Japen, Irian Jaya, Indonesia Photograph by Erich Krammer   Southeastern Asia: Island of Yapen in Indonesia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   900 square miles (2,400 square kilometers) -- about the size of Rhode Island Critical/Endangered

· Island Forests
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Island Forests

These rain forests cover lowland and montane regions on Japen Island, a small island located near New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean. Venture into the wet forests found here and you will hear the sounds of abundant birds. You may even spy the reclusive D’Albertis ringtail possumclimbing in the trees, feeding on leaves, fruits, and buds. It is well-known for being one of the fastest and most difficult possums to catch.

Special Features

Japen Island lies just off the northwestern coast of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. It was once part of the mainland of New Guinea (the island on which Irian Jaya is located) but split off due to shifting of tectonic plates. Elevations on Japen Island reach 4,720 feet (1,430 m) and the climate is tropical wet. The vegetation is tropical lowland and montane forest, with many layers of vegetation and abundant ferns, epiphytes, and vines.

	The many fruit-eating species (frugivores) of Japen Island play a key role in sustaining the forests' fruit-bearing trees by eating the trees’ seeds and dispersing them in their droppings across wide distances.

Wild Side

Thirty-eight mammal species crawl, fly, and climb in this ecoregion, including the Yapen rat and an endemic subspecies of the D'Albertis ringtail possum. About 150 species of birds live on the island, including two that have very restricted ranges: the spice imperial-pigeon and the green-backed robin. Although the plant diversity of the island is poorly known by biologists, several endemic species have been collected and are specially adapted to living in these limestone soils.

Cause for Concern

A growing human population on Japen Island is creating many threats to the wild habitats through agricultural development, local sawmilling operations, and human-caused fire. Fortunately, a third of the island is protected, but research has not been conducted to see if this is adequate to maintain essential ecological processes.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.