Banda Island, Indonesia Photograph by © Jack Stein Grove/Zegrahm Expeditions   Western portion of the island of New Guinea Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   29,900 square miles (77,400 square kilometers) -- about the size of South Carolina Critical/Endangered

· Adapted to the Rain Forest
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Adapted to the Rain Forest

This ecoregion is highly diverse, both geographically and biologically. These forests contain a variety of species that have adapted to this unique environment--including eight endemic or near-endemic mammals.

Special Features

This ecoregion encompasses the hills and lowlands of the Vogelkop and Bomberai peninsulas of New Guinea and the surrounding islands. Here, open plains make a transition to alluvial forests with an understory of herbaceous plants and shrubs. Canopy trees are varied, with dense stands of Araucaria, the tallest tropical trees in the world, growing in scattered locations. The islands surrounding New Guinea are similarly diverse--with Waigeo Island containing a belt of low, shrubby vegetation and Aru Island presenting a mix of rain forest, savanna, and mangroves.

	The western crowned-pigeon, also known as the common crowned-pigeon, is one of the largest surviving pigeon species. The birds can grow to be 30 inches (77 cm) in length and weigh just under three pounds (1.3 kg).

Wild Side

Forty-seven mammal species are found here, including eight that are near-endemic. These include two marsupial species that thrive in these moist forest surroundings. The mouse bandicoot is the smallest of the bandicoots (a group of small marsupials), whose toes and claws are well adapted to digging for insects. Like other tree-kangaroos, the black tree-kangaroo differs from the rest of the kangaroo family by having forelimbs and hind limbs of the same length, which help these marsupials to maneuver among the branches and shimmy up tree trunks. Twenty-one bird species are also endemic to this ecoregion, including Wilson’s bird of paradise, the olive-crowned flowerpecker, and the western crowned-pigeon.

Cause for Concern

About 90 percent of the natural habitat in this ecoregion is still intact. Still, logging concessions are encroaching into protected areas. And population growth, agricultural development, and fire pose increasing threats as well. Hunting is a continuing problem for the western crowned-pigeon and certain other bird species.

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