Nino Konis Santana National Park
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The Nino Konis Santana National Park is
East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-w ...
's first
national park A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
. The park, established on 15 August 2007, covers . It links
important bird area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...
s such as Lore, Mount Paitchau, Lake Ira Lalaro, and
Jaco Island Jaco Island ( pt, Ilha de Jaco, tet, Illa Jako, Fataluku: or ) is an uninhabited island in East Timor, a country occupying the eastern end of the island of Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia. It lies within the Nino Konis Sa ...
. The park also includes of the
Coral Triangle The Coral Triangle (CT) is a roughly triangular area in the tropical waters around the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. This area contains at least 500 species of reef-building corals in e ...
, an underwater area which supposedly contains the world's greatest diversity of both
coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...
and
coral reef fish Coral reef fish are fish which live amongst or in close relation to coral reefs. Coral reefs form complex ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity. Among the myriad inhabitants, the fish stand out as colourful and interesting to watch. Hundreds ...
. Some of the rare birds protected by this park are the critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo, the
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
Timor green-pigeon, the
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
Timor imperial-pigeon, and the vulnerable Timor sparrow. The park is named in honor of the independence movement national hero
Nino Konis Santana Nino Konis Santana (12 January 1957 in Vero, Tutuala, Lautém District – 11 March 1998 in Ermera District) was an East Timorese freedom fighter who led the Falintil militia between April 1993 and his death in March 1998 during the Indonesian ...
, a former commander of
Falintil The Armed Forces for the National Liberation of East Timor (, FALINTIL) originally began as the military wing of the political party FRETILIN of East Timor. It was established on 20 August 1975 in response to FRETILIN's political conflict wit ...
, who was born in
Tutuala Tutuala is a village and suco in the subdistrict of Tutuala ( Lautém District, East Timor). It is situated at the extreme eastern end of Timor. Its population at the 2004 census was 3,707. The subdistrict of Tutuala comprises two sucos, inc ...
, a village within the borders of the national park.


History

Part of the park first became a natural conservation reserve during the occupation of the country by
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
in the period from 1975–1999. When the country was under the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
(UN) Control as United Nations Transitional Administration in Timor Leste (UNTEAT), the same area was declared a “protected wild area” (but combined
Tutuala Tutuala is a village and suco in the subdistrict of Tutuala ( Lautém District, East Timor). It is situated at the extreme eastern end of Timor. Its population at the 2004 census was 3,707. The subdistrict of Tutuala comprises two sucos, inc ...
beach and its adjoining forest) in 2000 under Regulation Number 2000/19. The cultural heritage of the five villages and the 15,000 people with their ancient ancestral heritage was made integral to the protected area. It was designated as a Category V Landscape/Sea Scape under
IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
, which considers both nature and culture of the area as one unit for conservation and preservation, and which is akin to the criteria of Cultural Landscapes adopted for
UNESCO World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
. Following the independence of the country in 2002, along with the scientific assessment of Important Bird Areas in the country, action to identify and declare the first National Park was also undertaken by
Bird Life International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
in association with the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC),
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, (
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
) and
Australian Volunteers International Australian Volunteers International or AVI recruits skilled professionals from Australia to work with partner organisations in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Its work focuses on reducing poverty, promoting human rights and gender ...
, with financial assistance provided by Regional Natural Heritage Programme of the
Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Governmen ...
, Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
), and the Darwin Initiative of the
Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...
.


Geography

Located at the eastern tip of the island, the park covers , It is constituted by a terrestrial area of constituting lowland, tropical and monsoon forest; and a marine area of , part of the
Coral Triangle The Coral Triangle (CT) is a roughly triangular area in the tropical waters around the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. This area contains at least 500 species of reef-building corals in e ...
. The national park also links the
Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Inte ...
s of
Loré Loré is a former commune in the Orne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Juvigny Val d'Andaine.
, Monte Paitchau, Lake Ira Lalaro and
Jaco Island Jaco Island ( pt, Ilha de Jaco, tet, Illa Jako, Fataluku: or ) is an uninhabited island in East Timor, a country occupying the eastern end of the island of Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia. It lies within the Nino Konis Sa ...
, identified through biological surveys undertaken by
BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
after the country attained independence in 2002, which cover of the park. There are six villages within the national park, including Com, Tutuala, Méhara and Maupitine, while Malahara is a hamlet. Former settlements include Mua Mimiraka, Lo Chami, and Lori Lata. Walled settlements are found at Tutuala, Lori Lata, Lopomalai, Ili Mimiraka, Mua Mimiraka, and Tutun (Tutunca'u). Lautem District features Lake Iralaloro. Shell midden sites are situated at Kusu Midden and
Valu Beach Valu Beach ( Fataluku: , tet, Tasi-ibun Valu, pt, Praia Valu) is a public beach at the easternmost tip of mainland East Timor, and the gateway to Jaco Island to its east. Geography The beach is located in the '' suco'' of Tutuala, Lautém ...
Midden. Oirata Latamoko, situated at Manuméri Hoiku, is considered to be an ancestral landing site for the Koawatea villagers. Of the rock shelters, Léné Ara (or Lene Hara) contains internationally exceptional heritage value; Jerimalai's occupation is dated to more than 40,000 years BP, while Matja Kuru 2 is dated to 32,000 years BP, and Matja Kuru 1 is dated to c. 14,000 BP. The Paichao Range is situated along the south coast. Cape Hero is also known as Tanjung Tei. Jaco Island (or Totina) is seen from Ili Kérékéré cliff. The Fuiloro Plateau is also located with the NP. Moist deciduous lowland forest and
evergreen forest An evergreen forest is a forest made up of evergreen trees. They occur across a wide range of climatic zones, and include trees such as conifers and holly in cold climates, eucalyptus, Live oak, acacias, magnolia, and banksia in more temperate zon ...
on the hills are the vegetation types in the park, apart from the marshy lands of Lake Ira Lalaro. Primary forests are a notable feature of the flora in the park. Dry deciduous, swamp forest and coastal strand vegetation are also the floral varieties recorded in the park.


