Ecosystem and Biodiversity

The Citarum River Basin is home to endemic ecosystem found in West Java Province. The province has a highly diversified collection of plants with 3,882 species of flowering plants and ferns native to West Java and other 258 species of foreign origin. Of its orchid collection, there are 607 species of wild orchids (Orchidaceae), 302 species of them (50%) are native to West Java (Van Steenis in Backer & Bakhuizen van de Brink, 1965). Comber (1990) identified 248 species of orchids of West Java origin out of the total 642 species found in the province.

West Java has 1,106 species of plants (Prawira, tbt) that could be classified as trees, including 51 species considered of high value, such as jati/teakwood (Tectona grandis), rasamala (Altingia excelsa), kepuh (Sterculia foetida), jamuju (Podocarpus imbricatus), bayur (Pterospermum javanicum), puspa (Schima wallichii), kosambi (Schleichera oleosa), beleketebe (Sloenea sigun), pasang (Lithocarpus spp.), pedada (Sonneratia alba), bakau/mangrove (Rhizhopora mucronata), and others.

ENDEMIC PLANTS IN CITARUM RIVER BASIN

Source : West Java Province’s RTRW (Spatial Planning) 2009-2029

In general animals can be classified into groups of: insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Some animals could be beneficial to humans, considered as pests, put into farming or for consumption as well as considered to be rare/in the brink of extinction and extinct. These animal conditions are also found in West Java, which is a part of Java and Bali bioregion.

CITARUM ENDEMIC FISH

Two national parks, Gunung Gede Pangrango (15,000 ha) and Gunung Halimum (40,000 ha) are located at the upper part of Citarum. The two falls into a second category of national park – for ecosystem protection and recreation. The Mount Halimum region is the largest remaining tropical forest in the Island of Java. Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park is a mountainous area with a sub-montane forest cover and is considered as a model of major tropical rainforest in Indonnesia. The Mount Gede region serves as a catchment area with a number of river streams that flow into the Bay of Jakarta and Java Sea in addition to Citarum River.