The Sulawesi lowland rain forests is a

tropical moist forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discon ...

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 lowlands of

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

and neighboring islands.

Geography

Sulawesi is the largest island in the ecoregion, with an area of 180,681 km². Sulawesi is the fourth-largest island in Indonesia, and the eleventh-largest in the world. The ecoregion includes many neighboring islands, including the Banggai and

Sula Islands The Sula Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It covers a land area of 3,338.67 km2 and consists of two of the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together ...

to the east, the

Sangihe Islands The Sangihe Islands (also spelled "Sangir", "Sanghir" or "Sangi") – id, Kepulauan Sangihe – are a group of islands which constitute two regencies within the province of North Sulawesi, in northern Indonesia, the Sangihe Islands Regen ...

and

Talaud Islands The Talaud Islands (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Talaud'') also spelled Talaur or Talaut, are a group of islands situated about 225 miles (360 km) northeast of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, north-east of the Sangihe Islands. The Ta ...

to the north, the islands of

Buton Buton (also Butung, Boeton or Button) is an island in Indonesia located off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi. It covers roughly 4,727 square kilometers in area, or about the size of Madura; it is the 129th largest island in the world and I ...

and

Muna Muna may refer to: Places * Muna (Mikulovice), a World War II POW camp and ammunition factory in the Czech Republic * Muna, Estonia, village in Rõuge Parish, Võru County, Estonia * Muna, Iran, village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Mu ...

to the southeast, and the

Selayar Islands Selayar or Saleyer (Indonesian: ''Kabupaten Selayar'', Dutch: ''Saleijer''), is an archipelago of South Sulawesi province, Indonesia. It lies in the Flores Sea, between Sulawesi and Flores, around 150 km southeast of the major city of Makassar ...

to the south. Sulawesi and the other islands are mountainous. The islands that make up the ecoregion are 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 The Australasian realm is a biogeographic realm that is coincident with, but not (by some definitions) the same as, the geographical region of Australasia. The realm includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising Papua New Guinea and ...

, 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. The

Makassar Strait Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat Pe ...

separates Sulawesi from

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

to the west. The 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 ...

, which demarcates the western boundary of Wallacea.

and other Indonesian islands west of Sulawesi are part of

Sundaland Sundaland (also called Sundaica or the Sundaic region) is a biogeographical region of South-eastern Asia corresponding to a larger landmass that was exposed throughout the last 2.6 million years during periods when sea levels were lower. It ...

, and were connected to the Asian continent when sea levels were lower during the ice ages. The mountains of Sulawesi above 1000 meters elevation are part of the separate

Sulawesi montane rain forests The Sulawesi montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Indonesia. It includes the highlands of Sulawesi. Geography Sulawesi, with an area of 180,681 km², is the fourth-largest island in Indonesia, and the eleventh-largest ...

ecoregion.

Climate

The ecoregion has a tropical wet or rain forest climate.

Flora

The main plant communities are tropical lowland evergreen rain forest, and semi-evergreen rain forest, seasonally-dry monsoon forests at the tip of the southeast peninsula, and areas of freshwater swamp forest and peat swamp forest.

Fauna

The ecoregion is home to 104 mammal species, of which 29 are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

or near-endemic to the ecoregion. Larger mammals include three pigs, the

Celebes warty pig The Celebes warty pig (''Sus celebensis''), also called Sulawesi warty pig or Sulawesi pig, is a species in the pig genus ('' Sus'') that lives on Sulawesi in Indonesia. It survives in most habitats and can live in altitudes of up to . It has bee ...

(''Sus celebensis'') the

North Sulawesi babirusa The North Sulawesi babirusa (''Babyrousa celebensis'') is a pig-like animal native to Sulawesi and some nearby islands (Lembeh, Buton and Muna) in Indonesia. It has two pairs of large tusks composed of enlarged canine teeth. The upper canines p ...

(''Babyrousa celebensis''), and

Togian babirusa The Togian babirusa (''Babyrousa togeanensis''), also known as the Malenge babirusa, is the largest species of babirusa. It is endemic to the Togian Islands of Indonesia, but was considered a subspecies of '' Babyrousa babyrussa'' until 2002. Co ...

