The Lesser Sundas deciduous forests is a

tropical dry forest The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. The ecoregion includes the islands of

Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

Sumbawa Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. Along with Lombok, it forms the province of West Nusa Tenggara, but there ...

Komodo Komodo may refer to: Computers * Komodo Edit, a free text editor for dynamic programming languages * Komodo IDE an integrated development environment (IDE) for dynamic programming languages * Komodo (chess), a chess engine People * Komodo ...

Flores Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Including the Komodo Islands off its west coast (but excluding the Solor Archipelago to the east of Flores), the land area is 15,530.58 km2, and th ...

, and Alor, along with the many adjacent smaller islands.

Geography

The ecoregion includes a chain of volcanic islands in the

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up t ...

. The

Lombok Strait The Lombok Strait ( id, Selat Lombok), is a strait connecting the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean, and is located between the islands of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia. The Gili Islands are on the Lombok side. Its narrowest point is at its southern o ...

lies at the western end of the ecoregion, separating Lombok from

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

. The Lombok Strait is part of the

Wallace Line The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a tran ...

, a major

biogeographic Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

boundary separating the

Indomalayan The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Indi ...

and

Australasian Australasian is the adjectival form of Australasia, a geographical region including Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continen ...

biogeographic realm A biogeographic realm or ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions. De ...

s. The ecoregion is part of

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lo ...

, a group of islands that are part of the Australasian realm, but were never joined to either the Australian or Asian continents. The islands of Wallacea are home to a mix of plants and animals from both terrestrial realms, and have many unique species that evolved in isolation.Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment.'' Washington, DC: Island Press. The

Ombai Strait Ombai Strait ( id, Selat Ombai, pt, Estreito de Ombai, tet, Estreitu Ombai) is an international strait in Southeast Asia. It separates the Alor Archipelago from the islands of Wetar, Atauro, and Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The strait ...

lies at the eastern end of the ecoregion, separating Alor from the large island of

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

to the southeast. Although both Timor and

Sumba Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...

, which lies to the south, are also considered part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, they constitute separate ecoregions. Flores is the largest of the islands at 13,540 km². The islands are mostly mountainous, and

Mount Rinjani Mount Rinjani ( id, Gunung Rinjani) is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. Administratively the mountain is in the Regency of North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (Indonesian: ''Nusa Tenggara Barat'', NTB). It rises to , making ...

on Lombok is the highest point at 3,726 meters elevation.

Climate

The ecoregion has a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

. The islands are the driest in Indonesia, with rainfall averaging 800 to 1,350 mm annually. Rainfall is strongly seasonal, falling mostly during the December-to-March rainy season. The driest months are June through September.

Flora

The main plant communities are monsoon forests and savannas. There are several distinct types of monsoon forest which vary with on rainfall and elevation. They include moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest, dry thorn forest, and dry evergreen forest. Evergreen montane forests grow above 1200 meters elevation.

Fauna

The

Komodo dragon The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant ...

(''Varanus komodoensis''), the world's largest lizard, is endemic to the ecoregion, and found on the islands of Komodo, Padar, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Flores. The ecoregion has 50 species of mammals, including six endemic species: the Flores shrew (''Suncus mertensi''), Lombok flying fox (''Pteropus lombocensis''), Sunda long-eared bat (''Nyctophilus heran''), Flores long-nosed rat (''Paulamys naso''),

Flores giant rat The Flores giant rat (''Papagomys armandvillei'') is a rodent of the family Muridae that occurs on the island of Flores in Indonesia. It has been recorded in Rutong Protection Forest. The species is found in primary, secondary and disturbed for ...

(''Papagomys armandvillei''), and Komodo rat (''Komodomys rintjanus''). Humans long ago introduced the

Javan rusa The Javan rusa or Sunda sambar (''Rusa timorensis'') is a deer native to Indonesia and East Timor. Introduced populations exist in a wide variety of locations in the Southern Hemisphere. Taxonomy Seven subspecies of the Javan rusa are recognis ...

(''Rusa timorensis''), a deer originating in Java and Bali, to Flores and several other islands. The

banded pig The banded pig (''Sus scrofa vittatus'') also known as the Indonesian wild boar is a subspecies of wild boar native to the Thai-Malay Peninsula and many Indonesian islands, including Sumatra, Java, and the Lesser Sundas as far east as Komodo. It ...

(''Sus scrofa vittatus'') was also brought to Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and other islands from Sundaland. It is a source of food for both humans and Komodo dragons. The ecoregion is home to 273 bird species. It corresponds to the Northern Nusa Tenggara endemic bird area.BirdLife International (2020). "Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: Northern Nusa Tenggara." Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2020. 17 species are endemic: * Flores green pigeon (''Treron floris'') *

Wallace's hanging parrot Wallace's hanging parrot (''Loriculus flosculus'') also known as the Flores hanging parrot, is a small (length: 11–12 cm) parrot endemic to the island of Flores. This is an arboreal parrot. The male is predominantly green, with a red bill ...

