Victoria and Anepahan Ranges (9753)
Philippines, Asia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B2

Year of last assessment: 2006

National site name: Victoria and Anepahan Ranges

Central coordinates: Latitude: 9.3833, Longitude: 118.3000

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 50 to 1798

Area of KBA (km²): 1638.93805

Protected area coverage (%): 98.08

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This IBA includes the Victoria and Anapalan mountain ranges and the adjacent foothills and lowlands in central Palawan, to the south-west of Puerto Princesa. There are montane forests on the higher peaks and large tracts of little disturbed lowland forest in the valleys and foothills south-west of Iwahig Penal Colony, in the foothills on the Sulu Sea side of the mountains and to the shoreline on the South China Sea coast in some places. Victoria Peak is reported to support the largest area of ultramafic forest on Palawan, and other habitats there include lowland dipterocarp forest and lower and upper montane forest.

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: Iwahig Penal Colony is currently a popular destination for visiting bird-watchers, and most of the threatened and restricted-range birds of the Palawan Endemic Bird Area have been recorded in this area, including Palawan Striped-babbler, which is known only from montane forests in this IBA and Mt Mantalingajan (PH054). The forests of the Victoria and Anapalan ranges appear to support important populations of the threatened Philippine Cockatoo, Blue-headed Racquet-tail, Palawan Hornbill, Falcated Wren-babbler and Palawan Flycatcher, and possibly also of Palawan Peacock-pheasant. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals recorded in this IBA include Palawan tree shrew Tupaia palawensis, Palawan flying fox Acerodon leucotis, northern Palawan tree squirrel Sundasciurus juvencus, Palawan stink-badger Mydaus marchei, binturong Arctictis binturong, and Oriental short-clawed otter Amblonyx cinereus (found in fishponds and mangroves at Iwahig Penal Colony). The endemic Palawan montane tree squirrel Sundasciurus rabori occurs at high elevations there. The Victoria and Anapalan range is the type locality for the Palawan earless sphenomorphus Sphenomorphus palawanensis.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: This IBA includes the Victoria and Anapalan mountain ranges and the adjacent foothills and lowlands in central Palawan, to the south-west of Puerto Princesa. There are montane forests on the higher peaks and large tracts of little disturbed lowland forest in the valleys and foothills south-west of Iwahig Penal Colony, in the foothills on the Sulu Sea side of the mountains and to the shoreline on the South China Sea coast in some places. Victoria Peak is reported to support the largest area of ultramafic forest on Palawan, and other habitats there include lowland dipterocarp forest and lower and upper montane forest.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Artificial - Terrestrial	33
Forest	67

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The most serious threats to the forests here are illegal logging and kaingin. Emigration from other parts of the Philippines to Palawan is high and squatting is commonplace. There are existing concessions for Almaciga resin and rattan gathering, which are often not exploited in a sustainable way. It was reported in early 1999 that a typhoon has caused extensive damage to the forests at Iwahig, destroying the crowns of many trees and hence opening up the canopy, and presumably elsewhere on Palawan. The logging in this IBA in the past also contributed to the extensive forest damage. The exploitation of birds is a threat in this area, which affects Palawan Peacock-pheasant and parrots.

Additional information