Siberut
Encyclopedia
Siberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands
, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra
in the Indian Ocean
. A part of Indonesia
, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park
in 1993. Much of the island is covered with rainforest
, but is subject to commercial logging
.
Smaller islands adjacent to Siberut include Karamajet and Masokut which lie in the Bungalaut strait at the south of the island.
The island is known for its range of primate
s, including the Kloss Gibbon (Hylobates klossii), pig-tailed langur
(Simias concolor), Mentawai Langur
(Presbytis potenziani) and Mentawai Macaque
(Macaca pagensis).
Siberut was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
tsunami
, but without any known loss of human life. One report stated that the island may have been raised up to two metres by the earthquake.
, with an annual rainfall of 4,000 mm. Temperatures range from 22 to 31 °C, and humidity averages 81-85%. The east coast has many islet
s, bay
s and coral reef
s, and is covered with mangrove
forest extending up to 2 km wide before giving way to nipah
forest. The west coast features mainly Barringtonia
forests and is difficult to get to because of rough seas and steep cliffs. The hilly interior elevates to 384 metres, with many streams eventually forming rivers in the sago
-grove lowlands and swamp forests. There are also areas of dipterocarp primary forest.
s and 31 mammal species. Sixty-five percent of mammals and fifteen percent of other animals are endemic at some taxonomic level, making Siberut unique. Of the 134 bird species found on Siberut, 19 are endemic at some taxonomic level.
There are 4 endemic primates, Bokkoi (macaca pagensis), Lutung Mentawai/Joja (presbytis potenziani siberu), Bilou (hylobates klossii) and Simakobu (naasalis concolor siberu).
in 1981. In 1993, the western part of the island was designated as a National Park, covering an area of 1,905 km².
About 70% of the remaining forest outside the reserve is subject to logging concessions, some operative and others pending.
In 2001, UNESCO
brought in a new phase of its Siberut Programme, with the intention of protecting the ecosystem through local development. This phase involves creating a partnership of local communities, conservation groups and local government, an approach which appears to be popular locally.
of North Sumatra
may have been the first to settle here. However, there are now substantial differences in culture and language among the inhabitants. The Swiss anthropologist, Reimar Schefold
spent years among one of the Siberut groups, the Sakuddei
.
In the west of the island, there is a tradition of communal long houses known as uma
.
Mentawai Islands
The Mentawai Islands are a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Siberut is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai . The islands lie approximately 150 km off the Sumatran coast, across the...
, lying 150 kilometres west 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 the Indian Ocean
Indian 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...
. A part of 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...
, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park
Siberut National Park
Siberut National Park comprises 1,905 km2 of the island of Siberut in the Mentawai Islands of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The whole island including the national park is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves....
in 1993. Much of the island is covered with rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
, but is subject to commercial logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
.
Smaller islands adjacent to Siberut include Karamajet and Masokut which lie in the Bungalaut strait at the south of the island.
The island is known for its range of primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s, including the Kloss Gibbon (Hylobates klossii), pig-tailed langur
Pig-tailed Langur
The pig-tailed langur is a large, rather heavily built Old World monkey, which is adapted to climbing with its long arms. Its fur is black-brown, and its hairless face is also black. It is the only monkey in the subfamily Colobinae to have a relatively short tail; the tail is only slightly furred...
(Simias concolor), Mentawai Langur
Mentawai Langur
The Mentawai langur is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is endemic to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
(Presbytis potenziani) and Mentawai Macaque
Pagai Island Macaque
The Pagai Island macaque , also known as the Pagai macaque or Bokkoi, is an Old World monkey that is endemic to the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra. It is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its ever-shrinking habitat. It formerly included the overall darker M...
(Macaca pagensis).
Siberut was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, but without any known loss of human life. One report stated that the island may have been raised up to two metres by the earthquake.
Geography
Siberut Island has a hot and humid tropical rainforest climateTropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
, with an annual rainfall of 4,000 mm. Temperatures range from 22 to 31 °C, and humidity averages 81-85%. The east coast has many islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s, bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
s and coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s, and is covered with mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forest extending up to 2 km wide before giving way to nipah
Nypa fruticans
Nypa fruticans, known as the attap palm , nipa palm , and mangrove palm or buah atap , buah nipah , dừa nước , Ging Pol in Sinhala in Sri Lanka and gol pata , dani . It is the only palm considered a mangrove in the Mangroves Biome...
forest. The west coast features mainly Barringtonia
Barringtonia
Barringtonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae. A common name is cornbeefwood.Bengali name is "Hijalna".Species include:* Barringtonia acutangula* Barringtonia asiatica* Barringtonia calyptrata...
forests and is difficult to get to because of rough seas and steep cliffs. The hilly interior elevates to 384 metres, with many streams eventually forming rivers in the sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
-grove lowlands and swamp forests. There are also areas of dipterocarp primary forest.
Biodiversity
Siberut has been isolated from the mainland Sunda shelf since the Mid-Pleistocene. This isolation has led to a much biodiversity, with about 900 species of vascular plantVascular plant
Vascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
s and 31 mammal species. Sixty-five percent of mammals and fifteen percent of other animals are endemic at some taxonomic level, making Siberut unique. Of the 134 bird species found on Siberut, 19 are endemic at some taxonomic level.
There are 4 endemic primates, Bokkoi (macaca pagensis), Lutung Mentawai/Joja (presbytis potenziani siberu), Bilou (hylobates klossii) and Simakobu (naasalis concolor siberu).
Environment
Siberut was recognized as a Biosphere ReserveBiosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
in 1981. In 1993, the western part of the island was designated as a National Park, covering an area of 1,905 km².
About 70% of the remaining forest outside the reserve is subject to logging concessions, some operative and others pending.
In 2001, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
brought in a new phase of its Siberut Programme, with the intention of protecting the ecosystem through local development. This phase involves creating a partnership of local communities, conservation groups and local government, an approach which appears to be popular locally.
Culture
Some anthropologists believe that several thousand years ago, the BataksBatak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
of 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 :...
may have been the first to settle here. However, there are now substantial differences in culture and language among the inhabitants. The Swiss anthropologist, Reimar Schefold
Reimar Schefold
Reimar Schefold , is professor emeritus of cultural anthropology and sociology of Indonesia at Leiden University. His special interests are thematic symbolic anthropology, cultural materialism, vernacular architecture, and social change among ethnic minorities...
spent years among one of the Siberut groups, the Sakuddei
Sakuddei
The Sakuddei are an ethnic group, one of at least eleven, on the island of Siberut, Indonesia. Siberut is the northernmost of the Mentawai Islands which are located to the west off the coast of Sumatra. TheSakuddei live in south central Siberut in an egalitarian society, cut off from the outside...
.
In the west of the island, there is a tradition of communal long houses known as uma
Uma longhouse
Uma are traditional vernacular houses found on the western part of the island of Siberut in Indonesia. The island is part of the Mentawai islands off the west coast of Sumatra....
.
Further reading
- Page 437 of - Indonesia Eighth edition. Lonely PlanetLonely PlanetLonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
Publications Pty Ltd, Footscray, Victoria ISBN 978-1-74164-435-5