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https://drcolintrainor.exposure.co/three-million-yr-old-sky-islands-and-cloud-forests-in-timorleste
Timor-Leste is perhaps best known recently for conflict, dry savannas, and increasingly hyper-diverse coral reefs. However, one of the most different, most diverse but least known habitats is the Cloud Forests that occurs on some of the mountains. Approximately 100 km2, and definitely <200 km2 of Timor-Leste (area 15,007 km2) is Cloud Forest, so c.0.67% or 1.3% of the land-cover of the nation. Although highly distinctive and rich and endemic plants, birds and land-snails, Cloud Forests in Timor-Leste have not had a high conservation profile.Timor Island was broadly created as a result of a collision between continental Asia and continental Australia, and is thought to have been above sea (popped out of the sea) approximately 4.5 million years. The oldest part of the island are the high mountains, being pushed up at a more or less equal rate. These high mountains were once the only parts of Timor above sea.During 12-17 June 2015 Mario Soares de Carvalho, Zemally Dejesus and I visited the Mt Taroman area with the aim of documenting natural values, particularly birds. Mt Taroman is a c. 20 km2 area of montane Cloud Forest within the elevation range of 1,000-1,730 m. It is in Suai Municipal (District) across several villages including Fatululik and lies only a few km from the Indonesian international border.We observed birds and made sound-recordings, made acoustic recordings of micro-bats, actively searched for reptiles and landsnails and took photographs of Cloud forest habitats and some plant species.
Fonte: Three million yr old+ Sky Islands and Cloud Forests in Timor-Leste by Colin Trainor – Exposure
THE VISIT
Timor-Leste is perhaps best known recently for conflict, dry savannas, and increasingly hyper-diverse coral reefs. However, one of the most different, most diverse but least known habitats is the Cloud Forests that occurs on some of the mountains. Approximately 100 km2, and definitely <200 km2 of Timor-Leste (area 15,007 km2) is Cloud Forest, so c.0.67% or 1.3% of the land-cover of the nation. Although highly distinctive and rich and endemic plants, birds and land-snails, Cloud Forests in Timor-Leste have not had a high conservation profile.
Timor Island was broadly created as a result of a collision between continental Asia and continental Australia, and is thought to have been above sea (popped out of the sea) approximately 4.5 million years. The oldest part of the island are the high mountains, being pushed up at a more or less equal rate. These high mountains were once the only parts of Timor above sea.
During 12-17 June 2015 Mario Soares de Carvalho, Zemally Dejesus and I visited the Mt Taroman area with the aim of documenting natural values, particularly birds. Mt Taroman is a c. 20 km2 area of montane Cloud Forest within the elevation range of 1,000-1,730 m. It is in Suai Municipal (District) across several villages including Fatululik and lies only a few km from the Indonesian international border.
We observed birds and made sound-recordings, made acoustic recordings of micro-bats, actively searched for reptiles and landsnails and took photographs of Cloud forest habitats and some plant species.
Scenic Cloud Forest view of mature tree-ferns, ground ferns and moss and epiphyte-clad trees at 1,650 m on Mt Taroman
WILDLIFE SIGNIFICANCE AND THREATS
A total of 53 bird species (40 “forest-specialized” bird species; 23 globally restricted-range species; one globally endangered species; 11 hill-montane bird species); one native land mammal; six insectivorous microbats including Canut’s Horseshoe-bat Rhinolophus canuti, one species of Eremiascincus “Montane” skink, an invasive Black-spined Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), and a likely undescribed landsnail similar in appearance to Parachloritis manuelmendesi.
We recorded 25 bird species in Fatululik village (c.1,000 m elevation), 43 bird species around our camp (1,530 m), 16 bird species between 1,600-1,700 m, and 21 bird species above 1,700 m near the summit. The reduced richness in the number of bird (and many other species) is a well-known global pattern. Mt Taroman is relatively large area (c. 20 km2) – perhaps 20% or more of the remaining Cloud Forest in Timor-Leste – though many forest areas are fragmented and occur in small patches. It is one of the most biologically rich montane areas in Timor-Leste, similar to the better known Mt Mundo Perdido near Ossu.
The Key Threat to biodiversity in the Taroman area is relatively intensive free-range grazing by livestock, especially cattle – 100s of animals are present on the mount. This results in soil erosion, slumping (hill slope erosion), likely reduced water quality, obvious damage to tree roots in forest, and greatly reduced or absent forest regeneration as palatable plants within reach are eaten. Mitigating this impact is not impossible, because studies in Timor-Leste have already shown the economic benefits of penned-livestock. Higher quality feed to penned livestock creates larger and healthier stock with greater sale value.
