Flora
Fauna
The park is a safe haven for thousands of species of plants and animals, many of which are threatened by extinction or are extremely rare. In a survey of the biological resources of Bukit Tigapuluh, NorwegianIndonesian Rainforest and Resource Management Project (NORINDRA) researchers observed and recorded 660 plant species, including 246 medicinal plants that are utilized by the local population. Many rare and threatened non-utilized plant species were also recorded. One example is the locally named Cendawan mukarimau (Tiger-face mushroom), which is none other than Rafflesia hasseltii, previously observed in only two locations (West Sumatra and Pulau Tioman, Malaysia). Other examples are a betel-related palm known by locals as Mapaukalui (Iguanura sp.), and the highly distinctive Salo palm (Johannes tejsmannia altifrons), which is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) list of threatened plants.
In NORINDRA surveys of fauna found in Bukit Tigapuluh, 192 species of birds were recorded, which is almost 1/3 of all bird species known from Sumatra. Breeding was confirmed of 18 species of birds not previously known to breed on Sumatra, including the Garnet pitta (Pitta granatina), which had not been recorded in Sumatra for more than 70 years. At least 10 of the bird species recorded are globally threatened. Some 59 species of mammals were recorded, five of which are globally threatened, including the Oriental small-clawed otter (Aonyxcin cerea), clouded leopard (Neofelisne bulosa), tiger (Panthera tigris), Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), and elephant (Elephas maximus). A total of 98 species of fish were collected and preserved, and one of these, a glass-perch, turned out to be new to science and has been given the name Gymnochanda limi. Other significant species found in the park are gibbons (Hylobate sagilis and H. syndactilus), golden cat (Catopuma
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temminckii), long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), banded leaf monkey (Presbytis femoralis), Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), spotted-winged fruit bat (Balionycteris maculate), white-collared fruit bat (Megaerops wetmorei), spiny turtle (Heosemys spinosa), Malayan flatshelled turtle (Notochelys platynota), estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and false gavial (Tomistoma schlegelii).
Threats Threats to these forests come from agricultural encroachment as well as plantation and timber enterprises from all over Indonesia. Until 2006, this forest block was relatively free from large-scale commercial forest conversion because of its hilly terrain. However, as police cracked down on illegal logging in Riau Province, the activity shifted to Jambi Province, thus putting pressure on the forests of Bukit Tigapuluh. www.aseanbiodiversity.org