Ferrantia, Volume 21: Ecology and Vegetation of Mt Trikora New Guinea (Irian Jaya / Indonesia)

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Language: English with bilingual abstract in English and French

Chapter I: After a presentation of the main geographical features, the author retraces the history of the scientific exploration of Mt Trikora, New Guinea (Irian Jaya), and describes the altitudinal zonation of the vegetation.

Chapter II: The physical environment is described; geology and geomorphology, soils and climate (regional, local) are analysed and com-mented.

Chapter III: The study of the vegetation of the subalpine and alpine zones (> 3000 m) is based on 86 phytosociological plots. 26 different vegetation communities have been recognized. The subalpine vegetation is divided into forests (2 types), shrublands (2), heaths (2), grasslands (2), herblands (1), mire associations (5) and open rocky slope communities (3). In the alpine zone, the author distinguishes and describes alpine heath formations (1), grasslands (1), herbfields (1) and mires (2); the rock surfaces and alpine screes (2) are also studied.

Chapter IV: In the last part, the flora of Mt Trikora is compared to those of other mountains in New Guinea and to Mt Kinabalu, Borneo. The author comments some hypotheses on the origin and distribution of the subalpine and alpine vegetation in New Guinea.

Appendices : The reader may find meteorological data from Wamena (Baliem Valley), a list of plants collected by the author in the Baliem Valley and beneath Mt Trikora trail below 3000 m, a list of plants collected by Brass et al. and by the author above 3000 m, a table comparing the geographical distribution of genera in the highlands of New Guinea; and finally a physiographical sketch map of Mt Trikora and surroundings.

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