Map of Wallacea; upper right corner facing North. The red line denotes the western border of Wallacea. The eastern border corresponds to the light Australia-New Guinea shelf.

Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of Indonesian islands separated by deep water from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. The islands of Wallacea lie between Sundaland (the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Bali) to the west, and Near Oceania including Australia and New Guinea to the south and east. Image File history File linksMetadata Línea_de_Wallace. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Línea_de_Wallace. ... Biogeography is the science which deals with patterns of species distribution and the processes that result in such patterns. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...  Sediment  Rock  Mantle  The global continental shelf, highlighted in cyan The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent, which is covered during interglacial periods such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas (known as shelf seas) and gulfs. ... Sundaland is a biogeographical region of Southeast Asia that comprises the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, and surrounding smaller islands. ... The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Semenanjung Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kalimantan. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... This article is about the Indonesian island. ... Near Oceania is a region, the part of Oceania that most linguists and scientists consider as one of the natural division of this continent — the other one is Remote Oceania — that includes Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. ...

Geography

Wallacea includes the islands of Nusa Tenggara, which include Lombok, Komodo, Flores, and Sumba; Timor; Sulawesi; the islands of North Maluku, including Halmahera; and most of the province of Maluku, excluding the Aru Islands, which lie on the Australian continental shelf. The total land area of Wallacea is 347,000 km². Categories: Islands of Indonesia | Southeast Asia geography stubs | Indonesia geography stubs ... Gunung Rinjani from Gili Trawangan Lombok (1990 pop. ... Komodo is an island of Indonesia, one of the places where the Komodo Dragon can be found in the wild. ... Map of Flores Island Flores (Portuguese for flowers) is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. ... The Lesser Sunda Islands; Sumba is in the center Sumba is an island in Indonesia, and is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. ... Timor is an island at the south end of the Malay Archipelago, divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara with the surface of 11,883 sq mi (30,777 km²). The name is a variant of timur... Sulawesi (formerly more commonly known as Celebes, IPA: a Portuguese-originated form of the name) is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. ... Categories: Indonesia geography stubs | Provinces of Indonesia ... Halmahera (also Jilolo or Gilolo) is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. ... This page is about the geography and history of the island group in Indonesia — for the political entities encompassing the islands, see Maluku (Indonesian province) and North Maluku. ... The Aru Islands (also Aroe Islands or Kepulauan Aru) are a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. ...

The boundary between Sundaland and Wallacea follows the Wallace Line, named after the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace who noted the differences in mammal and bird fauna between the islands either side of the line. The Islands of Sundaland to the west of the line, including Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Borneo, share a similar mammal fauna with East Asia, including tigers, rhinoceros, and apes. During the ice ages, sea levels were lower, exposing the Sunda shelf that links these islands to one another and to Asia, and allowed Asian land animals to inhabit these islands. The islands of Wallacea have few land mammals, land birds, or freshwater fish of continental origin, who find it difficult to cross open ocean. Many bird, reptile, and insect species were better able to cross the straits, and many such species of Australian and Asian origin are found there. Wallacea's plants are predominantly of Asian origin, and botanists include Sundaland, Wallacea, and New Guinea as the Floristic province of Malesia. Wallaces line between Australasian and Southeast Asian fauna. ... For the Cornish painter, see Alfred Wallis. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... The Sahul Shelf and the Sunda Shelf during the last glacial maximum about 18,000 years ago. ... A floristic province is a geographic area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species. ... Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundary of the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. ...

Similarly, Australia and New Guinea to the east are linked by a shallow continental shelf, and were linked by a land bridge during the ice ages, forming a single continent that scientists variously call Australia–New Guinea, Meganesia, or Sahul. Consequently, Australia, New Guinea, and the Aru Islands share many marsupial mammals, land birds, and freshwater fish that are not found in Wallacea. The line dividing Wallacea from Australia–New Guinea is called Lydekker's Line. Australia-New Guinea, also called Sahul or Meganesia, is made up of the continent of Australia and the islands of New Guinea and Tasmania. ... The Aru Islands (also Aroe Islands or Kepulauan Aru) are a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. ... This article is about mammals. ...

Although the distant ancestors of Wallacea's plants and animals may have been from Asia or Australia-New Guinea, Wallacea is presently home to many endemic species. Because many of the islands are separated from one another by deep water, there is tremendous species diversity between islands as well. Conservation International has designated Wallacea as a biodiversity hotspot. In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., that seeks to protect Earths biodiversity hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas as well as important marine regions around the globe. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Wallacea was originally almost completely forested, mostly tropical moist broadleaf forests, with some areas of tropical dry broadleaf forest. The higher mountains are home to montane and subalpine forests, and Mangroves are common in coastal areas. Tropic wet forests in the World Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical wet forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome. ... Trinidad and Tobago dry forest on Chacachacare showing the dry-season deciduous nature of the vegetation The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has one of the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... // Summary The subalpine Biome is a geographic and altitudinal region found below Tree-line and above the montane. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ...

According to Conservation International, Wallacea is home to over 10,000 plant species, of which approximately 1500 (15%) are endemic. Endemism is higher among terrestrial vertebrate species; of 1142 species found there, almost half (529) are endemic. Most of Wallacea was originally forested; 45% retains some sort of forest cover, and only 52,017 km², or 15 percent, is in a more or less pristine state. Of Wallacea's total area of 147,000 km², only 20,415 km² are protected. Wallacea is home to 82 threatened and six critically endangered species of terrestrial vertebrates.

