Lesser Sundas deciduous forests


The Lesser Sundas deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and Alor, along with the many adjacent smaller islands.

Geography

The ecoregion includes a chain of volcanic islands in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The Lombok Strait lies at the western end of the ecoregion, separating Lombok from Bali. The Lombok Strait is part of the Wallace Line, a major biogeographic boundary separating the Indomalayan and Australasian biogeographic realms. The ecoregion is part of Wallacea, a group of islands that are part of the Australasian realm, but were never joined to either the Australian or Asian continents. The islands of Wallacea are home to a mix of plants and animals from both terrestrial realms, and have many unique species that evolved in isolation.
The Ombai Strait lies at the eastern end of the ecoregion, separating Alor from the large island of Timor to the southeast. Although both Timor and Sumba, which lies to the south, are also considered part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, they constitute separate ecoregions.
Flores is the largest of the islands at 13,540 km². The islands are mostly mountainous, and Mount Rinjani on Lombok is the highest point at 3,726 meters elevation.

Climate

The ecoregion has a tropical monsoon climate. The islands are the driest in Indonesia, with rainfall averaging 1,350 mm annually. Rainfall is strongly seasonal, falling mostly during the December-to-March rainy season. The driest months are June through September.

Flora

The main plant communities are monsoon forests and savannas.
There are several distinct types of monsoon forest which vary with on rainfall and elevation. They include moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest, dry thorn forest, and dry evergreen forest. Evergreen montane forests grow above 1200 meters elevation.

Fauna

The Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, is endemic to the ecoregion, and found on the islands of Komodo, Padar, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Flores.
The ecoregion has 50 species of mammals, including six endemic species: the Flores shrew, Lombok flying fox, Sunda long-eared bat, Flores long-nosed rat, Flores giant rat, and Komodo rat. Humans long ago introduced the Javan rusa, a deer originating in Java and Bali, to Flores and several other islands. The banded pig was also brought to Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, and other islands from Sundaland. It is a source of food for both humans and Komodo dragons.
The ecoregion is home to 273 bird species. It corresponds to the Northern Nusa Tenggara endemic bird area. 17 species are endemic:
There are another 12 near-endemic species – Timor cuckoo-dove, pink-headed imperial pigeon, dark-backed imperial pigeon, olive-headed lorikeet cinnamon-banded kingfisher, pale-shouldered cicadabird, chestnut-backed thrush, Flores jungle-flycatcher, yellow-spectacled white-eye, Timor leaf warbler, red-chested flowerpecker, and flame-breasted sunbird.
The Timor python is found on Flores.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 3,228 km², or 8%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. About half the unprotected area is still forested. Protected areas include Komodo National Park on Komodo, Padar and Rinca islands, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other protected areas include Gunung Rinjani National Park on Lombok, Kelimutu National Park and Ruteng Nature Reserve on Flores, Mount Tambora National Park and Pulau Moyo Hunting Reserve on Sumbawa, and Tuti Adagae Recreational Forest on Alor.