Editing Dili (section)

===Ecology===
[[File:Many faces of Lake Tasitolu. view from eastern ridge with Atauro island in background, 29 Apr 2003.jpg|thumb|The protected [[Tasitolu]] wetlands lie between the mountains and the ocean in Dili's west]]
The landscape around Dili naturally supports dry [[Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|deciduous forests]].<ref name="Carter2001"/>{{rp|33}} Common tree species include ''[[Sterculia foetida]]'', ''[[Calophyllum teysmanii]]'', and ''[[Aleurites moluccana]]''. ''[[Eucalyptus alba]]'' is found in rocky areas, and [[palm tree|palm]] and [[acacia]] trees are also found. The eucalyptus trees often serve as firewood, while nuts from ''A. moluccana'' are sometimes burnt to produce lighting. Trees found within urban areas include ''[[Alstonia scholaris]]'', ''[[Albizia julibrissin]]'', ''[[Ficus microcarpa]]'', and a variety of fruit trees.<ref name="JICA2016"/>{{rp|2–16}}<ref name="MPW2014"/>{{rp|15}} While forests around the city have been damaged by harvesting for construction and firewood,<ref name="Carter2001"/>{{rp|78}} the national government aims to reforest these areas.<ref name="SDP2011"/>{{rp|59}} Large wildlife in these forests includes [[monkey]]s.<ref name="USAIDCristoReiSMP">{{cite web |url=https://www.timorleste.tl/wp-content/uploads/formidable/4/Cristo-Rei-SMP.pdf |title=Cristo Rei Sustainable Management Plan |publisher=United States Agency for International Development |access-date=23 July 2024}}</ref>{{rp|11}}

[[Mangrove]] species found along the coastline include the near-threatened ''[[Ceriops decandra]]''.<ref name="USAIDCristoReiSMP"/>{{rp|9}} [[Coral reef]]s, [[seagrass meadow]]s, and intertidal [[mudflat]]s are also present.<ref name="JICA2016"/>{{rp|2–16}}<ref name="ETO"/>{{rp|4, 14}} The coral reefs off Dili appear to be locally sheltered from the average [[sea surface temperature]] rise from climate change. However, they face some degradation from human activities.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Catherine J. S. |last2=Roelfsema |first2=Chris |last3=Dove |first3=Sophie |last4=Hoegh-Guldberg |first4=Ove |title=The Condition of Four Coral Reefs in Timor-Leste before and after the 2016–2017 Marine Heatwave |journal=Oceans |date=8 April 2022 |volume=3 |issue=2 |page=164 |doi=10.3390/oceans3020012 |url=https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/oceans/oceans-03-00012/article_deploy/oceans-03-00012.pdf |doi-access=free |access-date=12 April 2022 |archive-date=26 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426051359/https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/oceans/oceans-03-00012/article_deploy/oceans-03-00012.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The seagrass beds support [[dugong]]s and [[sea turtle]]s, while [[dolphin]]s and [[whale]]s are found offshore.<ref name="USAIDCristoReiSMP"/>{{rp|10–11}}

There are three protected biodiversity areas within Dili: Behau, [[Cristo Rei Protected Area]], and [[Tasitolu]]. The {{convert|18.1|km|mi}} Cristo Rei Protected Area lies on the mountains separating central Dili and Hera. The {{convert|3.8|km|mi}} Tasitolu area lies near the border of the Dili and Liquiçá municipalities and covers land and some coastal waters. It is being developed as a recreational site and holy area. The large {{convert|274.9|km|mi}} Behau protected area covers much of the sea off eastern Dili, as well as coastal areas in Hera and to the east. Behau is the most recently proposed of the three areas, and the government is considering abolishing it and replacing it with smaller areas. [[BirdLife International]] has identified Cristo Rei Protected Area and Tasitolu as falling within [[Important Bird Area]]s. Development can occur in these areas with the approval of the national government.<ref name="JICA2016"/>{{rp|I-4, 2–14, 2–15, 3–10}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.biodiversitya-z.org/content/timor-leste |title=Timor-Leste |publisher=biodiversity a-z |access-date=10 July 2021 |archive-date=10 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710141718/https://www.biodiversitya-z.org/content/timor-leste |url-status=live}}</ref> Near-threatened bird species found in these protected areas include the [[black cuckoo-dove]], the [[pink-headed imperial pigeon]], and the [[Timor sparrow]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Important Bird Areas in Asia: Key Sites for Conservation |author1=S. Chan |author2=M. J. Crosby |author3=M. Z. Islam |author4=A. W. Tordoff |date=2004 |publisher=BirdLife International |url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/info/ibasasia |chapter=Timor-Leste |chapter-url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/IBAs/AsiaCntryPDFs/Timor-Leste.pdf |page=260}}</ref>