Leuser Ecosystem
Encyclopedia
The Leuser Ecosystem is an area of forest located in the provinces of Aceh
and North Sumatra
on the island of Sumatra
in Indonesia
. Covering more than 2.6 million hectares it is one of the richest expanses of tropical rain forest in Southeast Asia
and is the last place on earth where sumatran elephant
, sumatran rhinoceros
, sumatran tiger
and sumatran orangutan
are found within one area.
to the Malacca Straits
. It encompasses two vast mountain ranges including Mount Leuser
that reaches 3455m, two major volcanoes, three lakes and more than nine major river systems. As well as providing habitats for a number of endangered wildlife species, the ecosystem acts as a life support for approximately four million people who live around it by providing a steady supply of water, soil fertility, flood control, climate regulation and pest mitigation.
, Sumatran Elephant
, Sumatran Rhino
and the Sumatran Orangutan
. There are at least 130 species of mammal
s within the ecosystem
which means that one in 32 of the world's mammals are found there, or one quarter of Indonesia's mammals. Primates residing within the ecosystem include the White-Handed Gibbon
, the Siamang
, Macaque
s, the Loris
and the Lutung
. Leuser is home to as many as seven species of cats including the Clouded Leopard
, the Asian Golden Cat, the Spotted Linsang
and the Binturong
. The Sun Bear
is quite common within the boundaries of the ecosystem.
The most common herbivores found in Leuser are the deer which include the Sambar, the Muntjac
and the Mouse Deer
. Among the largest reptiles found in Leuser are the turtle
s and tortoise
s. The most venomous are the snakes which include the King Cobra
and Pythons that can reach up to ten meters in length. Monitor Lizard
s, skink
s, gecko
s and a variety of frogs are also common .At least 325 species of birds have been recorded in the ecosystem with at least eight species endemic to Sumatra. This rich diversity of bird species includes: bee-eater
s, flycatchers, flowerpeckers, honeyguide
s, kingfisher
s, spiderhunters, woodpecker
s, barbets, bablers, broadbills, bulbul
, drongo
s, hornbill
s, magpie
s, minvets, myna
, oriole
s, robins,[shamas, shrike
s, swallow
s, swift
s, thrushes
, treepies, trogon
s, warbler
s, weavers, whistlers, white-eyes, leafbirds, sunbirds,tailorbirds, fantail
, forktails, needletails, wagtails, doves
, pigeons, quails, partridges, pheasants, cuckoos, parakeets, parrots, bitterns, herons, finfoots, ducks, snipe
s, sandpipers, waders, falcon
s, hawks, nightjars, owls
, serpent eagle
s,[hawk eagles, fish eagles, sea eagles, and many more.
The Leuser Ecosystem comprises one of the remaining examples of Indo-malayan (Malesian) vegetation communities with an estimated 45% of the approximately 10 000 recorded plant species. In general the ecosystem can be characterised as a montane rainforest community. However, the typical vegetation type up to an altitude of 600 metres is moist tropical lowland forest characterised by multi-layered stories with emergent trees reaching between 45 and 60 metres in height and high densities of fruit tree species. The large variety of tree species found in Leuser represent virtually all life-strategies of trees, from root flowering and trunk flowering to common twig flowering types. Among the most important and impressive trees are the several species of strangling fig. The largest flower on earth; the parasitic Rafflesia
is a relatively common in the ecosystem.
(GAM) and the central government of Indonesia, Aceh was awarded a significant level of autonomy over its natural resources, including the right to govern the Leuser Ecosystem. Irwandi Yusuf
, the current Governor of Aceh, established Badan Pengelola Kawasan Ekosistem Leuser (BPKEL) to govern the Leuser Ecosystem and coordinate wildlife management in Aceh.
and allows illegal logging
and poaching
to be undertaken with greater ease. A proposed road network known as "Ladia Galaska" which would connect the east and west coasts of Aceh and cut through the Leuser Ecosystem in at least nine places would have a devastating effect on the area's wildlife, many of which will not cross a road. The plans for the proposed road comprise 450 kilometres of main road plus more than 1200 kilometres of minor roads, the majority of which would lie within the boundaries of the Leuser Ecosystem.
plantations, particularly in an area on the west coast of Aceh known as Tripa. Palm oil plantations in this area are primarily located on peat
swamps up to three metres deep. Between 50 to 100 million tonnes of carbon
is stored in the peat swamps,and is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide when the peat is burned. Palm oil plantations clear primary forest and burn the peat swamps in order to construct large canals to facilitate the planting of palm oil. The land degradation caused by palm oil plantations in Tripa compromises the welfare of local communities and destroys the habitats of a number of charismatic animal species, including the highest density of orangutans found anywhere in the world.
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
and North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
on the island of Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Covering more than 2.6 million hectares it is one of the richest expanses of tropical rain forest in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and is the last place on earth where sumatran elephant
Sumatran Elephant
The Sumatran Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant, and native to Sumatra island of Indonesia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
, sumatran rhinoceros
Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although is still a large mammal. This rhino stands high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of ...
