Biodiversity Assessment of Mt. Tumpa Forest Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

The current study was conducted to assess the diversity of biological communities at Mt. Tumpa forest park, in North Sulawesi. This subregion is part of a mixture of plants and animals of the area known as Wallacea region. Surveys were based on ecosystem types, animals, and vegetation analysis. There are 4 main ecosystem types at Mt. Tumpa forest park, namely primary and secondary rain forests, shrub, grassland, and agricultural land. Vegetation analysis on forest vegetation at elevation 400-500 m revealed that Spathodea campanulata has the highest important value index (IVI) 127.08 % and 126.09 % for tree and pole, whereas Ficus sp. with IVI 46.95% and 41.72% for sapling and seedling, respectively. Mammals found were fitch bear (Ailurops ursinus), Sulawesi dwarf cuscus (Strigocuscus celebensis), Sulawesi crested macaque (Macaca nigra), Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis), and Sulawesi deer (Rusa timorensis macassaricus). Birds found were Ashy woodpecker (Mulleripicus fulvus), Knobbed Hornbill (Aceros cassidix), and Purple-winged roller (Coracias temminckii).  Those mamals and birds are endemic and only found in Sulawesi and its surronding islands and considered as protected by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Family of butterflies found were Nymphalidae (31 species), Papilionidae (11 species), Pieridae (8 species), Riodimidae, and Satyridae. Forest park at Mt. Tumpa  is as a nature conservation area. Therefore, it needs to be given high priority for protection and conservation sites, especially for protected and endemic animals.

 

Keywords: biodiversity, conservation, Mt. Tumpa, vegetation analysis, Wallacea