Western New Guinea

The region of West New Guinea is the western half of the island of New Guinea or Papua, and has also been known as Irian Jaya or West Papua. A part of Indonesia since 1963, the region contains the provinces of West Irian Jaya and Papua, which shares its eastern border with the nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Ecology

A vital tropical rainforest with the tallest tropical trees and vast biodiversity, Papua's known forest fauna includes marsupials (including possums, wallabies, tree kangaroos, cuscus), other mammals (including the endangered long-beaked echidna), many bird species (including birds of paradise, casuarius, parrots, cockatoos), the world's longest lizards (Papua monitor) and the world's largest butterflies.

Related Topics:
Marsupials - Possum - Wallabies - Tree kangaroo - Cuscus - Echidna - Birds of paradise - Casuarius - Parrot - Cockatoo - Monitor

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The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plant, 124 genera of which are endemic.

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The extensive waterways and wetlands of Papua are also home to salt and freshwater crocodile, tree monitor, flying foxes, osprey, bats and other animals; while the equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.

Related Topics:
Crocodile - Tree monitor - Flying foxes - Osprey - Bats

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Ecological dangers include deforestation at an alarming rate; the spread of the exotic Crab-eating Macaque (monkey) which now threatens the existence of many native species; pollution such as Grasberg mine dumping 190,000 tons of copper and gold tailings into the rivers system each day;

Related Topics:
Crab-eating Macaque - Grasberg mine

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External links

• The Deforesting of Irian Jaya, 1994
• Monkeys Threaten Papua's Wildlife .
• Wetlands Study