[Press release – Conservation International-Philippines]
New species of animals and plants were recently discovered by a team of biologists who conducted a biodiversity survey in Mt. Mantalingahan, Palawan last June and July 2007. The survey was organized by Conservation International – Philippines to update the biodiversity data of Mt. Mantalingahan, a proposed protected area covering 120,000 hectares. Members of the team include representatives from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS), South Palawan Planning Council (SPPC), Western Philippines University (WPU), Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Katala Foundation, Municipality of Rizal, Barangay Ransang, and indigenous peoples’ groups.
The Philippines has not had a new species of shrew discovered for the past 40 years or so, until this still undescribed species was discovered on Mt. Mantalingahan this year (photo© CI, D.S. Balete).
“All I was looking forward to when we started this survey was to rediscover some of the small mammals that were first discovered and described from Mt. Mantalingahan but had not been seen for almost five decades now,” related Danny Balete, a mammal specialist who is part of the survey team. On the very first day of the survey, working at their first study site at 1,550 meters above sea level (masl), the team already had two remarkable finds. “This survey has been amazingly successful. The Palawan soft-furred mountain rat, Palawanomys furvus, that they have rediscovered has not been seen since it was first discovered in 1962,” said Dr. Lawrence Heaney, curator of mammals at the Field Museum in Chicago and long-time researcher in the Philippines. The team also discovered a new species of shrew that probably lives only in the high mountains of Palawan.
“Prior to this survey our knowledge of the Palawan terrestrial biodiversity was limited and based mainly on information about species in the lowlands. Certainly, little is known of what the mountains on this island hold beyond the 1,300 meter-elevation,” Balete explained. That there were amazing new finds at the high elevation habitats was remarkable.
A new bird record for the Philippines, this colorful pin-tailed parrot finch (Erythrura prasina) is an addition to the three parrot finches recorded in the Philippines (photo © CI, H.J.D Garcia).
The lowland habitats also yielded equally surprising discoveries. A case in point was the discovery of a colorful pin-tail parrot finch, Erythrura prasina. This is a widespread species associated with bamboos in Borneo and mainland Southeast Asia, but previously unknown anywhere in the Philippines. Its presence in Palawan is also associated with the distribution of bamboos – a dominant feature of the Mantalingahan vegetation at around 700 masl and higher. The pouch bat caught at the same site was another poorly known species and one previously unrecorded in the Palawan group of islands. “The pouch bat, Saccolaimus saccolaimus, is widespread in Asia, but I have seen them only once in the 26 years I have worked in the Philippines,” remarked Heaney.
The team also discovered several noteworthy species of plants. These include eight (8) undescribed plant species and at least five (5) species that are newly recorded for Palawan. One of the potential new plant species discovered belongs to the genus Coelogyne, one of the most striking orchid groups in the country, with its beautiful white flowers and golden lip petals. The orchid was recorded from the stunted summit ridge vegetation of Mt. Mantalingahan at around 1,700 masl where it is very common. It is also in the heath-like summit vegetation where an undescribed terrestrial species of Medinilla was discovered. The showy flowers of the Medinilla have always attracted the attention of botanical collectors resulting to the relative rareness of new species being added to the genus in recent times. There are at least 80 species of Medinillas known to occur in the Philippines, of which 76 are endemic to the country. Another first record in Palawan is the discovery of a ground orchid belonging to the genus Acanthephippium. This ground orchid was recorded at 800 masl and may represent the fourth species of the genus in the Philippines.
Coelogyne sp. is an undescribed terrestrial orchid that is found to be very common at the heath-like summit vegetation of Mt. Mantalingahan (photo © CI, L.C. Co).
“These noteworthy discoveries and rediscoveries on Mt. Mantalingahan will further strengthen the justification of our recommendation to have this important center of endemism in Palawan declared as a protected area,” said Romeo B. Trono, Country Executive Director of Conservation International – Philippines. Together with the SPPC, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the PCSDS, CI – Philippines, with funding support from the Global Conservation Fund (GCF) and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), is facilitating the process to have Mt. Mantalingahan declared as a Protected Landscape. Once declared, the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape will be an important step to ensure protection of the mountain’s unique biodiversity, including the rich culture of the indigenous people thriving on this mountain.
[…] Not three months ago, a team of biologists from Conservation International-Philippines went on an expedition to Mt. Mantalingahan in Southern Palawan. There, they similarly discovered new species of animals and plants, including a shrew; a terrestrial orchid; and a parrot finch; as well as the rediscovery of the Palawan soft-furred mountain rat. All of these are highly likely to be endemic to the island of Palawan. You may find out more about the wildlife discoveries from a press release by CI-Phils posted previously on this blog here. […]
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[…] 2. Philippine Parrotfinches, Clocwise fron top LHS: a, Greenfaced; b, Red-eared; c, Pin-tailed; d, […]
Discoveries about the flora and fauna of Mt Matalingahan should be used as education and outreach to the public. The more people know about their environment, the more they will be inclined to protect them. This will also give the people a proud feeling about their ecosystem.
The downside of education and outreach are the attention of profit-seeking group of people that will take that fragile environment and squeezed the life out of it for personal gain. Hay naku, when I when the lottery I will give money to the conservation of Mt Matalingahan and other landmarks in Palawan
Mt. Mantalingahan is one of the protected area here in Palawan. As one of the students of BS FORESTRY,we are hoping that our government leads the anti-mining,to save our dear Palawan….
BS Forestry students and faculty, can i request for your kind assistance to promote public awareness for Palawan’s biodiversity protection, specifically from mining activities? i hope you can get in touch with us soon at bantay kalikasan, ABS-CBN foundation. we are collecting 10 million signatures to stop mining in Palawan. appreciate your help