Mount Diwata Range (9784)
Philippines, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B2
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Mount Diwata Range
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.7500, Longitude: 126.0500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1261
Area of KBA (km2): 936.09727
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Mt Diwata is at the southern end of the Diwata range in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur Provinces in north-eastern Mindanao. This IBA includes the forested southern section of this range, south of Mt Hilong-Hilong (PH083) (the boundary between the two IBA’s is at c.9 o N). The southern part of the Diwata range is relatively low, the highest peak rising to only 1,261 m. A large block of old growth forest is shown in this IBA on recent forest cover maps. The forest will be montane around the higher peaks of the IBA, but there are also likely to be substantial areas of lowland forest on the lower slopes.
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 Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area have been recorded in or near to the Mt Diwata range, including Philippine Eagle, mostly during a collecting expedition in 1976. The mountains around Mt Diwata are less well studied than Mt Hilong-hilong (PH083) in the northern section of the Diwata range, but they are likely to prove to have a similar avifauna. The extensive lowland and montane forests that are reported to survive in this IBA could therefore support significant populations of many species of conservation concern, and the lowland forests may prove to be particularly important.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Mt Diwata is at the southern end of the Diwata range in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur Provinces in north-eastern Mindanao. This IBA includes the forested southern section of this range, south of Mt Hilong-Hilong (PH083) (the boundary between the two IBA’s is at c.9 o N). The southern part of the Diwata range is relatively low, the highest peak rising to only 1,261 m. A large block of old growth forest is shown in this IBA on recent forest cover maps. The forest will be montane around the higher peaks of the IBA, but there are also likely to be substantial areas of lowland forest on the lower slopes.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 67 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The forests of this IBA are reported to be under pressure from encroachment for kaingin and the extraction of timber. However, Mt Diwata itself apparently receives protection through the presence of insurgents in the forests.