Ecoregions of Wallacea

Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropic wet forests in the World Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical wet forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome. ...

• Banda Sea Islands moist broadleaf forests (Kai Islands, Tanimbar Islands)
• Buru rain forests (Buru)
• Halmahera rain forests (Halmahera, Morotai, Obi Islands, Bacan Island)
• Seram rain forests (Seram, Ambon Island, Saparua)
• Sulawesi lowland rain forests (Sulawesi, Banggai Islands, Sula Islands, Sangihe Islands, Talaud Islands)
• Sulawesi montane rain forests (Sulawesi)

Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests The Kai Islands (also Kei Islands) of Indonesia are in the south-eastern part of the Maluku Islands, in Maluku province. ... The Tanimbar Islands, also called Timor Laut, are a group of about 30 islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. ... Buru Island (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Buru is an island in the Maluku province of Indonesia. ... Buru Island (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Buru is an island in the Maluku (Indonesian province) province of Indonesia. ... Halmahera (also Jilolo or Gilolo) is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. ... Morotai Island (695 sq mi/1,800 km²) is an island located in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesias Maluku Islands (Moluccas). ... The Obi Islands are a group of islands in the Indonesian province of Maluku. ... Seram (formerly Ceram, also called Seran or Serang) is an island in the Maluku province of Indonesia. ... Ceram and Ambon Islands (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Ambon City in 2001, showing heavy damage from fighting Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. ... Categories: Stub | Islands of Indonesia ... Sulawesi (formerly more commonly known as Celebes, IPA: a Portuguese-originated form of the name) is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. ... Banggai Archipelago (Indonesian: Kepulauan Banggai) is a group of islands, which is located at the far eastern end of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. ... Sulu is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ... The Sangihe Islands (or Sangi Islands) is a group of islands in northern Indonesia, northeast of Sulawesi in the Celebes Sea, roughly half way between Sulawesi and Mindanao, in the Philippines. ... Talaud Islands is a group of islands located north of Sulawesi island in Indonesia. ... Sulawesi (formerly more commonly known as Celebes, IPA: a Portuguese-originated form of the name) is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. ... Trinidad and Tobago dry forest on Chacachacare showing the dry-season deciduous nature of the vegetation The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. ...

• Lesser Sundas deciduous forests (Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, Alor)
• Sumba deciduous forests (Sumba)
• Timor and Wetar deciduous forests (Timor, Barat Daya Islands, Banda Islands, Babar Island, Leti Islands)

Gunung Rinjani from Gili Trawangan Lombok (1990 pop. ... Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. ... Komodo is an island of Indonesia, one of the places where the Komodo Dragon can be found in the wild. ... Map of Flores Island Flores (Portuguese for flowers) is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. ... Alor is the largest island in the Indonesia, which from the west include such islands as Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores Solor and Lomblen. ... The Lesser Sunda Islands; Sumba is in the center Sumba is an island in Indonesia, and is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. ... Timor is an island at the south end of the Malay Archipelago, divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara with the surface of 11,883 sq mi (30,777 km²). The name is a variant of timur... The Barat Daya Islands (Kepulauan Barat Daya in Bahasa Indonesia) are a group of islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. ... The Banda Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Banda) are a group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about 140km south of Seram island and about 2000km east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. ... Babar island is an island chain in Southern Indonesia. ... The Leti Island of Indonesia is part of the Maluku Islands, in southeast Maluku province. ...

Distribution between Asia and Australasia

Australia may be isolated by sea, but technically through Wallacea it is not anymore. A good example of when Wallacea formed occurs in a fossil site called Bluff Downs in northern Australia. Remains of basaltic lava show past oceanic subduction as Australia plowed north through the Pacific. At the site, one of the earliest Australian rodent fossils have been found. Australia's rodents make up much of the continents mammalian fauna and include various species from stick-nest rats, hopping mice, and even giant beaver rats. Other mammals invaded west. Two species of cuscus from Sulawesi are among the most primitive possums in the world and the only marsupials in Asia.

Birds have expanded their range from Australia. Crows and shrikes invaded south into New Guinea and some into the Australian continent. Bustards and megapodes must have somehow colonized Australia. Cockateels similar to those from Australia inhabit Komodo Island in Wallacea. Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. ... This article is about mound-building birds. ...

References

• Abdullah MT. 2003. Biogeography and variation of Cynopterus brachyotis in Southeast Asia. PhD thesis. University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
• Corbet, GB, Hill JE. 1992. The mammals of the Indomalayan region: a systematic review. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Hall LS, Gordon G. Grigg, Craig Moritz, Besar Ketol, Isa Sait, Wahab Marni and M.T. Abdullah. 2004. Biogeography of fruit bats in Southeast Asia. Sarawak Museum Journal LX(81):191–284.
• Wilson DE, Reeder DM. 2005. Mammal species of the world. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC.

The University of Queensland (UQ) is the longest-established university in the state of Queensland, Australia, and a member of Australias Group of Eight. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ...

External links

• Conservation International: Wallacea