Sungai Klere (15830)
Timor-Leste, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Sungai Klere
Central coordinates: Latitude: -9.0140, Longitude: 125.9980
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 419.86909
Protected area coverage (%): 22.30
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Formerly this area was described as “one of the last forested lowland coastal areas on Timor and preserves a rare habitat type (lowland alluvial forest and savannah)” with “moderately high biodiversity values” (FAO/UNDP 1982). The habitats in the IBA currently include a band of seasonally flooded coastal swamp forest dominated by Canarium spp., secondary dry forest and the extensive nationally significant freshwater lake (c.10 km2) of Modo Mahut, and extensive grassland converted from alluvial forest in the Modo Mahut area, and hinterland of Welaluhu and Natarbora villages (Mauro 2003). This area is known in Indonesian as ‘Hutan Metiboat’ (RTK 34) (Ora 2000).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. KBA identified by the 2014 CEPF Wallacea Ecosystem Profile process. Taxonomy and threat status follow the 2013 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: Twenty-five restricted-range species have been recorded in this IBA, including the Endangered Timor Green-pigeon, and the Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo also occurs there (Mauro 2003).
Delineation rationale: 2015-06-10 (BL Secretariat): site area changed from 42266 ha to 41868 ha, following 2014 CEPF Ecosystem Profile.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Formerly this area was described as “one of the last forested lowland coastal areas on Timor and preserves a rare habitat type (lowland alluvial forest and savannah)” with “moderately high biodiversity values” (FAO/UNDP 1982). The habitats in the IBA currently include a band of seasonally flooded coastal swamp forest dominated by Canarium spp., secondary dry forest and the extensive nationally significant freshwater lake (c.10 km2) of Modo Mahut, and extensive grassland converted from alluvial forest in the Modo Mahut area, and hinterland of Welaluhu and Natarbora villages (Mauro 2003). This area is known in Indonesian as ‘Hutan Metiboat’ (RTK 34) (Ora 2000).
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 48 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Forest | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Forest conversion by local communities, fires, wood cutting and hunting were listed as threats to this site by FAO/UNDP (1982). Forest conversion has led to extensive natural forest loss and fragmentation. In the past two decades much of the lowland alluvial forest has been converted for agriculture (ricefield and dryland crops) and village expansion with the remaining natural habitats existing as small and highly fragmented patches.