Batang Toru (23070)
Indonesia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1e, B1
Year of last assessment: 2021
National site name: Batang Toru
Central coordinates: Latitude: 1.7500, Longitude: 99.1000
Area of KBA (km2): 1767.593496
Protected area coverage (%): 8.54
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This is a hilly and mountainous tropical forest area with low suitability for agriculture because of the steep terrain. It has high species diversity with several local endemics only found here.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The Critically Endangered Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is unique to this area and found ONLY in this KBA with more than 95% (actual 99.3%) of its range with the KBA, so it should meet A1e.
Delineation rationale: We used information on the distribution of the Tapanuli orangutan and recent forest cover to update the boundary of the KBA. In terms of manageability, the delineation is also relevant to Indonesia's national orangutan action plan which uses the IUCN species boundary as its official spatial reference for implementing conservation management.
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Large dams | Ongoing |