Protect This Place: The Mountainous Ulu Masen Ecosystem
This massive rainforest in Aceh, Indonesia is home to tigers, elephants, pangolins, and other threatened species, but it needs one key change to ensure their survival.
By The Revelator, Joe Figel and Photography by Hermansyah and Irwan “Kayukul” Yoga
The Place:
The Ulu Masen Ecosystem spans 3,600 square miles (9,500 square kilometers) of tropical rainforest on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Located in Aceh province about 4 degrees north of the equator, the region forms part of the immense Sundaland biodiversity hotspot.
Topography in Ulu Masen ranges from lowland rainforest at 650 feet above sea level (200 meters) to montane peaks up to 9,100 feet (2,785 meters). Approximately 50% of Ulu Masen occurs at elevations below 2,600 feet.
Ulu Masen is managed under the jurisdiction of provincial forest management units. Dinas Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (DLHK, or Environment and Forestry Service of Aceh) has designated about a quarter of the region as production…
