Mount Yacgun - Mount Sohoton complex (9774)
Philippines, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Mount Yacgun - Mount Sohoton complex
Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.6333, Longitude: 125.2833
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 681
Area of KBA (km2): 1039.28139
Protected area coverage (%): 84.13
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This IBA includes the low mountains between Mt Yacgun and Mt Sohoton, which straddle the border between Samar and Eastern Samar Provinces. It lies between the Mt Cabalantian Mt Capotoan complex (PH073) to the north and the Bulosao River Watershed Forest Reserve (PH075) to the south. Mt Sohoton is characterised by rugged to rolling terrain with numerous boulders and limestone deposits and an extensive cave system. There are some patches of remnant dipterocarp forest and secondary forest on Mt Sohoton, and together with Mt Yacgun it forms the second largest block of forest shown on recent forest cover maps on Samar. This forest block is mostly composed of closed canopy lowland dipterocarp forest. The Mt Yacgun-Mt Sohoton Complex is an important watershed area, and five rivers flow down from it into the surrounding lowlands.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: Several of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area have been recorded in or near to this IBA, including Philippine Eagle. The relatively extensive forests which remain there are likely to prove to be an important site for the conservation of this and other threatened species. There are recent records of the critically endangered Philippine Cockatoo in the IBA, and this is the only site on Samar where the poorly known Miniature Tit-babbler has been recorded.
Delineation rationale: 02/2008: following IBA/KBA crosswalk, three 2001 IBAs -- Mount Cabalantian - Mount Capoto-an complex (SitRecID 9773), Southern Samar mountains (SitRecID 9775) and Mount Yacgun - Mount Sohoton complex (SitRecID 9774) -- have been merged to form the 2006 KBA Samar Island Natural Park (SitRecID 23307).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: This IBA includes the low mountains between Mt Yacgun and Mt Sohoton, which straddle the border between Samar and Eastern Samar Provinces. It lies between the Mt Cabalantian Mt Capotoan complex (PH073) to the north and the Bulosao River Watershed Forest Reserve (PH075) to the south. Mt Sohoton is characterised by rugged to rolling terrain with numerous boulders and limestone deposits and an extensive cave system. There are some patches of remnant dipterocarp forest and secondary forest on Mt Sohoton, and together with Mt Yacgun it forms the second largest block of forest shown on recent forest cover maps on Samar. This forest block is mostly composed of closed canopy lowland dipterocarp forest. The Mt Yacgun-Mt Sohoton Complex is an important watershed area, and five rivers flow down from it into the surrounding lowlands.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 67 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The boundaries of the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park need to be delineated, as there is encroachment into the park for kaingin and the extraction of timber and forest products occurs there.
Additional information
References: Davis et al. (1995); Haribon Foundation (1998).