Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests

The Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern New Guinea. The ecoregion includes the extensive swamp forests of southern and western New Guinea.

Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
RealmAustralasian realm
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders
Geography
Area99,022 km2 (38,233 sq mi)
CountriesIndonesia and Papua New Guinea
ProvincesPapua, West Papua (Indonesia), Central, Gulf and Western (Papua New Guinea)
Conservation
Conservation statusRelatively stable/intact
Protected8,583 km² (9%)[1]

Geography

New Guinea is home to extensive swamp forests. These forests are permanently waterlogged or seasonally inundated during the rainy season. The Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests extend from the western Bird's Head Peninsula to the Papuan Peninsula in the southeast. The forests lie in the lower reaches of the rivers that drain New Guinea's highlands. The most extensive swamp forests are in the basin of the Fly River.[2]

The Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests and Vogelkop-Aru lowland rain forests ecoregions occupy the adjacent lowlands. Near the coast the freshwater swamp forests transition to New Guinea mangroves as the waters become brackish or salt.

Climate

The ecoregion has a humid tropical climate.[3]

Flora

The freshwater swamp forests support diverse habitats, from open water to grass swamps of several types (dominated by Leersia, Saccharum-Phragmites, Pseudoraphis, or mixed swamps with no dominant plant), swamp savannas (Melaleuca-dominated or mixed), swamp woodlands (dominated by sago palm (Metroxylon sagu), Pandanus, or mixed), and swamp forests dominated by Campnosperma, Terminalia, or Melaleuca.[4]

Fauna

The ecoregion is home to fifty mammal species, including marsupials, bats, and murid rodents. There is one endemic mammal species, the Fly River water rat (Leptomys signatus).[5]

The ecoregion has 339 species of birds, including resident and migratory birds. The ecoregion's lakes and wetlands support large populations of water birds.[6]

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 8,583 km², or 9%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Over 80% of the ecoregion has relatively intact vegetation.[7]

  • "Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

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. "Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  5. "Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  6. "Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  7. 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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