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Komodo National Park nestles between the two
large islands of Sumbawa and Flores, or about
200 nautical miles east of Bali (home of
international travelers). All these islands are
a chain of small Indonesia islands group (Lesser
Sunda islands - Nusa Tenggara) known as wallace
region. Komodo National Park is a home of the
giants lizard known as the "Komodo Dragon" it
was thought to be a myth until the turn of the
century, when fishermen who were forced by a
storm to take shelter on Komodo sight
the monsters.
This
unique biosphere was born in the great volcanic
uplift that formed Sumatra, Java, Bali and the
islands lying eastward to Papua New Guinea. In
1928 the Dutch colonial government of the then
Dutch East Indies formalized the nature reserve
status originally conferred on Komodo in 1915 by
the Raja of Biwa in neighbouring Sumbawa.
Indonesia decreed the area a national park in
1980, and was declared a World Heritage Site and
a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986.
Since then conservation goals have expanded to
protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine
and terrestrial.
Komodo National Park is covering the three major
islands include Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang and
Padar, and numerous smaller islands together
totaling 603 km2 of land.
The total size of Komodo National Park
is presently 1,817 km2. Proposed
extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta
Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters
would bring the total surface area up to
2,321 km2.
Topography:
The topography is varied, with slopes from 0 –
80%. There is little flat ground, and that is
generally located near the beach. The altitude
varies from sea level to 735 m above sea level.
The highest peak is Gunung Satalibo on Komodo
Island.
Geology: The
islands in Komodo National Park are volcanic in
origin. The area is at the juncture of two
continental plates: Sahul and Sunda. The
friction of these two plates has led to large
volcanic eruptions and caused the up-thrusting
of coral reefs. Although there are no active
volcanoes in the park, tremors from Gili Banta
(last eruption 1957) and Gunung Sangeang Api
(last eruption 1996) are common. West Komodo
probably formed during the Jurasic era
approximately 130 million years ago. East
Komodo, Rinca, and Padar probably formed
approximately 49 million years ago during the
Eocene era.
Climate:
Komodo National Park has little or no rainfall
for approximately 8 months of the year, and is
strongly impacted by monsoonal rains. High
humidity levels year round are only found in the
quasi-cloud forests on mountain tops and ridges.
Temperatures generally range from 170C to 340C,
with an average humidity level of 36%. From
November through March the wind is from the west
and causes large waves that hit the entire
length of Komodo island’s west beach. From
April through October the wind is dry and large
waves hit the south beaches of Rinca and Komodo
islands.
The terrestrial ecosystems are strongly affected
by the climate: a lengthy dry season with high
temperatures and low rainfall, and seasonal
monsoon rains. The Park is situated in a
transition zone between Australian and Asian
flora and fauna. Terrestrial ecosystems include
open grass-woodland savanna, tropical deciduous
(monsoon) forest, and quasi cloud forest.
Due to the
dry climate, terrestrial plant species richness
is relatively low. The majority of terrestrial
species are xerophytic and have specific
adaptations to help them obtain and retain
water. Past fires have selected for species that
are fire-adapted, such as some grass species and
shrubs. Terrestrial plants found in Komodo
National Park include grasses, shrubs, orchids,
and trees. Important food tree species for the
local fauna include Jatropha curkas, Zizyphus
sp., Opuntia sp., Tamarindus indicus, Borassus
flabellifer, Sterculia foetida, Ficus sp., Cicus
sp., ‘Kedongdong hutan’ (Saruga floribunda), and
‘Kesambi’ (Schleichera oleosa).
The
terrestrial fauna is of rather poor diversity in
comparison to the marine fauna. The number of
terrestrial animal species found in the Park is
not high, but the area is important from a
conservation perspective as some species are
endemic.. Many of the mammals are Asiatic in
origin (e.g., deer, pig, macaques, civet).
Several of the reptiles and birds are Australian
in origin. These include the orange-footed
scrubfowl, the lesser sulpher-crested cockatoo
and the nosy friarbird.
In the North
of the Park water temperature ranges between 25
– 29°C. In the middle, the temperature ranges
between 24 and 28°C. The temperatures are lowest
in the South, ranging from 22 – 28°C. Water
salinity is about 34 ppt and the water is
quite clear, although the waters closer to the
islands are relatively more turbid
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