(''Babyrousa togeanensis''). The Celebes warty pig lives in the lower lowland and lower montane rain forests of Sulawesi and other islands of Wallacea. The North Sulawesi babirusa lives in both the lowland and montane rain forests of northern and central Sulawesi. The Togian babirusa lives only on the

Togian Islands The Togian (or Togean) Islands are an archipelago of 56 islands and many offshore islets, situated in the Gulf of Tomini, off the coast of Central Sulawesi, in Indonesia. The largest islands are Batudaka, Togean, Talatako and Una-Una. Ther ...

, which lie in the

Gulf of Tomini The Gulf of Tomini ( id, Teluk Tomini), also known as the Bay of Tomini, is the equatorial gulf which separates the Minahassa Peninsula, Minahassa (Northern) and East Peninsula, Sulawesi, East Peninsulas of the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in In ...

between Sulawesi's northern and eastern peninsulas. The endemic

lowland anoa The lowland anoa ''(Bubalus depressicornis)'' is a species of buffalo endemic to Sulawesi. Its closest relative is the mountain anoa, and it is still a debate as to whether the two are the same species or not. It is also related to the water ...

(''Bubalus depressicornis'') is a dwarf buffalo which stands only 90 cm (35 in) high. The Celebes rusa deer (''Rusa timorensis macassaricus'') is a subspecies of the Javan rusa, which may have been introduced from Sundaland to Sulawesi by humans in ancient times. There are two endemic marsupials in the ecoregion, the

Banggai cuscus The Banggai cuscus (''Strigocuscus pelengensis'') is a species of cuscus, a type of possum. It is found in the Peleng and Sula Islands The Sula Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of ...

(''Strigocuscus pelengensis'') which is endemic to the Banggai and Sula islands, and the

Sulawesi bear cuscus The Sulawesi bear cuscus, also known as the Sulawesi bear phalanger (''Ailurops ursinus''), is a species of arboreal marsupial in the family Phalangeridae that is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia. It lives in tropical moist lo ...

(''Ailurops ursinus''), which lives in the lowlands of Sulawesi, Muna, Buton, and the Banggai and Togian islands. There are three endemic

macaque The macaques () constitute a genus (''Macaca'') of gregarious Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. The 23 species of macaques inhabit ranges throughout Asia, North Africa, and (in one instance) Gibraltar. Macaques are principally ...

species on Sulawesi. The

Celebes crested macaque The Celebes crested macaque (''Macaca nigra''), also known as the crested black macaque, Sulawesi crested macaque, or the black ape, is an Old World monkey that lives in the Tangkoko reserve in the northeastern tip of the Indonesian island of Su ...

(''Macaca nigra'') lives in both the lowland and montane forests. The Moor macaque (''Macaca maura'') is endemic to the south peninsula. The Booted macaque (''Macaca ochreata'') is endemic to the southeast peninsula, Muna, and Buton. Sulawesi's

tarsier Tarsiers ( ) are haplorhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all of its species living today are found in Maritime Southeast ...

s include many endemics – the

Makassar tarsier The Makassar tarsier (''Tarsius fuscus'') is a species of tarsier. Its range is in Indonesia in the southwestern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, near Makassar. At one point the taxon was downgraded to a junior synonym of the spectral ta ...

(''Tarsius fuscus'') from southwestern Sulawesi, Gursky’s spectral tarsier (''Tarsius spectrumgurskyae'') and

Jatna's tarsier The Jatna’s tarsier (''Tarsius supriatnai''), also known locally as the mimito, is a species of tarsier endemic to the northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Previously classified together with the Spectral tarsier, this species was reclassified and ...

(''Tarsius supriatnai'') from the northern peninsula,

spectral tarsier The spectral tarsier (''Tarsius spectrum'', also called ''Tarsius tarsier'') is a species of tarsier found on the island of Selayar in Indonesia. It is apparently less specialized than the Philippine tarsier or Horsfield's tarsier; for example, ...

(''Tarsius spectrum'') from Selayar, and

Peleng tarsier The Peleng tarsier (''Tarsius pelengensis''), or the Peleng Island tarsier, is a nocturnal primate found on the island of Peleng, just east of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Description Tarsiers are small, agile primates, adapted for climbing, leaping and ...

