IUCN Management Category I (Strict nature reserve)

Biogeographical Province 4.24.13 (Celebes)

Geographical Location Lies on the eastern coast of central Sulawesi to the north of Tomori bay within the administrative province of Sulawesi Tengah (Central Sulawesi). The reserve comprises the catchments and flood plains of several rivers, including the Sungai Morowali, Sungai Tiworo, Sungai Ula and the Sungai Sobuku. The town of Palu lies 250km to the north-west. Access is difficult due to the isolated nature of the reserve and poor road conditions, four wheel drive being necessary to reach the coastal village of Kolondale, some 5km to the east. 1°40'-2°10'S, 121°10'-121°35'E

Date and History of Establishment Orginally established in March 1980 as a 200,000ha nature reserve (Ministerial Decree Sk Mentan No. 133/kpts/Um/3/1980), and extended to 225,000ha in November 1986 (Decree 374/Kpts/VIII/86).

Area 225,000ha

Land Tenure State

Altitude Ranges from sea level to 2,630m at the summit of Gunung Tokala.

Physical Features Comprises a range of physiographic types which range from the coastal plains of the south to the limestone scarp and inclined plateau of Tamchari massif in the north. Upland topography north of the Tamchari plateau is steep, rugged and dissected by a complex network of rapidly flowing streams and rivers. These ultimately coalesce to form a number of separate watersheds, which drain northward toward the Bongka River system. To the south, the landscape attenuates toward the Morowali alluvial plain which is fed by three major river systems, the Morowali, Tiworo and Ula. In its lower reaches, the Morowali River flows along a network of seasonally flooded channels, past the two Ranu lakes at the foot of Gunung Babilusa to the coast in Tomori Bay.

Geology consists of basic and ultrabasic intrusive and metamorphic rocks in the west, while to the east, tertiary limestones form outcrops locally. Soils of the Morowali plain are derived from basic and ultrabasic parent rocks of the catchment areas, giving rise to light textured acid clays, loams, sands and gravels. Areas of poorly drained swamp soils overlain with peat of medium to fine texture occur locally. To the east, the Ula-Solato plain has more uniform limestone derived soils. The soils of the lower Sumara valley are fine to medium textured clays and clay loams (Laurie, 1980).

Climate The reserve experiences a tropical monsoon climate with a mean annual rainfall of between 3500mm and 4500mm. Rainfall is seasonal and determined by the south-east monsoon. A wet season occurs between May and June and a dry season between September and November. Mean annual temperature at sea level is expected to be 27°C (Laurie, 1980).

Vegetation Predominant vegetation types on the poorly drained basic and ultra basic substrates of the Morowali plain is a somewhat impoverished semi-deciduous lowland rain forest. Typical tree species include Calophyllum soualatti, Kjellbergiodendron celebicum, Gonostylus macrophyllus, Alstonia scholaris, Garcinia dulcis, Parinari corymbosa, Santiria sp., Eugenia sp. and Palaquium spp. Understorey species include pitcher plant Nepenthes spp.

A similarly impoverished forest, but with a different species composition, occurs on sandy substrate. Tree species include Manilkara fasciculata, Sarcotheca celebica, Pouteria malaccensis, Gonostylus macrophyllus, Planchonella firma, Calophyllum soulattri, Santiria sp., Eugenia sp. and Diospyros sp. Above altitudes of 1,000m, a more diverse evergreen lower montane forest occurs, with dominants including Castanopsis spp.,

Palaquium spp., Lithocarpus spp., Elaocarpus spp., Tristania sp.,

Pangiumedule sp., Homalium foetidum, Polyalthia celebica, Parinari corymbosa, Artocarpus integer, Diospyros sp., Agathis sp. and Terminalia sp. Canopy height varies according to substrate, with the tallest forest up to 35m occurring in the Sumara drainage. Above 1,600m upper montane forest occurs at varying heights according to locality. Characterised by a stunted canopy and extensive bryophyte growth, dominant tree species include Lithocarpus spp., Quercus spp., Tristania spp., Cyathea spp. and Pandanus spp. Other notable vegetation types include extensive coastal mangrove forest dominated by Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata and Sonneratia alba and backed by Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Lumnitzera littorea, Ceriops tagal and Xylocarpus sp. Inland, on better drained substrates, Lumnitzera spp. occurs along with Acrostichum spp., Pandanus spp., Ficus spp. Eugenia spp. and Casuarina spp. (Laurie, 1980).

Fauna A rich mammalian fauna occurs, with most of the large Sulawesi species represented although at relatively low levels. Notable endemic species include mountain anoa Bubalus quarlesi (E), babirusa Babyrousa babyrussa (V), giant Sulawesi civet Macrogalidia musschenbroekii (R), both species of marsupial cuscus; bear cuscus Phalanger ursinus and Celebes cuscus

P. celebensis, tonkin macaque Macaca tonkeana, and the ubiquitous Celebes tarsier Tarsius spectrum. Other mammals include an endemic rodent Lenomys sp. and possibly 29 species of bat (Laurie, 1980). Introduced species include rusa deer Cervus timorensis, wild boar Sus scrofa and Malay civet Viverra tangalunga, which is common in areas of human habitation.

