Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra facts for kids

The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra is a very special natural area in Indonesia. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. This means it is important for everyone in the world to protect.

This heritage site includes three large national parks on the island of Sumatra. These parks are Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park, and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. They cover a huge area of tropical rainforest.

This site is special for a few reasons. It has amazing natural beauty, like stunning mountains and lakes. It also shows important natural processes that help life on Earth. Plus, it is home to many rare and important animals and plants.

Since 2011, the site has been on the "Danger List." This helps bring more attention and support to protect it. It faces threats like illegal logging, farming moving into the forest, and plans for new roads.

About This Special Place

The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra is made up of three national parks. These are Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP), Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP), and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (BBSNP). Together, they cover about 25,000 square kilometers of rainforest. That's a really big area!

These parks were chosen as a World Heritage Site for important reasons. First, they protect a large part of Sumatra's forests. These forests have many different kinds of plants and animals, from lowlands to high mountains. Sadly, much of Sumatra's original rainforest has disappeared in the last 50 years.

Second, all three parks are located along the Bukit Barisan Mountains. These mountains are often called the 'Andes of Sumatra' because they are so grand. The parks offer amazing views and include beautiful natural features. You can find stunning places like Lake Gunung Tujuh, which is the highest lake in Southeast Asia. There's also the giant Mount Kerinci volcano and many other lakes.

Lastly, each national park has a wide variety of habitats. This means they are home to an incredible amount of biodiversity. Together, these three parks contain half of all the plant types found in Sumatra. They are home to the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia arnoldi, and the tallest flower, the Amorphophallus titanum.

Mountains and Weather

The three national parks have different landscapes and climates.

Gunung Leuser National Park

This park is in the north of Sumatra. It is about 150 kilometers long and over 100 kilometers wide. Most of it is mountainous, with 40% of the park being very steep. Many peaks are over 2,700 meters high. The highest point is Gunung Leuser itself, which is 3,466 meters tall. The area around Gunung Leuser is known as the Leuser Ecosystem.

The northern part of the park gets about 3,000 millimeters of rainfall each year. The southern lowlands get even more, around 4,657 millimeters. Temperatures usually stay between 21 °C and 28 °C. The air is always very humid, especially in higher areas.

Kerinci Seblat National Park

Located in the center of Sumatra, this park stretches 350 kilometers along the Bukit Barisan mountains. It is about 45 kilometers wide on average. Most of the park is steep. The highest point here is Mount Kerinci, which is an active volcano and the highest volcano in Indonesia, standing at 3,805 meters.

This park receives about 2,990 millimeters of rainfall each year. Temperatures range from 16 °C to 28 °C. The humidity is always high, usually between 77% and 90%.

Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

This park is also 350 kilometers long but only about 45 kilometers wide. The northern two-thirds are rocky, with mountains averaging 1,500 meters high. The highest point is Mount Pulung, at 1,964 meters. The southern part of the park is lower and borders the sea for half its length. Many rivers start in these parks, and there are several lakes and hot springs.

The western, rocky side of this park is very wet. It gets 3,000 to 4,000 millimeters of rainfall, especially during the November to May monsoon season. The eastern side is drier, with 2,500 to 3,000 millimeters of rainfall. Temperatures here are usually between 20 °C and 28 °C.

The warm temperatures, high humidity, and heavy rainfall year-round help many new species form. This is why the area has such a wide variety of life.

Amazing Plants and Animals

These national parks are home to an incredible number of plants and animals. Many of them are rare or found nowhere else in the world.

Wildlife in Gunung Leuser National Park

This park is one of the most important places in the world for protecting biodiversity. It is home to 174 types of mammals. Three of these mammals are endemic, meaning they live only here. Twenty-one mammal species are listed as threatened. Some important mammals include the orangutan, Sumatran rhinoceros, and the pigtailed monkey.

The park also has 380 types of birds. Thirteen of these birds are endemic, and 52 are threatened. Important bird species include the Rueck's blue-flycatcher and the white-winged wood duck.

For plants, you can find the famous Rafflesia arnoldi (the world's largest flower) and Amorphophallus titanum (the world's tallest flower).

Wildlife in Kerinci Seblat National Park

This park has 85 recorded mammal species. Five of them are endemic, and 23 are threatened. Important mammals here include the Bornean clouded leopard, Asian tapir, and Sumatran rhino.

Kerinci Seblat National Park has the largest number of Sumatran tigers recorded anywhere. This makes it one of the 12 most important places globally for tiger conservation.

There are 370 bird species, with 13 endemic and 58 threatened. Important birds include the white-winged wood duck and the Sumatran ground-cuckoo. Some important plant species are Hopea beccariana and Shorea ovalis ssp. seicea.

Wildlife in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

This park has 98 recorded mammal species. One is endemic, and 25 are threatened. An important mammal found here is the Sumatran elephant.

The park also has 379 bird species, with 7 endemic and 58 threatened. It shares many bird species with Kerinci Seblat National Park. Additionally, 59 species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded here.

See also

In Spanish: Patrimonio de los bosques tropicales ombrófilos de Sumatra para niños