Sulawesi, Indonesia Photograph by David Olson   Southeastern Asia: Island of Sulawesi in Indonesia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   29,300 square miles (75,800 square kilometers) -- about the size of West Virginia and Connecticut combined Relatively Stable/Intact

· Amid Asia and Australia
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Amid Asia and Australia

For a relatively small island, Sulawesi seems to be the perfect blend of two large continents: Asia and Australia. Many of Sulawesi’s species can trace their ancestry to these continents. Because it has been isolated from these large landmasses for millions of years, however, the island has seen the evolution of many species not found elsewhere.

Special Features

The predominant trees in the lower montane forests of this ecoregion are oaks and chestnuts. As you move higher, more and more conifers are seen. The highest peaks have subalpine forests with smaller trees, whose branches are covered in lichens. Shrubs, colorful herbs, and grasses blanket the ground at the higher elevations.

	The babirusa has been called the wild pig with a dental problem. Its upper canine teeth, or tusks, curve back and grow up through the top of its snout instead of out of the side of the mouth! In the native language, babirusa means pig-deer, because its tusks look somewhat like the antlers of a deer.

Wild Side

Together with the lowlands, the montane forests of Sulawesi have the highest recorded number of endemic mammals among all the Indo-Pacific ecoregions. No less than 106 different kinds of mammals can be found here, including endemic species such as the endangered mountain anoa, babirusa, lesser Sulawesi tarsier, and Sulawesi montane long-nosed squirrel. Two of this ecoregion’s 270 bird species are threatened or endangered: the lompobattang flycatcher and the Matinan flycatcher. Flycatchers are small birds that often sit on branches and then zip into the air to catch passing insects.

Cause for Concern

This ecoregion is still largely intact, with about three-quarters of the original habitat remaining. Steep slopes and the relative lack of commercially valuable trees have discouraged logging activity. Where logging has occurred, however, extensive erosion has clogged rivers, streams, and irrigation fields in the valleys down below. Hunting, logging, and human-induced fires will continue to be threats in the future.

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