The International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated each year on May 22, aims to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Although it was originally celebrated in late December, the UN General Assembly later decided to move the date to 22 May, which commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992.
Indonesia’s archipelago comprises approximately 17,001 islands. Conservation International considers Indonesia to be one of the “megadiverse” countries which has rich biodiversity in the world. Indonesia has 16,2% endemic birds; 4,6% amphibians; 12,2% mammals; 7,1% reptiles; 14,1% fish and 10,9% flowering species. This data might will change at any time because many remote places have not been known yet by researchers, that will potentially increase in the future. However, biodiversity, or the variety of all living things in Indonesia has decreased due to many causes, such as deforestation, overhunting, overtrading endemic species and climate change problems.
First and foremost, one of the provinces located in the western part of the Nusa Tenggara Islands, namely Bali Island, is famous for its beautiful natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Furthermore, Bali has flora and fauna so that it becomes the center of attention of researchers, the general public, especially tourist. In terms of plants, Bali has Majegau. If the name Bali Starling Bird has been widely known, not many people know about this Majegau Tree. This tree is the identity of Bali. Biologically, this plant has the scientific name Dysoxylum Densiflorum. This tree belongs to the Meliaceae family related to mahogany plants. This tree grows up to 45 meters high with a trunk diameter of up to 65 centimeters. The bark of this tree is gray-green. The gray-green fruit are pear-shaped to spindle-shaped, up to 4 cm long. Moreover, the white gardenia, commonly known as the jempiring in Bali or Gardenia augusta in Latin, is a common flower found in Bali. In February 2002, the gardenia was officially declared as the mascot of Denpasar. Besides that, the Jempiring Flower has a clear white color with a beautiful stacked flower crown. Besides being beautiful to look at, Jempiring flowers also have a fragrant scent, so many people like to use this flower for prayer. In addition, Jempiring leaves are often used as medicines to cure various diseases, such as diabetes, fever and constipation. In addition, Bali has Jasmine Flowers. Jasmine flowers are, as we have seen and known as Kesidang. This plant can thrive in various plains, from the flatlands to the highlands, and has a strong fragnance. Kesindang also has a dangling branch as one of its characteristics.
In addition, Bali has Jasmine Flowers. Jasmine flowers are, as we have seen and known as Kesidang. This plant can thrive in various plains, from the flatlands to the highlands, and has a strong fragrance. Kesindang also has a dangling branch as one of its characteristics.
On the other hand, Bali also has its own unique fauna, namely the Bali Starling, locally known as Jalak Bali (Leucopsar rothschildi), they have medium-sized (up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long), almost wholly white with a long, drooping crest, and black tips on the wings and tail. This bird is also the only species endemic to Bali and in 1991 was named the fauna symbol of Bali Province. The Bali Starling was first discovered in 1910. The scientific name of the Bali Starling is named after the British animal expert, Walter Rothschild, who was the first to describe this species to the world of knowledge in 1912.
In addition, the Kintamani dog is a dog native to the Indonesian island of Bali and originated from the Kintamani region. This dog has a brave nature that has long been bred so that it can be recognized by the international community. This dog has a brave nature that has long been bred so that it can be recognized by the international community. Phenotypically, the Kintamani Dog is easy to be recognized, it can be clearly compared between the Kintamani dog and local dogs, or dogs resulting from crosses between the same breed or other crosses.
Bali also forms part of the Coral Triangle, the area with the highest biodiversity of marine species. For example, in this area alone over 500 reef-building coral species exist. For comparison, this equals about 7 times as many as in the entire Caribbean. There also exists a wide range of dive sites with high-quality reefs. Biodiversity is an invaluable global asset for future generations. Biodiversity knowledge plays a key role in education and public awareness to protect biodiversity in Indonesia.
Source: Wikipedia and Bali Safari Marine Park
Writer: Deska Yunita