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Rainforest Pictures from tropical island of Numfor

Updated on July 13, 2011

Tropical rainforest

The pictures of tropical rainforest that you see in this article were taken from Numfor island in West Papua. Forest is home to various species of trees, medicinal plants, and various flowers. There are a lot of birds, reptiles and mammals and insects in the forest. I present some rainforest pictures in this article to raise awareness among all of us about the importance of this ecosystem in absorbing CO2 emissions and in supporting human life. Although rainforest is a sustainable resource, the irresponsible exploitation of this precious environment can result in such natural disasters as flood, tsunami and severe dry season. A healthy rainforest can hold fresh water which we really need during dry season. It also produce food and protein. In recent years, rainforest has become an attractive tourist destination that can teach travelers about natural science, culture and environment and local wisdom from the indigenous people who live in or near it.

mangrove forest in the swampy area of Baruki village in Numfor island
mangrove forest in the swampy area of Baruki village in Numfor island

Geographical Division of Rainforest

The rainforest there can be devided into three categories:

  1. Rainforest in the hills of the Numfor island. This type of rainforest in general is the same as the forest that we can see in the main New Guinea island. The diameter of the trunk of the a big tree in the island can reach up to 1 meters. Because the soil layer is thin, I do not see a lot of big trees there. The Numfor island is a coral island, much of its land has been developed through thousands of years of rocks, coral and lime formation. So, it's not surprising to see that the soil is not very fertile. Merbau, and matoa (pometia pinnata) species can also be seen growing in the island. However, we cannot sea teak wood in the jungle. Teak wood tree (tectona grandis) is not an endemic species in New Guinea and its satellite islands.
  2. Rainforest in the lowland near the beach of Numfor island. I did some morning and afternoon walks along the coastal area of the island. The types of trees that cover the beach are coconut palm (cocos nucifera), catappa (terminalia catappa), barringtonia asiatica and some mangrove species.
  3. Mangrove forest along the tidal or swampy areas in Numfor island. In this tidal ground that contains high salinity, most of the plants that grow are mangrove. Some species of sea grass can also be seen growing in this saline environment. Mangrove trees are important element of the coastal area due to their functions as shelter for small fish, crabs and birds. After watching huge tsunami that hit Aceh on television, people in the northern coast of Numfor island started reforestation of their tidal area with mangrove seedlings. They hope that in the next fifteen to twenty years, they will become a natural barrier to reduce the power of tsunami waves.

Rainforest picture the grow on the banks of a river in tropical island of Numfor
Rainforest picture the grow on the banks of a river in tropical island of Numfor

Let's preserve the rainforests

I often see the islanders take fire wood from the forest in all the three regions. Islanders in Numfor island do not have the luxury to use gas stove. The most affordable fuel for their domestic cooking activities is firewood. I often say to them that as long as the wood which they harvest from the forest is the naturally fallen trees, or naturally fallen twigs and branches, the impact is very little. The reforestation of the tidal area around Numfor island with mangrove trees as Tsunami barrier will automatically increase the availability of fuel wood for them too. And I uploaded the rainforest pictures in this article to inform all of us about the real condition of the forest in the tropical region which is now being considered as an important ecosystem that plays vital role in absorbing CO2 gases which we emit every day. I hope that all of us will continue to preserve these rainforest forever. by Charles Roring

PS: If you are interested in visiting this tropical island of Numfor, please contact me via my e-mail: charlesroring@gmail.com

a wooden bridge near the beach of Numfor island
a wooden bridge near the beach of Numfor island
working

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