The reserve contains the most representative avifauna of any protected area in Sulawesi with some 170 species recorded including many endemic to the province. Notable among these are the megapodes; common scrubfowl Megapodius freycinet and Maleo Macrocephalon maleo (V), for which extensive nesting sites have been recorded in the Morowali, Masoyo and Sumara river valleys. In addition, seven Psittacidae have been recorded, including yellow-crested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea (K), the endemic ornate lory Trichoglossus ornatus, yellow and green lory T. flavoviridis, Celebes racket-tailed parrot Priorniturus platurus and Celebes hanging parot Loriculus stigmatus. Other notable avifauna include eight species of Alcedinidae, 18 species of Columbidae, including the endemic Fisher's fruit dove Ptilinopus fischeri and dark-chinned fruit dove P. subgularis, five species of Strigiformes, including three Sulawesi endemics and 19 species of falconiformes. Birds of the coast and wetlands include 14 species of Ardeidae, including Chinese egret Egretta eulophotes (V) and Japanese night heron Gorsachius goisagi (K), seven species of Anatidae, including wandering whistling duck Dendrocygna arcuata, nine species of Rallidae including the endemic Celebes waterhen Amaurornis isabellinus and 18 species of Scolopacidae including the endemic Celebes woodcock Scolopax celebensis (K) (Laurie, 1980; Silvius and Djuharsa, 1989). An inventory of endemic mammals and avifauna can be found in MacKinnon (1990).

Reptiles include snakes; reticulated python Python reticulartus, grass snake Natrix spp., mock viper Psammodynastes sp., whip snake Dryophis sp. and Waglers pit viper Trimersurus wagleri, as well as lizards such as sail-fin lizard Hydrosaurus amboyensis, monitors Varanus spp. and a tortoise Testudo sp. (Laurie, 1980).

According to Silvius and Djuharsa (1989), estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus (V) is still present in coastal areas and around the Ranu lakes. Some 230 species of butterfly have been recorded, principally from the Lycaimidae and Hesperiidae families (Laurie, 1980). A faunal inventory has been compiled by Laurie (1980).

Cultural Heritage The indigenous population is of the Towana, or Wanas ethnic group which originates from the interior of the eastern Sulawesi Peninsula. A traditional agricultural lifestyle is followed, supplemented by hunting and collection of forest products such as damar resin and rattan (Laurie, 1980; Silvius and Djuharsa, 1989).

Local Human Population According to Silvius and Djuharsa (1989), some 6,000 people live within the reserve boundaries, most of whom are concentrated within the Sobuku valley. Another 1,400 are located in the two major river valleys immediately adjacent to the reserve (Laurie, 1980).

Visitors and Visitor Facilities Limited at present due to inaccessibility and lack of facilities. Potential for nature-oriented tourism is, however, high owing to the isolated nature of the reserve and unique culture of the inhabitants (Laurie, 1980; Silvius and Djuharsa, 1989).

Scientific Research and Facilities According to Laurie (1980), preliminary surveys and botanical collections have been made by Van der Zon and Mulyana (1978), and zoological collections and flora and fauna studies by the 1980 Operation Drake. Ornithological and social studies have been undertaken by Simonson et al. (1987). A management plan has been produced by Laurie (1980).

Conservation Value The reserve protects a range of habitat types including important tracts of distinctive forests over ultra basic and limestone substrates. Conservation of the upper watersheds of the Sumara and Ula-Solato rivers and coastal mangroves is essential to ensure continued water supplies to agricultural land in the alluvial plains and to prevent siltation of coastal fisheries (Laurie, 1980).

Conservation Management According to the management plan, principal aims are to maintain a naturally regenerating tropical rain forest ecosystem, with particular reference to endemic or endangered faunal species. This is to be achieved within a framework of management zoning and local community participation. Proposals include the implementation of environmental awareness and sustainable economic development programmes in strategic areas, boundary realignment to include complete watersheds and key habitats, as well as development of environmentally sensitive tourism. Simonson et al. (1987) make a number of recommendations regarding the sustainability of rattan collection.

Management Constraints Principal threats are from over-exploitation of forest products such as rattan, damar resin and maleo eggs. According to Silvius and Djuharsa (1989), the majority of the lowland region has been gazetted as logging concession.

Staff No information

Budget No information

Local Addresses

Kepala Sub-Balai PHPA, Jl. S. Parman 57, Palu, Sulawesi

References

Laurie, W.A. (1980). Morowali Reserve management plan. WWF-Indonesia, Bogor. 66 pp.

MacKinnon, K. (1990). Biological diversity in Indonesia: a resource inventory. WWF-Indonesia, Bogor.

Silvius, M.J. and Djuharsa, E. (1989). Morowali, Indonesia. In: Scott, D.A. (Ed.), A directory of Asian wetlands. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Pp. 1061-1063.

Simonson, D., Duke, G. and Roughton, J. (1985). Morowali Rain Forest expedition July-September. Final Report. Unpublished. 23 pp.

Whitten, A.J., Mustafa, M. and Henderson, G.S. (1987). The Ecology of Sulawesi. Gadjah Mada University Press, Yogykarta. 777 pp.

Date February 1991