, sumatran tiger
Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected at 176 to 271 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50...
and sumatran orangutan
Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran orangutan is one of the two species of orangutans. Found only on the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, it is rarer and smaller than the Bornean orangutan. The Sumatran orangutan grows to about tall and in males...
are found within one area.
Geography
The ecosystem stretches from the coast of the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to the Malacca Straits
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
. It encompasses two vast mountain ranges including Mount Leuser
Mount Leuser
Mount Leuser is the tallest mountain in the Indonesian province of Aceh, with an elevation of .The Gunung Leuser National Park protects the mountain and its surrounding ecosystems. It has been confirmed by some scientists that 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake has activated the volcano...
that reaches 3455m, two major volcanoes, three lakes and more than nine major river systems. As well as providing habitats for a number of endangered wildlife species, the ecosystem acts as a life support for approximately four million people who live around it by providing a steady supply of water, soil fertility, flood control, climate regulation and pest mitigation.
Ecology
The ecosystem is home to the largest remaining populations of the Sumatran TigerSumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected at 176 to 271 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50...
, Sumatran Elephant
Sumatran Elephant
The Sumatran Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian Elephant, and native to Sumatra island of Indonesia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
, Sumatran Rhino
Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although is still a large mammal. This rhino stands high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of ...
and the Sumatran Orangutan
Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran orangutan is one of the two species of orangutans. Found only on the island of Sumatra, in Indonesia, it is rarer and smaller than the Bornean orangutan. The Sumatran orangutan grows to about tall and in males...
. There are at least 130 species of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s within the ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
which means that one in 32 of the world's mammals are found there, or one quarter of Indonesia's mammals. Primates residing within the ecosystem include the White-Handed Gibbon
Lar Gibbon
The lar gibbon , also known as the white-handed gibbon, is a primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often seen in zoos.-Range:...
, the Siamang
Siamang
The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
, Macaque
Macaque
The macaques constitute a genus of Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. - Description :Aside from humans , the macaques are the most widespread primate genus, ranging from Japan to Afghanistan and, in the case of the barbary macaque, to North Africa...
s, the Loris
Loris
Loris is the common name for the strepsirrhine primates of the subfamily Lorisinae in family Lorisidae. Loris is one genus in this subfamily and includes the slender lorises, while Nycticebus is the genus for the slow lorises....
and the Lutung
Lutung
The lutungs are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Trachypithecus. Their range is split into two parts; one part is much of southeast Asia , the other part is extreme southern India and Sri Lanka. The greater part of India has lutungs...
. Leuser is home to as many as seven species of cats including the Clouded Leopard
Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is a felid found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN...
, the Asian Golden Cat, the Spotted Linsang
Spotted Linsang
The Spotted Linsang is a linsang found in the forests of the central and eastern Himalaya. It is short, light coloured terrestrial mammal, with a slender body, a pointed head and small limbs. It stalks its prey by crawling on its belly, when it is often mistaken for a python or other heavy-built,...
and the Binturong
Binturong
The Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
. The Sun Bear
Sun Bear
The sun bear , sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.-Description:The sun bear...
is quite common within the boundaries of the ecosystem.
The most common herbivores found in Leuser are the deer which include the Sambar, the Muntjac
Muntjac
Muntjac, also known as Barking Deer and Mastreani Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland....
and the Mouse Deer
Chevrotain
Chevrotains, also known as mouse deer, are small ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only members of the infraorder Tragulina. There are 10 living species in three genera, but there are also several species only known from fossils...
. Among the largest reptiles found in Leuser are the turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s and tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
s. The most venomous are the snakes which include the King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
and Pythons that can reach up to ten meters in length. Monitor Lizard
Monitor lizard
Monitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known...
s, skink
Skink
Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae. Together with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae , they comprise the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha...
s, gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s and a variety of frogs are also common .At least 325 species of birds have been recorded in the ecosystem with at least eight species endemic to Sumatra. This rich diversity of bird species includes: bee-eater
Bee-eater
The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers...
s, flycatchers, flowerpeckers, honeyguide
Honeyguide
Honeyguides are near passerine bird species of the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus Prodotiscus. They have an Old World tropical distribution, with the greatest number of...
s, kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s, spiderhunters, woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, barbets, bablers, broadbills, bulbul
Bulbul
Bulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds. Many forest species are known as greenbuls. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands...
, drongo
Drongo
The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics, the Dicruridae. This family was sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers...
s, hornbill
Hornbill
Hornbills are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family...
s, magpie
Magpie
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
s, minvets, myna
Myna
The myna is a bird of the starling family . This is a group of passerine birds which occur naturally only in southern and eastern Asia...
