Wildlife diversity and ecology for sustainable eco-edutourism in Peramun Hill, Belitung, Indonesia

Abstract

Peramun Hill, one of the sites in Belitong Geopark, Belitung Regency, has a unique land-cross section and is a sustainable tourism area, providing an ecosystem service to nature and local society. Therefore, carrying out wildlife diversity information can be the guideline for managing conservation and eco-edu tourism. This study aims to record wildlife biodiversity and its ecological function at Peramun Hill. We used the purposive sampling method and analyzed with richness index, diversity, Evenness, and Kruskal-Wallis’s test. We recorded 12 species of Pisces (fish), six species of amphibians, eight species of reptiles, 18 species of aves, and seven species of mammals. It includes the endemic mammalian species, Cephalophacus bancanus saltator, and a newly recorded reptile species, Cnemaspis purnamae. Two wildlife species are classified as data deficient, two are vulnerable, three are endangered, seven are critically endangered, and four are protected in Indonesia. These findings show that Peramun Hill has low species richness and is dominated by particular species in the entire habitat area. The various types of ecosystems in the area (primary, secondary, and agroforestry forest) might affect wildlife biodiversity. Therefore, biodiversity conservation must be managed, especially in ecosystem services such as sustainable tourism.