Wildlife


Flora

Vegetation types which are part of the common usage of the people are medicinal plants, bamboo, and canoe trees. The lake's flood plains have grass vegetation which are used by the villagers of Mehara and Maupitine for grazing their livestock. Wetlands of the flood plains are also used for growing rice and
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
, and also distilling palm liquor as part of their living needs.


Fauna

There are Timor endemic and scientifically undescribed shrews and bat species in the park. More than 20 native bat species have been recorded in the park. There are also a series of described and undescribed giant rats known from sub-fossil deposits, which may now be extinct. Several mammals were introduced from outside the island during late prehistoric and historic times when people had started inhabiting the area. Some of the common species seen in the wild are birds, bats,
murid In Sufism, a ''murīd'' (Arabic مُرِيد 'one who seeks') is a novice committed to spiritual enlightenment by ''sulūk'' (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title murshid, '' pir'' or ''shaykh''. A ''sālik'' or Su ...
s and most commonly exploited
northern common cuscus The northern common cuscus (''Phalanger orientalis''), also known as the gray cuscus, is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae native to northern New Guinea and adjacent smaller islands, but is now also found in the Bismarck Archipel ...
(''Phalanger orientalis'') which is reported to have been introduced from
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
about 9,000 years ago. The Coral Triangle part of the park is one of the greatest diversity areas for coral and coral reef fish in the world. Marine resources which also form the livelihood of the coastal villages of Com and Tutuala are species of
pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...
,
shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environ ...
, tutel (ipitu), meci (sea worms) during the season and
sardines "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the Ital ...
(''api moko'').
Catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...
and
bream Bream ( ) are species of freshwater and marine fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Acanthopagrus'', ''Argyrops'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', ''Etelis'', '' L ...
are harvested from Lake Ira Lalaro.


Avifauna

The terrestrial area of the park has 200 bird species, of which the endangered species are Timor green pigeon (''Treron psittaceus'') (the cause for the species getting recorded under the
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
list is the loss of monsoon forest due to deforestation) and the yellow-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua sulphurea''), a critically endangered species affected due local captures in Wallacea for regional and global trade. About 10 Timor-endemic bird species occur in the park. The globally threatened and globally restricted-range bird species listed by the Bird Life International are the following. * Dusky cuckoo-dove ''Macropygia magna'' * Slaty cuckoo-dove ''Turacoena modesta'' (NT, RR) * Timor green-pigeon ''Treron psittaceus'' (EN, RR) * Pink-headed imperial-pigeon ''Ducula rosacea'' (NT, RR) * Yellow-crested cockatoo ''Cacatua sulphurea'' (CR) * Olive-shouldered parrot ''Aprosmictus jonquillaceus'' (RR) * Cinnamon-banded kingfisher ''Todiramphus australasia'' (RR) * Streaky-breasted honeyeater ''Meliphaga reticulata'' (RR) * Plain friarbird ''Philemon inornatus'' (RR) * Yellow-eared honeyeater ''Lichmera flavicans'' (RR) * Red-rumped myzomela ''Myzomela vulnerata'' (RR) * Plain gerygone ''Gerygone inornata'' (RR) *
Fawn-breasted whistler The fawn-breasted whistler (''Pachycephala orpheus'') is a species of bird in the family Pachycephalidae. It is found on the islands of Timor and Wetar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest A forest is an ...
''Pachycephala orpheus'' (RR) * Timor figbird ''Sphecotheres viridis'' (RR) * Olive-brown oriole ''Oriolus melanotis'' (RR) *
Timor stubtail The Timor stubtail (''Urosphena subulata'') is a species of bird in the family Cettiidae. It is found on Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between ...
''Urosphena subulata'' (RR) * Spot-breasted white-eye ''Heleia muelleri'' (NT, RR) * Orange-banded thrush ''Zoothera peronii'' (NT, RR) * White-bellied bushchat ''Saxicola gutturalis'' (NT) * Black-banded flycatcher ''Ficedula timorensis'' (NT) * Timor blue-flycatcher ''Cyornis hyacinthinus'' (RR) * Red-chested flowerpecker ''Dicaeum maugei'' (RR) * Flame-breasted sunbird ''Nectarinia solaris'' (RR) * Tricoloured parrotfinch ''Erythrura tricolor'' (RR) Legend: CR - critically endangered; EN - endangered; NT - near threatened; RR - restricted-range (global range less than 50,000 km2)


Cultural value

Over 200 cultural sites have been identified within the national park. The settlements in the park are inhabited by Fataluku people who speak a linguistically-distinct
language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...
and consider themselves to be ethnically distinct from those who do not speak their language. The Fataluku have many ritualistic sites (''lupurasa'') within the park. Nino Konis Santana National Park contains many
rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also m ...
sites, with paintings on walls of limestone terraces and also in caves, as well as a rock engraving site. Printed sacred cloth with some of the rock art forms is exchanged during marriage ceremonies. These art forms are also seen carved on ''ratu'' houses and on Catholic headstones. Many rock shelters and caves with ancestral figures of heritage value have also been recorded in the park, apart from ancient walled and open settlements,
shell midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and eco ...
s, artifacts of pottery made of stone and shells, burial sites, and water sources.


See also

* List of Important Bird Areas in East Timor


References


Bibliography

* *


Further reading

* {{authority control National parks of East Timor Protected areas established in 2007 Lautém Municipality Important Bird Areas of East Timor