A clear Win-Win for nature and for rural livestock graziers.
The Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas) is a common forest resident in Timor-Leste, here near the Taroman summit
The Banded Fruit Dove is a common forest pigeon in Timor-Leste, and was regularly seen on the mount
Avian specialisation increases with elevation – the 23 restricted-range bird species; many abundant on the Mt Taroman
The 11 hill or montane bird species recorded on Mt Taroman
A male Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra) is a common bird in the mountains of Timor above c.1,200 m
Cattle in the mist are a major threat to forest: grazing degrades soil, water, vegetation and restricts or stops Cloud Forest regeneration
A Black-spined Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) was photographed at the summit of Taroman in a hole
Only one undescribed landsnail was observed on the mount, it is similar to Parachloritis manuelmendesi which has been recorded in Suai
About 5 undescribed Eremiascincus “Montane” type skinks were seen under logs at around 1,650 m on the mount
CLOUD FOREST HABITAT
We did not survey the flora of Mt Taroman but estimate that there may be 300-500 plant species. We did see Dacrycarpus imbricatus (Family Podocarpaceae – the Southern Hemisphere Conifers) – generally the largest tree in montane forest, growing up to 30 m tall in Cloud Forest; perhaps around 50 ferns including King Fern Angiopteris evecta (Family Marattiaceae), tree-ferns, filmy-ferns and numerous ground and epiphytic ferns. The moss and lichen flora is also probably quite species-rich, but have been very poorly-sampled on Timor Island in general.
View over Cloud Forest from Taroman summit, towards the northwest
Red bracket fungi on log in quite open Cloud Forest at 1,650 m, the ground is covered in moss
Cloud Forest with a sparse but moss dominated ground layer, at around 1,600 m on Mt Taroman
Close up view of water-loving lichens, moss and ferns along a tree trunk on Mt Taroman
Water-loving filmy ferns on a moist tree trunk near the Mt Taroman summit
Cloud Forest view dominated by tree-ferns, ground ferns and moss-covered tree limbs on Mt Taroman
Near horizontal moss-covered branches near the summit of Mt Taroman
Near horizontal stems of Cloud Forest at the summit of Mt Taroman
Canopy view of moss-encrusted tree trunks and canopy, among the mist, near the Mt Taroman summit
CAMP AND PEOPLE SHOTS
We visited in mid-June towards the end of the wet season, but there was still some rain, and cloud and mist for several days. It was also quite windy, with weather rapidly closing in from clear sunshine to misty rain in a matter of moment. We camped at the edge of forest at 1,530 m, a few hundred meters from a massive limestone outcrop, and about 500 m from “Game of Thrones” rock, a stunningly eroded set of limestone knives on another outcrop.
FURTHER READING
Trainor, C. R., Coates, B. and K. D. Bishop (2007) Aves de Timor-Leste. Burung-burung di Timor-Leste. The Birds of Timor-Leste. BirdLife International and Dove Publications (In English, Indonesian and Portuguese languages).
Trainor, C. R., Santana, F., Rudyanto., Almeida, A. F., Pinto, P., & G.F de Olivera. (2007) Important Bird Areas in Timor-Leste: key sites for conservation. Cambridge: BirdLife International.
Trainor, C. R, Santana, F, Pinto, P, Xavier, A. F,. Safford, R. and Grimmett, R (2008). Birds, birding and conservation in Timor-Leste. BirdingASIA 9: 16-45.
Colin and Zemally Dejesus enjoy some cool, misty and often windy weather among the Taroman Cloud Forest
Mario Soares de Carvalho and Colin during a first walk to the summit….
Yes, sometimes it was even this exciting on the mount…
A misty climb up a steep ridge near the Mt Taroman summit – dominated by mosses and ferns
Mario Soares de Carvalho resting in misty Cloud Forest on Mt Taroman
“Game of Thrones” rock, a large limestone outcrop on the northern slopes of Mt Taroman
Location; broad mapping of c. 20 km2 of montane forest; and a cross-section from Fatululik to the summit; red circle denotes our camp
Another world, or the other world – the gruesome, ghastly, gnarled trunks of Cloud Forest on Mt Taroman
© 2020 Colin Trainor