(''Loriculus flosculus'') *

Glittering kingfisher The white-rumped kingfisher or glittering kingfisher (''Caridonax fulgidus'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Caridonax''. It is endemic to Indonesia, where its natural habitats are subtropical ...

(''Caridonax fulgidus'') *

Scaly-crowned honeyeater The scaly-crowned honeyeater (''Sugomel lombokium'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest ...

(''Lichmera lombokia'') * Bare-throated whistler (''Pachycephala nudigula'') * Brown-capped fantail (''Rhipidura diluta'') *

Flores monarch The Flores monarch (''Symposiachrus sacerdotum'') is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the western half of the island of Flores in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests betwee ...

(''Symposiachrus sacerdotum'') *

Flores crow The Flores crow (''Corvus florensis'') is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by hab ...

(''Corvus florensis'') * Flores scops owl (''Otus alfredi'') * Wallace's scops owl (''Otus silvicola'') * Golden-rumped flowerpecker (''Dicaeum annae'') * Black-fronted flowerpecker (''Dicaeum igniferum'') * Flores minivet (''Pericrocotus lansbergei'') *

Cream-browed white-eye The cream-browed white-eye (''Heleia superciliaris''), also known as the cream-browed ibon or yellow-browed white-eye, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands. Its natural habitat In ec ...

(''Lophozosterops superciliaris'') * Crested white-eye (''Lophozosterops dohertyi'') * Flores white-eye (''Heleia crassirostris'') *

Russet-capped tesia The russet-capped tesia (''Tesia everetti'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Cettiidae. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett. Distribution and habitat It i ...

(''Tesia everetti'') There are another 12 near-endemic species –

Timor cuckoo-dove The Timor cuckoo-dove (''Macropygia magna'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Timor, Wetar and the eastern Lesser Sundas. It was previously lumped together with the Tanimbar cuckoo-dove and the Flores Sea cuckoo-dove ...

(''Macropygia magna''),

pink-headed imperial pigeon The pink-headed imperial pigeon (''Ducula rosacea'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae found in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical ma ...

(''Ducula rosacea''), dark-backed imperial pigeon (''Ducula lacernulata''),

olive-headed lorikeet The olive-headed lorikeet (''Trichoglossus euteles''), also called the perfect lorikeet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is found in forest, woodland and cultivated areas on Timor and smaller nearby islands. Description T ...

(''Trichoglossus euteles''),

cinnamon-banded kingfisher The cinnamon-banded kingfisher (''Todiramphus australasia'') is a species of bird in the family Alcedinidae. It is found in Indonesia and East Timor. It is endemic to the Lesser Sundas. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. I ...

(''Todirhamphus australasia''),

pale-shouldered cicadabird The pale-shouldered cicadabird or Sumba cicadabird (''Edolisoma dohertyi'') is a species of bird in the family Campephagidae. It is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowlan ...

(''Edolisoma dohertyi''),

chestnut-backed thrush The chestnut-backed thrush (''Geokichla dohertyi'') is a ground thrush species endemic to Lombok, Timor and the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The species is rapidly declining and it is already extinct on Lombok and possibly on Lesser Sunda. ...

(''Zoothera dohertyi''), Flores jungle-flycatcher (''Rhinomyias oscillans''), yellow-spectacled white-eye (''Zosterops wallacei''), Timor leaf warbler (''Phylloscopus presbytes''), red-chested flowerpecker (''Dicaeum maugei''), and

flame-breasted sunbird The flame-breasted sunbird (''Cinnyris solaris'') is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found on Timor and other islands, primarily in the Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Timur. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropica ...

(''Nectarinia solaris''). The Timor python (''Malayopython timoriensis'') is found on Flores.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 3,228 km², or 8%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. About half the unprotected area is still forested. Protected areas include

Komodo National Park Komodo National Park (Indonesian: ''Taman Nasional Komodo'') is a national park in Indonesia located within the Lesser Sunda Islands in the border region between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The park includes the ...

on Komodo, Padar and Rinca islands, which is a UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Other protected areas include

Gunung Rinjani National Park Mount Rinjani National Park is located on the island of Lombok, Indonesia in the North Lombok Regency. The park covers about and consists of mountainous areas. Mount Rinjani (''Gunung Rinjani''), which is the third highest volcano of Indonesia at ...

on Lombok,

Kelimutu National Park Kelimutu National Park (Indonesian: ''Taman Nasional Kelimutu'') is located on the island of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It consists of a region with hills and mountains, with Mount Kelibara (1,731 m) as its highest peak. Mount Keli ...

and Ruteng Nature Reserve on Flores, Mount Tambora National Park and Pulau Moyo Hunting Reserve on Sumbawa, and Tuti Adagae Recreational Forest on Alor.

External links

*
Northern Nusa Tenggara endemic bird area (Birdlife International)

References

{{reflist Australasian ecoregions Ecoregions of Indonesia Ecoregions of Malesia Fauna of the Lesser Sunda Islands Flora of the Lesser Sunda Islands Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests Wallacea