Tonda Wildlife Management Area
Encyclopedia
The Tonda Wildlife Management Area is a wetland
of international importance and the largest protected area
in Papua New Guinea
. It is located in the south-western corner of the Western Province
and is contiguous with Wasur National Park
of Indonesia
. It forms part of the Trans Fly savanna and grasslands
ecoregion
.
areas, swamps, grassland, savanna woodlands and patches of monsoon forest. Most trees are of the genus Acacia
and Melaleuca
while common grasses are Phragmite
and Pseudoraphis
.
It is an important wetland for over 250 species of resident and migratory waterbirds
. Most of the World's population of Little Curlew
stage on the plains during migration. The area also provides habitat for birds-of-paradise and Brolga
.
Fifty-six species of fish have been recorded.. Fifty mammals are known to occur in the area, including a number not found elsewhere in New Guinea, such as the Spectacled Hare-wallaby
, False Water-rat, Bronze Quoll
and Chestnut Dunnart
. Reptiles include Saltwater Crocodile
and New Guinea crocodile.
. About 1,500 subsistence gardeners and hunters live in the area in 12 villages. The western part of Tonda covers land of the Kanum peoples.
(WMA) was established in 1975. The WMA Rules restrict hunting by non-customary land owners. In 1993 it was listed as a wetland
of international importance under the Ramsar Convention
. In 1995 a Tri-National Wetlands Program was initiated by WWF
between Tonda WMA, Wasur NP, and the Australian Kakadu National Park
, which lead to a Memorandum of Understanding between the three government conservation agencies in 2002. In 2006 it was proposed as a World Heritage Site
, as part of the larger Trans-Fly Complex.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
of international importance and the largest protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It is located in the south-western corner of the Western Province
Western Province (Papua New Guinea)
Western Province is a coastal province in southwestern Papua New Guinea, bordering the Indonesian province of Papua. The provincial capital is Daru, on the island of Daru. The largest town in the province is Tabubil...
and is contiguous with Wasur National Park
Wasur National Park
The Wasur National Park forms part of the largest wetland in Papua province of Indonesia and has been the least disturbed by human activity. The high value of its biodiversity has led to the park being dubbed the "Serengeti of Papua"...
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...
. It forms part of the Trans Fly savanna and grasslands
Trans Fly savanna and grasslands
The Trans Fly savanna and grasslands are a lowland ecoregion on the south coast of the island of New Guinea in both the Indonesian and Papua New Guinean sides of the island...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
.
Vegetation and fauna
The terrain is flat, generally less than 45 metres above sea level. It includes tidal river reaches, mangroveMangrove
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...
areas, swamps, grassland, savanna woodlands and patches of monsoon forest. Most trees are of the genus Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
and Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
while common grasses are Phragmite
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
and Pseudoraphis
Pseudoraphis
Pseudoraphis is a genus of grass in the Poaceae family.- External links :*...
.
It is an important wetland for over 250 species of resident and migratory waterbirds
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
. Most of the World's population of Little Curlew
Little Curlew
The Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo Curlew....
stage on the plains during migration. The area also provides habitat for birds-of-paradise and Brolga
Brolga
The Brolga , formerly known as the "Native Companion", is a bird in the crane family. The bird has also been given the name "Australian Crane", a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithological artist John Gould in his Birds of Australia.The Brolga is a common gregarious wetland bird species in...
.
Fifty-six species of fish have been recorded.. Fifty mammals are known to occur in the area, including a number not found elsewhere in New Guinea, such as the Spectacled Hare-wallaby
Spectacled Hare-wallaby
The Spectacled Hare-wallaby is a species of macropod found in Australia and New Guinea. In Australia, a small sub-population is found on Barrow Island, while the mainland type is widespread, though in decline, across northern regions of the country.-Description:A species of Lagorchestes,...
, False Water-rat, Bronze Quoll
Bronze Quoll
The Bronze Quoll is a species of quoll found only in the Trans Fly savanna and grasslands of New Guinea. It was discovered in the early 1970s when five specimens were collected, but only described in 1987 when Dr...
and Chestnut Dunnart
Chestnut Dunnart
The Chestnut Dunnart is a dunnart that was described by Van Dyck in 1986 and is named because of its chestnut colour in the upperparts of its body. The length from snout to tail being 167-210 mm of which head to anus is 85-105 mm and tail 82-105 mm long...
. Reptiles include Saltwater Crocodile
Saltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
and New Guinea crocodile.
Traditional landowners
The land is under customary ownershipCustomary land
Customary land is land which is owned by Indigenous communities and administered in accordance with their customs, as opposed to statutory tenure usually introduced during the colonial periods. Common ownership is one form of customary land ownership....
. About 1,500 subsistence gardeners and hunters live in the area in 12 villages. The western part of Tonda covers land of the Kanum peoples.
Conservation
Tonda Wildlife Management AreaWildlife Management Area
Wildlife Management Areas are protected areas set aside in for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife.-United States:In the U.S., WMAs exist in the following states:* Alabama* Florida* Georgia* Louisiana...
(WMA) was established in 1975. The WMA Rules restrict hunting by non-customary land owners. In 1993 it was listed as a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
of international importance under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. In 1995 a Tri-National Wetlands Program was initiated by WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
between Tonda WMA, Wasur NP, and the Australian Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.Kakadu National Park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It covers an area of , extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres...
, which lead to a Memorandum of Understanding between the three government conservation agencies in 2002. In 2006 it was proposed as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, as part of the larger Trans-Fly Complex.