented along a north-south axis at an elevation of 500 to 600m.
Relief is steepest toward the north-east,
notably the peak of Gunung Toda Klea
which is precipitous and crowned by deep, rocky and dry gullies.
The coastline is irregular and characterised by numerous bays,
beaches and inlets separated by headlands,
often with sheer cliffs falling vertically into the sea.
To the east, Padar is a small, narrow island the topography of which
rises steeply from the surrounding plains to between 200m and 300m.
Further east, the second largest island in the park, Rinca,
is separated from Flores by a narrow strait a few kilometres wide.
The topography of the southern part of the island
is dominated by the 667m Doro Ora massif,
while to the north the steep-sided peaks of Gunung Tumbah
and Doro Raja rise to 187m and 351m, respectively.
As with Komodo and Padar, the coastline is generally rugged and rocky
although sandy beaches are found in sheltered bays.
The mainland components of the park
lie in the rugged coastal areas of western Flores,
where surface fresh water is more abundant
than on the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar.
Geology reflects regional vulcanism, with Pleistocene
and Holocene deposits
forming the principal geological units.
Deposits are generally resistant volcanics, volcanic ash, conglomerates
and raised coral formations.


According to Kvalvagnaes and Halim (1979), the seas around the islands
are reported to be among the most productive in the world
due to upwelling and a high degree of oxygenation
resulting from strong tidal currents
which flow through the Sape Straits.
Fringing and patch coral reefs are extensive and best developed in the west
and north facing areas, the most intact being on the north-east coast
of Komodo and the south-west coast of Rinca and Padar.

CLIMATE:

The park lies within one of the driest regions of Indonesia
with an annual rainfall of between 800m and 1000mm.
Heaviest rainfall, higher humidity and lower temperatures are recorded
during the monsoon between November and April.
This pattern is reversed during the dry season from May to October,
when mean daily temperatures are around 40xc2xb0C.


VEGETATION:

The predominant vegetation type is open grass-woodland savannah,
mainly of anthropogenic origin, which covers some 70% of the park.
The dominant savannah tree is lontar palm Borassus flabellifer,
which occurs individually or in scattered stands.
Grasses include Eulalia leschenaultiana, Setaria adhaerens, Chloris barbata,
Heteropogon contortus and, in the higher areas, Themeda spp.
including T. frondosa and T. triandra.
Alang-alang Imperata cylindrica is conspicuous by its rarity (Sumardja, 1981).
Tropical deciduous (monsoon) forest occurs along the bases of hills
and on valley bottoms,
characterised by tree species such as Sterculia foedita,
Oroxylum indicum, Tamarindus indica, Zizyphus horsfeldi,
Schleichera oleosa, Cassia javanica, Murraya paniculata,
Diospyros javanica, Harrisonia brownii and Piliostigma malabaricum.
The forest is notable, lacking the predominance of Australian derived tree flora
found further to the east on Timor.
A quasi cloud forest occurs above 500m on pinnacles and ridges.
Although covering only small areas on Komodo Island, it harbours a relict flora
of many endemic species.
Floristically, it is characterised by moss-covered rocks, rattan, bamboo groves
and many tree species generally absent at lower elevations.
These include Terminalia zollingeri, Podocarpus neriifolius, Uvaria rufa,
Ficus drupacea, Callophyllum spectabile, Mischocarpus sundaicus,
Colona kostermansiana and Glycosmis pentaphylla.
Coastal vegetation includes mangrove forest, which occurs in sheltered bays
on Komodo, Padar and Rinca.
Dominant tree species include Rhizophora stylosa,R. mangle and
Bruguiera sp., with Avicennia marina frequently occurring in large stands
on the landward side.
Other terrestrial vegetation types include pioneering beach vegetation,
dominated by Ipomoea pescaprae.
Plant species diversity is relatively low, with some 102 recorded.
Extensive sea grass beds occur to the north end of Rinca Island.


FAUNA:

The park is best known for the Komodo monitor Varanus komodoensis,
the world’s largest living lizard.
The population, which is estimated at around 5,700 individuals,
is distributed across the islands of Komodo (2,900), Rinca (900),
Gili Motong (fewer than 100) and in certain coastal regions
of western and northern Flores.
The species is probably extinct on Padar, where it was last seen in 1975.
Favoured habitat is tropical deciduous forest, and, to a lesser extent,
open savannah.
Herpetofauna of the cloud forest includes Sphenomorphus schlegeli,
S. striolatus and the frog Oreophryne jeffersoniana,
while savannah areas harbour such species as Emoia similis, Viperia russelli
and the frog Kaloula baleata.
Tropical deciduous forest supports such reptiles as Sphenomorphus florensis,
Trimeresurus albolabris, Dendrelaphis pictus and Lycodon aulicus.
Common cobra Naja naja occurs in areas of disturbed agricultural land.


The mammalian fauna is characteristic of the Wallacean zoogeographic zone,
with seven terrestrial species recorded including
the endemic rat Rattus rintjanus.
Other mammals include primates such as crab-eating macaque
Macaca fascicularis.
Introduced species, such as rusa deer Cervus timorensis
and wild boar Sus scrofa,
as well as feral domestic animals including horses and water buffalo,
form important prey species for the Komodo monitor.
Some 72 species of birds have been recorded,
including yellow-crested cockatoo
Cacatua sulphurea (V), noisy friar bird Philemon b
uceroides
and common scrubhen Megapodius freycinet.


Upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deeper areas of the archipelago
is responsible for the rich reef ecosystem of which
only isolated patches remain due
to anthropogenic disturbance.
Dominant coral species on most reefs are Acropora spp.,
particularly table top coral Acropora symmetrica,
as well as Millepora spp. and Porites spp.
Fungia spp. are present on reef slopes.
In areas of strong currents, the reef substrate consists
of an avalanche of coral fragments,
with only encrusting or low branching species, such as Seriatopora caliendrum
and Stylophora pistillata, being able to withstand the rapid water flow.
More protected reef slopes, for example in Slawi bay,
are dominated by species of the genus Heteropsammia and Heterocyathus.
Reefs off the north-east of Komodo have a high species diversity
including branching Acropora sp., Hydnophora sp., Seriatopora sp. and
Caulastrea sp., as well as massive Porites sp., plate-like Echinophyllia sp.,
Merulina sp., Pachyseris sp. and numerous Fungiidae.
The reefs off Gili Lawa Laut are variable, ranging from the sheltered southern bay
with its large stands of Pachyseris sp., Echinopora sp., Mycedium sp.,
Echinophyllia sp. and Montipora sp., interspersed with thickets of Acropora spp.,
to the more exposed northern reefs which have a spur and groove structure
dominated by Porites sp., Seriatopora sp. and Acropora sp.

Notable marine mammals include blue whale Balaenoptera musculus (E)
and sperm whale Physeter catodon, which are occasionally observed,
as well as 10 species of dolphin and dugongDugong dugon (V).
Marine reptiles include five species of turtle.


CULTURAL HERITAGE:

It is thought that the islands have long been settled
due to their strategic importance and the existence of sheltered anchorages
and supplies of fresh water on Komodo and Rinca.
The evidence of early settlement is further supported by the recent discovery
of Neolithic graves, artefacts and megaliths on Komodo Island.
The age of present settlements suggests that the inhabitants
of Komodo village may have settled during the past 150 years,
having been banished from Sumbawa by the Sultan of Bima.
Local languages are unique,
with that of Komodo having its origins on eastern Sumbawa,
and that of Rinca originating from western Flores.

LOCAL HUMAN POPULATION:

According to a 1990 census, a growing population
of approximately 1,500 people
lives on the islands of Komodo and Rinca,
an increase of 50% over the past decade.
Of these, some 568 are located in the village of Kampung Rinca,
769 in the village of Kampung Komodo and 205 in Kerora.
Several small seasonal fishing settlements
lie on the east side of Rinca Island.
The villagers subsist almost entirely by fishing,
low rainfall having prevented
extensive agricultural development.
Some collection of marine resources, such as molluscs and algae
for agar production, also takes place.


VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES:

Annual visitor numbers have increased rapidly during the 1980s,
rising from 100 in 1980 to 15,000 in 1990.
Of these, some 90% are foreign nationals who visit during the dry season
between June and September.
A visitor centre and accommodation facilities are located at Loho Liang
on Komodo and an information centre in Labuan Bajo on Flores.
Limited losman (guest house) accommodation is available
at Labuan Bajo on Flores and Sape on Sumbawa.
The nearest hotel accommodation and airport facilities
are located at Bima on Sumbawa.


SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND FACILITIES:

Auffenberg (1981) has carried out ecological research on the Komodo monitor
and cites numerous earlier studies including de Jong (1929),
Hoogerwerf (1955), Darevsky (1963) and Kern (1968).
In addition, Robinson and Supriadi (1981) have studied
the Flores monitor population and Kvalvagnaes and Halim (1979)
have conducted marine surveys.
A field laboratory was completed in 1984.


CONSERVATION VALUE:

The park is of special importance for the conservation
of most of the world population of the Komodo monitor.
The location of the islands between two distinct zoogeographical zones,
and the presence of a number of important cultural relicts,
further underscores the site’s scientific interest.
The rich marine environment, particularly coral reefs,
provides the basis for the local fishing industry
and enhances the park’s potential for tourism.


CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT:

Management is primarily directed toward conserving the Komodo monitor,
which has been protected by legislation since 1915.
According to the 1977 management plan,
the park is split into intensive use zones
(intended to contain developments such as village enclaves
and tourist and administrative facilities),
wilderness zones (which provide for limited tourism,
such as trails and camps)
and sanctuary zones (which are strictly protected
with access being restricted
to authorised PHPA and research personnel).
Management activities have focused on enforcement
and provision of tourist facilities,
including stations for viewing the Komodo monitor,
which are baited twice a week at Loho Liang.
Park headquarters are located at Labuan Bajo
and there are six permanently staffed guard posts within the park.
Sumardja (1981) makes a number of management recommendations
including the development of buffer zones
to provide resources for the village enclaves,
and the expansion of regional and local development
and conservation awareness programmes.
Robinson and Bari (1982) have recommended that emphasis
on viewing the Komodo monitor
from baiting stations be reduced
and a more balanced programme of nature walks be developed.
Robinson et al. (1982) recommend a number of strategies
to control deer poaching, including closing markets on Sumbawa and Flores
by cooperating with the local government,
as well as strengthening PHPA enforcement capability in Sape.
It is further recommended that the intensive use zone
be extended seawards by 1,000m to allow passage and anchorage of boats.
There is an extensive marine buffer zone to the park,
within which park authorities may regulate the type of fishing permitted
and to some extent, even the presence of outside fishermen.

MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS:

The principal management problem is depletion of Komodo monitor prey stocks,
such as rusa deer and wild boar, through predation by feral dogs and poaching.
An associated problem is the burning of grassland which is most serious
on the rarely patrolled western side of Komodo.
Threats to the marine environment include dynamite fishing of coral reefs
by itinerant fishermen from surrounding islands,
and siltation of coastal waters due to erosion of fired grasslands.
According to Robinson et al., the continued baiting of Komodo monitor
for viewing by tourists may disrupt natural prey/predator relationships
and also lead to loss of the fear of humans,
possibly with fatal consequences.

STAFF:

A total of 90 in 1991 including 60 guards and 30 administrative staff

DATE December 1981, reviewed March 1991