Mount Dingalan (9718)
Philippines, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Mount Dingalan
Central coordinates: Latitude: 15.4500, Longitude: 121.4000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1895
Area of KBA (km2): 468.753
Protected area coverage (%): 4.74
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This IBA lies in the southern part of the Sierra Madre mountains, between the towns of Baler and Dingalan. There is no main road along the coast in this area, and its inaccessibility has probably helped to limit disturbance to the forests. Good quality forest was found both along the coast and in the mountains during recent surveys (by a team from the Institute of Biology-University of the Philippines Diliman, Conservation International and the National Sciences Research Institute), including lowland dipterocarp and limestone forests along the coast and on the lower mountain slopes. Mt Dingalan (1,895 m) and several other peaks have montane forests on their higher slopes. This IBA is adjacent to the Central Sierra Madre Mountains (PH016) and Maria Aurora Memorial Park IBAs (PH017).
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: There are recent records of Philippine Eagle at Dingalan, but very little information is available from there on the other threatened or restricted-range birds of the Luzon Endemic Bird Area. 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: This IBA lies in the southern part of the Sierra Madre mountains, between the towns of Baler and Dingalan. There is no main road along the coast in this area, and its inaccessibility has probably helped to limit disturbance to the forests. Good quality forest was found both along the coast and in the mountains during recent surveys (by a team from the Institute of Biology-University of the Philippines Diliman, Conservation International and the National Sciences Research Institute), including lowland dipterocarp and limestone forests along the coast and on the lower mountain slopes. Mt Dingalan (1,895 m) and several other peaks have montane forests on their higher slopes.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 | |
| Forest | 67 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The remaining forests around Mt Dingalan are reported to be under pressure from illegal logging and encroachment for kaingin cultivation. Over-hunting is also a problem.
Additional information
References: Ong and Ibuna (unpublished).