Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

The site is made up of three national parks that contain some of the richest and most varied of the world’s remaining rainforests. They are in forested volcanic mountains, ranging from coastal lowlands to highlands, having a wide range of soils, hydrological conditions, and habitats from marine to subalpine volcanoes, supporting a high diversity of flora and fauna. They retain their importance as critical refugia for future evolutionary processes. The site holds the greatest potential for long-term conservation of the distinctive and diverse biota of Sumatra. The protected area is home to an estimated 10,000 plant species and more than 200 mammal species. Of the mammal species, 22 are Asian, not found elsewhere in the archipelago.