Aurora Memorial National Park (9717)
Philippines, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Aurora Memorial National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: 15.6667, Longitude: 121.3333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 200 to 1000
Area of KBA (km2): 471.4596
Protected area coverage (%): 15.46
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Maria Aurora Memorial Park lies inland from the towns of Baler and Maria Aurora in central Aurora Province and eastern Nueva Ecija, close to the border with Nueva Vizcaya. It is a short distance to the north of Mt Dingalan (PH018). The main habitats in the park are lowland rainforest, montane forest and secondary scrub, and there are also areas of arable land (including rice paddies), small settlements and rural gardens. The maximum altitude of the park is reported to be 1,000 m, so the main forest type inside the park must be lowland dipterocarp, with only limited areas of montane forest. Land uses inside the park include both permanent and shifting agriculture (kaingin) and forestry.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. KBA identified in the CI/CEPF Conservation Outcomes booklet for the Philippines Hotspot (2006). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat category follow the 2004 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: Several of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Luzon Endemic Bird Area have been recorded in or near to Maria Aurora Memorial Park. The recent sightings of Philippine Eagle there suggest that this IBA is an important part of the network of sites required to conserve the population of that species in the Sierra Madre mountains. Limited information is available on the status of other threatened or restricted-range birds in the park, but, like other IBAs in the Sierra Madre, it is likely that the avifauna there will prove to be similar to that of Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (PH015).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The main habitats in the park are lowland rainforest, montane forest and secondary scrub, and there are also areas of arable land (including rice paddies), small settlements and rural gardens. The maximum altitude of the park is reported to be 1,000 m, so the main forest type inside the park must be lowland dipterocarp, with only limited areas of montane forest. Land uses inside the park include both permanent and shifting agriculture (kaingin) and forestry.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Forest | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Nueva Ecija has been reported to have had the highest rate of forest loss of any province in this part of Luzon during the 1980s. Most of the forest within the province has been converted to agriculture and pasture. Most of what remains, especially that in the Pantabangan watershed, is being threatened by forest fires and kaingins. The pressures on Maria Aurora Memorial Park are also reported to include illegal logging, the collection of forest products and hunting of wildlife.
Additional information
References: References: Haribon Foundation (1998).