Wasur National Park

s '' in Wasur NP About 70% of the total area of the park consists of savanna (see Trans-Fly savanna and grasslands), while the remaining vegetation is swamp forest, monsoon forest, coastal forest, bamboo forest, grassy plains and large stretches of sago swamp forest. The dominant plants include mangroves, Terminalia, and Melaleuca species. The park's wetland provides habitat for various species of lobster and crab as well. Common fauna species include the agile wallaby, Pesquet's parrot, southern cassowary, blue crowned pigeon, greater bird-of-paradise, king bird-of-paradise, red bird-of-paradise, New Guinea crocodile, and saltwater crocodile. ==Conservation==

Rivers. Wildfires of 2002 are marked in red. The Wasur area was first designated as a wildlife reserve in 1978 with an area of 2,100 km2. An extended area of 4,138 km2 was later declared a national park in 1990. In 2006 the park has been also recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Wasur shares a common border with Tonda Wildlife Management Area (WMA), another Ramsar site in neighbouring Papua New Guinea. Wasur National Park has been the site of a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conservation and development project since 1991. ==Human habitation==

There are four groups of indigenous peoples living in the park, belonging to the tribes of Kanum, Marind, Marori Men-Gey and Yei, who rely on the area for food and their daily needs. The total population is estimated to be 2,500 within 14 villages. The name of the park is derived from the Marori language in which Waisol means garden. These local communities consume fish, sago, sweet potato, deer, bandicoot and wallaby. Many aspects of their culture are disappearing although some elements such as festivals, pig feasts, dancing, weaving and traditional cooking remain. There are many sites of spiritual significance including sacred sites. The southern part of the park has large areas of ancient agricultural mounds which are of archaeological importance. ==Threats==

Much of the park's natural flooded grassland systems are threatened by large scale changes to scrub and woodland as well as invasions of alien species such as water hyacinth and mimosa pigra. The New Guinea crocodile habitat is in danger as a consequence of skin trading. ==See also==