Mariano Roy M. Duya, John Michael M. Galindon and Perry S. Ong

1. Inventory and Assessment of Biodiversity in Mounts Iglit-Baco Mountain Range: Mount Masulong Key Biodiversity Area Mariano Roy M. Duya, John Michael M. Galindon and Perry S. Ong In partnership with SadikHabananBuhid Inc., Department of Environment and Natural Resources and AseanCenter for Biodiversity

2. Number of papers published on amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds

3. Number of publications for each of the four major vertebrate groups

4. Species Discovery Effort Curve New Species Discoveries (Amphibians and Reptiles) New Species Discoveries (Mammals) Currently, more than half of the vertebrate species (birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles) in the country are endemic

5. Research topics

6. Research per Biogeoraphic Region Heaney and Regalado

7. Previous studies Figure 1. Map of Mindoro showing forest cover. Forest cover is based on maps produced by SSC (1988), modified according to the results of this survey. Shaded areas are those visited during fieldwork. Hatching indicates other forest areas shown on SSC (1988) but not visited by this survey. A dashed line indicates a national park boundary. (Taken from Dutson et al 1992) • Bourns and Worcester in 1891 • Whitehead in 1895-1896 • McGregor in 1906 • Ripley and Rabor 1958: East of the Mt Halcon range from 0-1,980 m including the Barawan and Ilong peak • Halcon, Bongabong, Mansalay, Sablayan,Malpalon, Calintaan- Dutsonet al 1992 & Evans et al 1993 • Calintaan-UPLB Foundation 1995 • Sablayan-University of Kansas' Biodiversity Research Center , 2007-present ; HARIBON Foundation Inc 2005-2006 • Naujan Lake-UPLB MNH 2012 • Field Museum- On-going

8. Location Map Map Source: Modified from Google Earth 2013

9. Various Management Units within Mindoro compatible to conservation Iglit-Baco Key Biodiversity Area Mt Hitding Key Biodiversity Area Sablayan Key Biodiversity Area Malpalon Key Biodiversity Area Mt Hinunduang Key Biodiversity Area Figure 1. Various management units and Key Biodiversity Areas and Mt Hinunduang KBA where the study was conducted (courtesy of the late Dr. Sabino G. Padilla of Anthrowatch).

10. Study Site Figure 2. A portion of Mt Hinunduang (Mt Masulong) KBA showing the location of the survey sites within Mount Masulong, Tuwaga, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. 25 January to 12 February

11. Methodology: Flora • Variable Transect Method by Foster 1998 • Dominant and/or common tree species and families in the Mt. Masulong KBA as indicators of forest formation type as per Fernando et al. (2008b). Table 1. Properties and descriptions of the three transects in the Mt. Masulong KBA.

12. Methodology: Fauna Table 3. Summary of features of study sites in the Mt. Masulong KBA and sampling efforts using various methods undertaken in each site.

13. Results: Flora Assemblage • 225 morpho-species were recorded, belonging to 124 genera in 69 families. • Out of the 81 species of plants identified to the species level species level, 63% are endemic to the country of which one species (Astroniaalata) is endemic to Mindoro Island • Seven species of plants are currently classified as threatened based on Fernando (2008a). Five species classified as vulnerable (VU) and two were endangered species (EN).

14. Results: Faunal Assemblage • 99 species of vertebrates were recorded during the survey, 55% are endemic to the Philippines and 6 species are threatened.

15. Results: Potential new species • Two species of rodents which we tentatively identified as Rat 1 sp and Rattuscfeveretti • one worm lizard from the genus Brachymeles sp., needed further study to determine its species identity.

16. Results: Species Local Names Table 8. Local names of some birds encountered in the study of Ripley and Rabor (1958) and this study.

17. Discussion: Good News and Bad News • Most of the forest birds observed in this inventory were also observed in previous surveys in other forested areas in the island • Four species were added to the list of Mindoro birds (2 Resident and 2 migratory) • Four endemic Mindoro bird species first reported in the 1890’s were recorded during the survey • Nine species of amphibians and reptiles were new records

18. Discussion: Good News and Bad News • Some species particularly endemics are restricted only to a certain elevation or habitat which makes them more vulnerable to habitat loss and these are conditions that can lead to extinctions. • Seven species previously recorded in the early- and mid- 1900’s were not encountered in this inventory as well as in other recent studies in Mindoro • The two missing Philippine endemics, the Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatuahaematuropygia)andthe Spotted Imperial Pigeon (Duculacarola) were last seen in 1905 (McGregor 1905) and 1950’s Ripley and Rabor1958), respectively.

19. Discussion: Local Names and Conservation Education

20. Discussion: Forest fragment and Key Biodiversity Area • The results of the survey further emphasize the importance of the remaining forest fragments in Mindoro to ensure survival of its biodiversity assemblage • The survey further emphasize the necessity of putting in place conservation management systems in the remaining forest patches in the island. • All the remaining forest patches in the island are now recognized as KBAs which comprise 21% of the total land area of Mindoro. But many of these KBAs still remain unprotected or partially protected

21. Discussion: Forest fragment and Key Biodiversity Area Table 9.Key Biodiversity areas within the Mt IglitBaco National Park and the SadikHabananBuhid Inc. Ancestral Domain.

22. Conclusion and Recommendation • It is imperative that protection measures of the remaining forest patches in Mindoro be put in place to ensure continuous survival of the biodiversity assemblage of the Island. • One strategy that can be adapted is declaring the area as an Indigenous Community Conserved Area (ICCA). • It supports 43% of known threatened species in Mindoro Island • the site is under an Ancestral Domain which is currently being managed by the indigenous people through their organization, SadikHabananBuhid Inc.

23. Conclusion and Recommendation • The results from the plant inventory in this study could be used to restore the grasslands of the MIBNP and transform these into MIBNP’s former forests. • There is a need to address through the proper authorities the concerns raised by the indigenous people on the unabated timber poaching and unregulated resources extraction in other areas covered by their ancestral domain

25. Contributors UP BIOLOGY and DILIMAN SCIENCE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. Project Team Members Fauna Perry S. Ong, PhD Mariano Roy M. Duya Melizar V. Duya Danah Marie P. Purificacion Willardo A. Reyes Nonito C. Antoque UldaricoCarestia Donato Fernandez JR Aznar III Flora John Michael M. Galindon Franklyn M. Dalin Jaime M. Mangalindan Jr. Ulysses Ferreras Claire Ann G. Elmido Local Community SitioTuwaga, Barangay San Vicente, Roxas Municipality

26. “Too many species, so little time” Leonardo Co

27. Acknowledgement SadikHabananBuhid Inc. Local Community of SitioTuwaga, Brgy. San Vicente, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro AnthroWatch and the late Dr. Sabino G. Padilla Local Government Unit of the Municipality of Roxas, Oriental Mindoro Local Government Unit of Barangay San Vicente, Municipality of Roxas, Oriental Mindoro Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park-Protected Area Management Board Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region IVB Zoology Division, National Museum of the Philippines The Field Museum Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas Funding for this project was generously provided by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)