Wasur wetlands
The Wasur wetlands, encompassing over 1,550 square miles (4,000 square kilometers) in Wasur National Park on the south coast of West Papua, Indonesia, are a diverse and ecologically rich area. This unique region features a combination of savanna, swamp forests, and coastal ecosystems, influenced by a monsoon climate with significant seasonal variations in precipitation. The wetlands serve as critical habitats for over 300 bird species, including 80 endemic species, as well as a variety of mammals, reptiles, and aquatic life.
Indigenous tribes such as the Kanume, Marind, Maori, and Yei inhabit the area, relying on its resources for sustenance while practicing sustainable management through traditional regulations known as sasi. However, the ecosystem faces threats from illegal logging, invasive species, and climate change, which may affect habitat integrity and species survival. Recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2006, Wasur National Park is part of a larger protected area that aims to conserve its biodiversity and promote ecotourism, though experts emphasize the need for careful planning to mitigate potential environmental impacts.
Subject Terms
Wasur wetlands
Category: Inland Aquatic Biomes.
Geographic Location: Asia.
Summary: The largest wetland in Papua, Indonesia, is an important habitat of unique biodiversity, but is threatened by human activity and invasive species.
Wasur National Park stretches across more than 1,550 square miles (4,000 square kilometers) of savanna, swamp forest, coastal forest, bamboo forest, and areas of sago swamp forest. These wetlands are located along the south coast of West Papua, Indonesia, adjacent to the border of Papua, New Guinea. The island of New Guinea lies directly northeast of Australia across the Arafura Sea, approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Queensland at the closest point.
Climate and Ecosystems
This tropical region is influenced by a monsoon climate with two seasons: the wet season from roughly December to May, and the dry from June to November. However, New Guinea has one of the most variable climates on Earth in terms of precipitation. Temperatures in the Wasur Wetlands biome range from 72 to 86 degrees F (22 to 30 degrees C). Annual rainfall is about 94 inches (240 centimeters). Most of the Wasur National Park is a natural swamp area during rainy season, and becomes more savanna-like during the dry season.
The area is geographically flat in the coastal area near Arafura Sea, rising only to about 300 feet (90 meters) above sea level to the north. There are six main ecosystems identified in Wasur: (1) seasonal swamp brackish water, (2) permanent fresh water swamp, (3) coastal plain and freshwater, (4) inland fresh water, (5) coastal brackish water, and (6) inland brackish water.
Biodiversity
The dominant plants include mangroves; genus Terminalia, with its magnolia-type flowering shrubs and trees; and myrtles of the genus Melaleuca. Low swamp grasslands show an abundance of Pseudoraphis spinescens, a spiny mudgrass forming low swards in the dry season, and adapted to wetlands by growing taller during rainy season.
The dominant tree species are mostly Melaleuca cajuputi, M. viridiflora, and M. leucadendron; these are followed by Acacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus spp., Alstonia actinophilla, Dillenia alata, Nauclea orientalis. In the coastal forest, Avicennia leucaliptifolia, Barringtonia tetraptera, Bruguiera spp., and Rhizophora spp. can be found.
Wasur National Park provides habitat for more than 300 bird species, of which at least 80 are endemic, meaning found nowhere else on Earth. Some of endangered species here include southern crowned pigeon, New Guinea harpy eagle, dusky pademelon, black-necked stork, and little curlew. Some of the more common species are Pesquet’s parrot (Psittrichus fulgidus), southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius sclaterii), blue crowned pigeon (Goura cristata), greater bird of paradise (Paradisea apoda novaeguineae), king bird of paradise (Cicinnurus regius rex), and red bird of paradise (Paradisea rubra).
Also utilizing the area for habitat are endemic birds species such as the fly river grassbird and grey-crowned munia. The migrant birds from Australia come to Wasur from the wet season to the early period of dry season.
The Wasur wetlands are an important habitat of rare mammal species such as dusky wallaby Thylogale brunii), agile wallaby (Macropus agilis), and other marsupials.
There are at least 26 species of reptiles here, including the New Guinea crocodile (Crocodylus novaeguineae) and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus); eight types of lizards, including three types of monitor lizard (Varanus spp.); four types of turtle including the pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta); eight types of snakes (genera Condoidae, Liasis, and Pythonidae); and one type of chameleon (Calotus jutatas). At least three species of frogs have been identified: tree frog (Hylla crueelea), Irian tree frog (Litoria infrafrenata), and green frog (Rona macrodon).
There are also termites that build unique nests, up to 15 feet (5 meters) in height, made from mud and grass litter. The coastal area provides habitat for various species of fish, shrimp, mollusks, and other aquatic life that help sustain the food web for land ecosystems.
Human Impact
In Wasur National Park there are four tribes of indigenous peoples—Kanume, Marind, Maori, and Yei. These tribes hunt and fish for sustenance; they consume mainly sago, sweet potato, deer, bandicoot, wild boar, and wallaby. Their local wisdom is to use the natural resources sustainably through customary regulation in a mode they call sasi. It is believed that sasi provides an opportunity for animals to breed and may thus save many species from extinction.
Rawa Biru Lake, located in Wasur National Park, is an important watershed area supplying the Merauke district. Sedimentation was found to be one of the factors leading to water quality decline in Rawa Biru recently, stemming from forest degradation in the surrounding area. Illegal logging is a problem.
Natural flooded swamp ecosystems here are threatened by large scale changes to scrub and woodland, as well as invasive plant species. Climate change may also impact the coast in the forms of sea-level rise and more intense and frequent storm surges; both effects can undermine habitat integrity and drive out native species.
Wasur National Park was recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2006. Together with three other adjacent wildlife management areas, Wasur park is now part of a larger protected area in the Trans-Fly ecoregion. Named for the Fly River, this coastal region of grasslands, savannas, wetlands, and monsoon forests creates the longest continuous protected area in the country. In the 2020s, the Indonesian government stepped up its attempts top promote ecotourism in the nation, including Wasur National Park. Environmental experts cautioned that the government needed to implement and follow a sound plan to ensure increased tourism does not negatively impact the ecosystem.
Bibliography
Bartolo, R. E., M. Bowe, N. Stronach, and G. J. E. Hill. “Landscape Change and the Threat to Wetland Biodiversity in Wasur National Park, West Papua (Irian Jaya).” University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. http://research.usc.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/usc:1030.
BirdLife International. “Endemic Bird Area Factsheet: Trans-Fly.” http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/ebafactsheet.php?id=179.
Marshall, J. A. and B. M. Beehler, eds. The Ecology of Papua. Singapore: Periplus Editions, 2006.
Ririhena, Samel W., et al. “Factors Influencing Ecotourism in Wasur National Park Merauke Regency.” International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, December 2020, doi.org/10.31559/IJHTS2020.1.2.5. Accessed 18 Aug. 2022.