Huon Peninsula montane rain forests

Forest ecoregion in New Guinea

Huon Peninsula montane rain forests

Kasanombe Base Camp

Ecoregion territory (in purple)

Ecology
Realm| Australasian realm
Biome| tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders|

* Central Range sub-alpine grasslands
* Northern New Guinea lowland rain and freshwater swamp forests

Geography
Area| 21,679 km2 (8,370 sq mi)
Countries| Papua New Guinea
Provinces|

* Madang Province
* Morobe Province

Coordinates| 6°24′S 147°30′E﻿ / ﻿6.4°S 147.5°E﻿ / -6.4; 147.5
Conservation
Conservation status| Relatively stable/intact[1]
Protected| 3.5%[2]

The Huon Peninsula montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in New Guinea. The ecoregion covers the mountains of northeastern New Guinea's Huon Peninsula.

## Geography

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The ecoregion is made up of montane rain forests on the Huon Peninsula. The montane rain forests occur above 1000 meters elevation on the Peninsula's mountain ranges, which include the Finisterre (to 4,176 m), Saruwaged (to 4,122 m), and Cromwell and Rawlinson ranges.[3]

## Climate

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The ecoregion has a montane tropical rain forest climate.[1]

## Flora

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The ecoregion's forests are of several types, which vary with rainfall, elevation, and underlying soils. Lowland hill forests occupy the foothills of the range, forming a transition between the lowland alluvial forests below and the montane forests above. Montane rain forests grow between 1000 and 3000 meters elevation. Evergreen broadleaf trees are predominant, with conifers occurring above 2000 meters elevation and becoming more abundant at higher elevations. Species composition varies with elevation. There are also areas of limestone forest.[3]

The epiphytic moss Merrilliobryum tanianum is endemic to the ecoregion.[4]

## Fauna

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The ecoregion has 81 species of mammals, including marsupials, murid rodents, and bats. There are Huon tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is endemic to the ecoregion. Several limited-range rodents, including the Highland brush mouse (Abeomelomys sevia) and Ernst Mayr's water rat (Leptomys ernstmayri), inhabit the ecoregion and neighboring highlands.[1]

There are two endemic bird species, the Emperor bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea guilielmi) and Huon astrapia (Astrapia rothschildi).[1][5] Together with the Adelbert Range to the west (which is part of the Northern New Guinea montane rain forests ecoregion), the ecoregion forms the Adelbert and Huon ranges endemic bird area.[6]

Hooded pitohui (Pitohui dichrous) in YUS Conservation Area

## Protected areas

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3.7% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include Nusareng Wildlife Management Area (10.26 km2) and YUS Conservation Area (793.11 km2).[2]

## External links

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* "Huon Peninsula montane rain forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
* "Huon Peninsula montane rain forests". DOPA Explorer
* Adelbert and Huon ranges endemic bird area (BirdLife International)

## References

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1. ^ a b c d "Huon Peninsula montane rain forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
2. ^ a b "Huon Peninsula montane rain forests". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 14 July 2021. https://dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ecoregion/10107
3. ^ a b Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
4. ^ Daniel H. Norris, Timo Koponen, William R. Buck "Bryophyte Flora of the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea. LXXI Merrilliobryum (Myriniaceae, Musci)," Annales Botanici Fennici, 45(4), 269-276, (1 August 2008)
5. ^ BirdLife International. (2018). "Astrapia rothschildi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22706226A130412971. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22706226A130412971.en. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
6. ^ "Endemic Bird Areas factsheet: Adelbert and Huon ranges". BirdLife International (2020). Accessed 14 July 2021.