Editing Southeast Asia (section)

===Environment===
{{See also|Southeast Asian coral reefs|Wallace Line}}
[[File:Komodo dragon at Komodo National Park.jpg|thumb|Komodo dragon in [[Komodo National Park]], [[Indonesia]]]]

The vast majority of Southeast Asia falls within the warm, humid tropics, and its climate generally can be characterized as monsoonal. The animals of Southeast Asia are diverse; on the islands of [[Borneo]] and [[Sumatra]], the [[orangutan]], the [[Asian elephant]], the [[Malayan tapir]], the [[Sumatran rhinoceros]], and the [[Bornean clouded leopard]] can also be found. Six subspecies of the [[binturong]] or ''bearcat'' exist in the region, though the one endemic to the island of [[Palawan]] is now classed as vulnerable.

[[File:The Mayon Volcano.jpg|thumb|The [[Mayon|Mayon Volcano]], Philippines]]

Tigers of three different subspecies are found on the island of Sumatra (the [[Sumatran tiger]]), in peninsular Malaysia (the [[Malayan tiger]]), and in Indochina (the [[Indochinese tiger]]); all of which are endangered species.

The [[Komodo dragon]] is the largest living species of lizard and inhabits the islands of [[Komodo (island)|Komodo]], [[Rinca]], [[Flores]], and [[Gili Motang]] in Indonesia.

[[File:Pithecophaga jefferyi.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[Philippine eagle]]]]

The [[Philippine eagle]] is the [[national bird]] of the Philippines. It is considered by scientists as the largest eagle in the world,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.haribon.org.ph/index.php?view=article&id=223:the-largest-eagle-in-the-world&option=com_content&Itemid=119 | date=13 December 2012 | title=Climate Reality Watch Party 2016 | access-date=15 May 2018 | archive-date=20 August 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820234906/http://www.haribon.org.ph/index.php?view=article&id=223%3Athe-largest-eagle-in-the-world&option=com_content&Itemid=119 | url-status=live }}</ref> and is endemic to the Philippines' forests.

The [[wild water buffalo]], and on various islands related dwarf species of ''[[Bubalus]]'' such as [[anoa]] were once widespread in Southeast Asia; nowadays the [[domestic Asian water buffalo]] is common across the region, but its remaining relatives are rare and endangered.

The [[mouse deer]], a small tusked deer as large as a toy dog or cat, mostly can be found on Sumatra, Borneo (Indonesia), and in Palawan (Philippines). The [[gaur]], a gigantic wild ox larger than even wild water buffalo, is found mainly in Indochina. There is very little scientific information available regarding Southeast Asian amphibians.<ref>{{Cite book|page=68|title=Southeast Asian Biodiversity in Crisis|author=Navjot S. Sodhi|author2=Barry W. Brook|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-521-83930-3}}</ref>

Birds such as the [[green peafowl]] and [[drongo]] live in this subregion as far east as Indonesia. The [[babirusa]], a four-tusked pig, can be found in Indonesia as well. The [[hornbill]] was prized for its beak and used in trade with China. The horn of the rhinoceros, not part of its skull, was prized in China as well.

The [[List of islands of Indonesia|Indonesian Archipelago]] is split by the [[Wallace Line]]. This line runs along what is now known to be a tectonic plate boundary, and separates Asian (Western) species from Australasian (Eastern) species. The islands between Java/Borneo and Papua form a mixed zone, where both types occur, known as Wallacea. As the pace of development accelerates and populations continue to expand in Southeast Asia, concern has increased regarding the impact of human activity on the region's environment. A significant portion of Southeast Asia, however, has not changed greatly and remains an unaltered home to wildlife. The nations of the region, with only a few exceptions, have become aware of the need to maintain forest cover not only to prevent [[soil erosion]] but to preserve the diversity of flora and fauna. Indonesia, for example, has created an extensive system of national parks and preserves for this purpose. Even so, such species as the [[Javan rhinoceros]] face extinction, with only a handful of the animals remaining in western Java.

[[File:Wallace's line.jpg|thumb|right|Wallace's hypothetical line divides Indonesian Archipelago into 2 types of fauna, Australasian and Southeast Asian fauna. The deepwater of the [[Lombok Strait]] between the islands of [[Bali]] and [[Lombok]] formed a water barrier even when lower sea levels linked the now-separated islands and landmasses on either side]]

The shallow waters of the [[Southeast Asian coral reefs]] have the highest levels of [[biodiversity]] for the world's marine ecosystems, where coral, fish, and molluscs abound. According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the [[Raja Ampat]] (Indonesia) is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, the Verde Passage is dubbed by Conservation International as the world's "center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity". The [[whale shark]], the world's largest species of fish and 6 species of [[sea turtle]]s can also be found in the [[South China Sea]] and the Pacific Ocean territories of the Philippines.

The trees and other plants of the region are tropical; in some countries where the mountains are tall enough, temperate-climate vegetation can be found. These rainforest areas are currently being logged-over, especially in Borneo.

While Southeast Asia is rich in flora and fauna, [[Deforestation in Southeast Asia|Southeast Asia is facing severe deforestation]] which causes habitat loss for various [[endangered species]] such as orangutan and the [[Sumatran tiger]]. Predictions have been made that more than 40% of the animal and [[Flora|plant species]] in Southeast Asia could be wiped out in the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web|last=Young|first=Emma|title=Biodiversity wipeout facing South East Asia|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3973-biodiversity-wipeout-facing-south-east-asia/|access-date=6 January 2022|website=New Scientist|language=en-US}}</ref> At the same time, [[haze]] has been a regular occurrence. The two worst regional hazes were in [[1997 Southeast Asian haze|1997]] and [[2006 Southeast Asian haze|2006]] in which multiple countries were covered with thick haze, mostly caused by "[[slash and burn]]" activities in Sumatra and Borneo. In reaction, several countries in Southeast Asia signed the [[ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution]] to combat haze pollution.

The [[2013 Southeast Asian haze|2013 Southeast Asian Haze]] saw API levels reach a hazardous level in some countries. Muar experienced the highest [[Air pollution index|API]] level of 746 on 23 June 2013 at around 7 am.<ref>[[2013 Southeast Asian haze#Air Pollution Index readings]]</ref>