Mount Sugarloaf (9809)
Philippines, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Mount Sugarloaf
Central coordinates: Latitude: 7.9667, Longitude: 123.2167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1527
Area of KBA (km2): 344.4654
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Mt Sugarloaf is about 30 km inland from Pagadian City, to the south-west of Mt Malindang (PH107). The mountain rises to over 1,500 m, so the forests around the peak are montane. In 1997, the lowland forests on the slopes of Mt Sugarloaf were found to be heavily degraded, with kaingins up to an altitude of 900 m. Nearby Mt Pinukis, however, retained good forest cover and is therefore included in the IBA. It was estimated in 1997 that the forest on Mt Pinukis and adjacent mountains could total more than 22,000 ha.
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) 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 on Mt Sugarloaf, including Philippine Eagle, mainly during a collecting expedition in 1969. Most of the species recorded then were lowland and mid-altitude forest specialists, including the threatened Silvery Kingfisher, Wattled Broadbill, Philippine Leafbird and Celestial Monarch, suggesting that the montane forests near the mountain peaks were not fully surveyed. It is likely that the avifauna of Mt Sugarloaf will prove to be similar to that of nearby Mt Malindang (PH107).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Mt Sugarloaf is about 30 km inland from Pagadian City, to the south-west of Mt Malindang (PH107). The mountain rises to over 1,500 m, so the forests around the peak are montane. In 1997, the lowland forests on the slopes of Mt Sugarloaf were found to be heavily degraded, with kaingins up to an altitude of 900 m. Nearby Mt Pinukis, however, retained good forest cover and is therefore included in the IBA. It was estimated in 1997 that the forest on Mt Pinukis and adjacent mountains could total more than 22,000 ha.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 | |
| Forest | 67 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The forests of this IBA are under pressure from encroachment for kaingin.
Additional information
References: Haribon Foundation (1998).