Mount Timolan (9810)
Philippines, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2006
National site name: Mount Timolan
Central coordinates: Latitude: 7.8000, Longitude: 123.2500
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1300
Area of KBA (km2): 19.17755
Protected area coverage (%): 97.34
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Mt Timolan is c.20 km inland from Pagadian City, to the south of Mt Sugarloaf (PH109). It rises to just over 1,000 m. Lowland forest is reported to cover c.80% of the area and there are also areas of secondary grassland. There are numerous rivers and streams and freshwater lakes and pools that provide habitat for water birds, including Lake Timolan, which has been transformed into a marshy area. Arable land is present, and is planted with perennial crops and orchards. The forests serve as watershed for surrounding lowland communities and contains the headwaters of the Dinas and Labangan Rivers.
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: The avifauna of Mt Timolan is poorly known, although there are several recent records of Philippine Eagle and the forests there are probably an important part of the network of sites required for the conservation of that critically endangered species. The lowland forests which are reported to survive there may support populations of the threatened and restricted-range species of the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area, including some that have been recorded on the lower slopes of nearby Mt Sugarloaf (PH109) and Mt Malindang (PH107). Non-bird biodiversity: Other wildlife reported in the area includes Philippine Tarsier Tarsius syrichta, Philippine warty pig Sus philippensis, squirrels, probably Exilisciurus concinnus and Sundasciurus philippinensis, common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus and monitor lizard Varanus salvator.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Mt Timolan is c.20 km inland from Pagadian City, to the south of Mt Sugarloaf (PH109). It rises to just over 1,000 m. Lowland forest is reported to cover c.80% of the area and there are also areas of secondary grassland. There are numerous rivers and streams and freshwater lakes and pools that provide habitat for water birds, including Lake Timolan, which has been transformed into a marshy area. Arable land is present, and is planted with perennial crops and orchards. The forests serve as watershed for surrounding lowland communities and contains the headwaters of the Dinas and Labangan Rivers.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 67 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Current problems in the area include kaingin, encroachment into the forest, the presence of small settlements and the hunting of birds. A relay station of the Philippine army was constructed on Timolan peak in 1990. The army personnel used to shoot wildlife, but this stopped when the site was declared a protected area.
Additional information
References: Haribon Foundation (1998).