Indonesia covers a mere 1.3 per cent of the earth’s surface, yet it harbors 10 per cent of all flowering plants, 12 per cent of the world’s mammals, 16 per cent of the world’s reptiles and amphibians, 17 per cent of all birds, and more than a quarter of all marine and freshwater fish. This wealth can be attributed to the fact that Indonesia spans two major biogeographical realms: Indo-Malaya and Australasia, and can be divided into seven distinct biogeographic regions. The 17,000 islands of the archipelago support a wide range and variety of habitats from lowland rain forests and mangroves to savanna grasslands, swamp forests and limestone hills; from montane forests to alpine meadows and snow-topped mountains. These varied habitats support a diverse flora and fauna.

There are 21 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas (NBCAs), which also include two corridors. There are 44 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified within the country’s protected areas where ornithological data are available. The number of species of flowering plants found in the country is estimated at around 8,000 to 11,000. However, botanical documentation has been insufficient, and very few plant taxonomy studies have been carried out so far.