Peat swamp forest and the false gharialTomistoma schlegelii(Crocodilia, Reptilia) in the Merang River, eastern Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

AbstractTomistoma schlegeliiis a threatened crocodilian whose current range is restricted to Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan and Sarawak) and Peninsular Malaysia. During surveys undertaken in eastern Sumatra in 1995–1996, 15T. schlegeliinests were located in peat swamp forest along a single tributary, the Merang River. No other areas with equivalent nest densities have yet been described. Although much peat swamp forest has been lost to logging and fire, it remains the dominant habitat in most of the current range ofT. schlegelii. In the Merang River the peat swamp andT. schlegeliiare threatened by a series of ongoing activities and both may be lost unless some form of innovative management programme is introduced. Peat swamp forest supports a range of other rare and threatened species, and would appear to have high conservation value. This paper reviews current information on the role of peat swamp forest in the ecology ofT. schlegeliiand describes the conservation threats toT. schlegeliiin the Merang River.