Meratus Mountains
The mountains are inhabited by the "semi-nomadic" Meratus Dayak people.
Flora and fauna
The mountains are surrounded at lower elevations by heavily disturbed lowland rain forest and lands converted to agriculture. The higher elevations are home to submontane and montane forests, which are separated from the main mass of Borneo's montane rain forests in the centre and north of the island by approximately 300 km of lowland forest. The submontane and montane forests cover an area of approximately 2,460 km. Endemic plants include Gaultheria kalimantanensis (Ericaceae) and the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes boschiana.
The mountains' relative isolation from Borneo's other highlands has allowed for the evolution of several endemic species, including the birds Meratus blue flycatcher (Cyornis kadayangensis) and Meratus white-eye (Zosterops meratusensis). The area has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
Conservation
In the 1990s the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation reintroduced 350 orangutans into the protected Meratus and Sungai Wain forests. Due to extensive deforestation the ecosystem of the mountains, including many flora and fauna species are endangered. Traditional Dayak villages are also disappearing.
External links
References
- ^ Irham, Mohammad, Haryoko, Tri, Shakya, Subir B., Mitchell, Simon L., Burner, Ryan C., Bocos, Carlos, Eaton, James A., Rheindt, Frank E., Suparno, Suparno, Sheldon, Frederick H., Prawiradilaga, Dewi M. Description of two new bird species from the Meratus Mountains of southeast Borneo, Indonesia. Journal of Ornithology, 21937192, Apr 2022, Vol. 163, Issue 2
- ^ "Meratus Hulu". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
- ^ Borneo Orang Utan Help Project (German)