(''Tarsius pelengensis'') of

Peleng Island Peleng is an island off the east coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia and is the largest island of the Banggai Islands (''Kepulauan Banggai''). It is surrounded by the Banda Sea and Molucca Sea and has an area of 2,406 km². Some of the smaller ...

in the Banggai Islands. There are two endemic bats, ''

Acerodon humilis The Talaud flying fox or Talaud fruit bat (''Acerodon humilis'') is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the islands of Salebabu and Karekaleng in the Talaud Archipelago of Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical ...

'' and '' Neopteryx frosti'', and eleven endemic species of Murid rodents: '' Rattus koopmani, Rattus bontanus,

Rattus elaphinus The Sula rat (''Rattus elaphinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia, on Taliabu and Mangole islands in the Sula Archipelago. On Sanana island, only the introduced '' Rattus tanezumi'' and ''Rattus ex ...

Maxomys hellwaldii Hellwald's spiny rat (''Maxomys hellwaldii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and P ...

Haeromys minahassae The Minahassa ranee mouse (''Haeromys minahassae'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only on the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oc ...

Margaretamys beccarii Beccari's margareta rat (''Margaretamys beccarii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Ocea ...

Taeromys celebensis The Celebes rat (''Taeromys celebensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Ind ...

Taeromys punicans The Sulawesi forest rat (''Taeromys punicans'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is known only from Pinedapa, Poso Pesisir, Poso Regency Poso Regency is a regency of Central Sul ...

Taeromys taerae The Tondano rat (''Taeromys taerae'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific ...

Echiothrix leucura The Northern Sulawesi echiothrix or Sulawesi spiny rat (''Echiothrix leucura'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to northeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country i ...

'', and '' Melomys caurinus''. Eight other mammals are Sulawesi endemics, and live in both the lowland and montane forest ecoregions: the

Sulawesi palm civet The Sulawesi palm civet (''Macrogalidia musschenbroekii''), also known as Sulawesi civet, musang and brown palm civet is a little-known palm civet endemic to Sulawesi. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to population decline est ...

(''Macrogalidia musschenbroekii''), Elongated shrew (''Crocidura elongata''), Sulawesi shrew (''Crocidura lea''),

Sulawesi tiny shrew The Sulawesi tiny shrew (''Crocidura levicula'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oc ...

(''Crocidura levicula''), Crested roundleaf bat (''Hipposideros inexpectatus''), Minahassa pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus minahassae''), Gaskell's false serotine (''Hesperoptenus gaskelli''), and

Yellow-tailed rat The yellow-tailed rat (''Rattus xanthurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in northeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania ...

(''Rattus xanthurus''). The ecoregion is home to 337 bird species. 70 species are endemic or near-endemic to the ecoregion. The ecoregion covers several

Endemic Bird Area An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is an area of land identified by BirdLife International as being important for habitat-based bird conservation because it contains the habitats of restricted-range bird species (''see below for definition''), which are the ...

s (EBAs). The Sulawesi EBA includes both the lowland and montane rain forest ecoregions on Sulawesi. Other EBAs in the ecoregion are Sangihe and Talaud, Banggai and Sulu Islands, and Salayar and Bonerate Islands.

Extinct fauna

Sulawesi was home to ''

Celebochoerus ''Celebochoerus'' is an extinct genus of giant suid artiodactyl that existed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene in Sulawesi, Indonesia (''Celebochoerus heekereni''), and the middle Pleistocene of Luzon, in the Philippines (''Celebochoerus caga ...

'', a giant pig, and

Stegodon ''Stegodon'' ("roofed tooth" from the Ancient Greek words , , 'to cover', + , , 'tooth' because of the distinctive ridges on the animal's molars) is an extinct genus of proboscidean, related to elephants. It was originally assigned to the famil ...

ts, relatives of the elephant. Both went extinct in the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 8,427 km², or 7%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Approximately three-quarters of the unprotected area is still forested.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

/ref>

External links

*
Sulawesi endemic bird area (Birdlife International)

References

{{reflist Australasian ecoregions Ecoregions of Indonesia Ecoregions of Malesia Flora of Sulawesi Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Wallacea