Vascular Plant Species Inventory of a Philippine Lowland Rain Forest and its Conservation Value

Abstract

The Philippines are one of the most important biodiveristy hotspots on earth. Due to the extraordinary rate of environmental destruction, leaving only 3% of the land with primary forest, this biodiversity is at high risk. Despite that situation information on Philippine forest vegetation is fragmentary and focused on trees. This study aimed at analysing forest remnants in the Leyte Cordillera on the Island of Leyte, and at evaluating their role as refuge to the largely destroyed lowland forest vegetation. A total of 49 plots (100 m 2 each) between 55 and 520 m a.s.l. were studied. All vascular plant species except epiphytes were included. Records include 685 taxa from 289 genera and 111 families, representing nearly 8% of the known Philippine vascular plant species. More than half (52%) of the species are Philippine endemics. A number of 41 tree species, or 6% of all taxa recorded, are included in the IUCN red list, either as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Life form composition was dominated by phanerophytes (65.3%), followed by lianas and chamaephytes (17.1 and 16.9%, respectively). The most common families were the Rubiaceae with 35 and the Euphorbiaceae with 32 species. All five Philippine dipterocarp forest types as well as the molave forest type were represented by typical tree species. The area provides an important gene bank of the highly threatened Philippine lowland forest vegetation and is of high value for biodiversity conservation. Additionally, it can play an important role as seed source of valuable tree species for the increasing initiatives to rehabilitate and reforest degraded land with native species.

Lack of tree layer control on herb layer characteristics in a subtropical forest, China

“…One central goal in ecosystem research is to understand the linkage between species, processes within and functions of an ecosystem (Loreau et al 2001; Hooper et al 2005). The tropics are well known for their immense species richness, in particular tropical rain forests (Whitmore et al 1985; Gentry & Dodson 1987; Gentry 1988; Duivenvoorden 1994; Galeano et al 1998; Langenberger et al 2006). Species inventories include examples of the highest species richness in rain forests, at 442 vascular plant species per 0.1 ha in a Columbia (Galeano et al 1998) and 365 species in Ecuador (Gentry & Dodson 1987).…”

Non-woody life-form contribution to vascular plant species richness in a tropical American forest

“…Although some of these studies (e.g. Duivenvoorden 1994;Langenberger et al 2006) inventoried plots and transects along edaphic and physiographic gradients, only two have inventoried and compared different vegetation types using a uniform sampling methodology throughout. Á lvarez et al (2003) reported total vascular plant counts in three 0.1-ha plots in Amazonian, Chocoan and Andean forests in Colombia.…”

Ethnobotanical knowledge of Philippine lowland farmers and its application in agroforestry

“…Leyte is characterized by a rugged mountain range, the Leyte Cordillera, which runs north to south through the whole island. The island exhibits a monsoonal climate with an average annual temperature of 27.4°C and an average precipitation of 2,586 mm (Langenberger et al 2006).…”