, oriole
Oriole
Orioles are colourful Old World passerine birds in the genus Oriolus, the namesake of the corvoidean family Oriolidae. They are not related to the New World orioles, which are icterids and, belonging to the superfamily Passeroidea songbirds, are quite unrelated to the true orioles.The orioles are...
s, robins,[shamas, shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
s, swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
s, swift
Swift
The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...
s, thrushes
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
, treepies, trogon
Trogon
The trogons and quetzals are birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family, the Trogonidae. The family contains 39 species in eight genera. The fossil record of the trogons dates back 49 million years to the mid-Eocene. They might constitute a member of the basal radiation of...
s, warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
s, weavers, whistlers, white-eyes, leafbirds, sunbirds,tailorbirds, fantail
Fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous birds of southern Asia and Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the family Rhipiduridae...
, forktails, needletails, wagtails, doves
Doves
Doves are an English alternative indie rock band, originating from Wilmslow, Cheshire. The band comprises brothers Jez Williams and Andy Williams , and Jimi Goodwin . The members started working seriously together after meeting at The Haçienda in Manchester. Doves' unofficial fourth member is...
, pigeons, quails, partridges, pheasants, cuckoos, parakeets, parrots, bitterns, herons, finfoots, ducks, snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
s, sandpipers, waders, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, hawks, nightjars, owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, serpent eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s,[hawk eagles, fish eagles, sea eagles, and many more.
The Leuser Ecosystem comprises one of the remaining examples of Indo-malayan (Malesian) vegetation communities with an estimated 45% of the approximately 10 000 recorded plant species. In general the ecosystem can be characterised as a montane rainforest community. However, the typical vegetation type up to an altitude of 600 metres is moist tropical lowland forest characterised by multi-layered stories with emergent trees reaching between 45 and 60 metres in height and high densities of fruit tree species. The large variety of tree species found in Leuser represent virtually all life-strategies of trees, from root flowering and trunk flowering to common twig flowering types. Among the most important and impressive trees are the several species of strangling fig. The largest flower on earth; the parasitic Rafflesia
Rafflesia
Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. It contains approximately 28 species , all found in southeastern Asia, on the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand and the Philippines.Rafflesia was found in the Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr...
is a relatively common in the ecosystem.
Recent history
As a result of the peace agreement between the Free Aceh MovementFree Aceh Movement
The Free Aceh Movement , also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front , was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra from Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh Insurgency from 1976 to 2005, costing over 15,000 lives...
(GAM) and the central government of Indonesia, Aceh was awarded a significant level of autonomy over its natural resources, including the right to govern the Leuser Ecosystem. Irwandi Yusuf
Irwandi Yusuf
Irwandi Yusuf , is the current Governor of the Indonesian province of Aceh. He won the 2006 Aceh regional election as an independent candidate , along with Muhammad Nazar, S. Ag...
, the current Governor of Aceh, established Badan Pengelola Kawasan Ekosistem Leuser (BPKEL) to govern the Leuser Ecosystem and coordinate wildlife management in Aceh.
Leuser As a National Strategic Area
Act No.26/2007 on Spatial Planning has designated important conservation and areas of high biodiversity as National Strategic Areas. One such area is the Gunung Leuser National Park, and the broader Leuser Ecosystem. The area provides water to almost 4 million people, is of global importance to the conservation of biodiversity, and is an important status symbol for us here in Aceh. BPKEL applauds the national governments tough stance on criminal activities in the National Strategic Areas such as Leuser; Act No.26/2007 allows for criminal charges to be brought against not only those who carry out illegal activities in the area, but also to those who give permission for criminal activities to take place. At BPKEL, we feel this is an important milestone, and might deter corrupt officials from ‘selling’ permits to conduct activities that might be damaging to the areas sensitive ecosystem. The maximum sentence is 5 years imprisonment and a Rp 500 million fine.Roads
One of the biggest threats to the Leuser Ecosystem is the building of road networks through the forest. The expansion of roads and settlements into this area lead to increased deforestationDeforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
and allows illegal logging
Illegal logging
Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the...
and poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
to be undertaken with greater ease. A proposed road network known as "Ladia Galaska" which would connect the east and west coasts of Aceh and cut through the Leuser Ecosystem in at least nine places would have a devastating effect on the area's wildlife, many of which will not cross a road. The plans for the proposed road comprise 450 kilometres of main road plus more than 1200 kilometres of minor roads, the majority of which would lie within the boundaries of the Leuser Ecosystem.
Palm Oil Plantations
Also a major threat are palm oilPalm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
plantations, particularly in an area on the west coast of Aceh known as Tripa. Palm oil plantations in this area are primarily located on peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
swamps up to three metres deep. Between 50 to 100 million tonnes of carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
is stored in the peat swamps,and is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide when the peat is burned. Palm oil plantations clear primary forest and burn the peat swamps in order to construct large canals to facilitate the planting of palm oil. The land degradation caused by palm oil plantations in Tripa compromises the welfare of local communities and destroys the habitats of a number of charismatic animal species, including the highest density of orangutans found anywhere in the world.