Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines: Priorities for Conservation

Authors

  • R.G.R. Ambal
  • M.V. Duya
  • M.A. Cruz
  • O.G. Coroza
  • S.G. Vergara
  • N. de Silva
  • N. Molinyawe
  • B. Tabaranza

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2995.2788-96

Abstract

A process for identifying Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) for the Philippines was undertaken in two phases. The 128 terrestrial and freshwater KBAs were identified in 2006 and the 123 marine KBAs were identified in 2009. A total of 228 KBAs resulted from the integration of the terrestrial, freshwater and marine KBAs. These KBAs represent the known habitat of 855 globally important species of plants, corals, molluscs, elasmobranchs, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals in the country. Inclusion of these KBAs in the country’s protected area system will be a significant step towards ensuring the conservation of the full scope of the country’s natural heritage.

Author Biographies

R.G.R. Ambal

Ruth Grace Ambal is a wildlife biologist that has been involved the past 10 years in identifying conservation priorities in the Philippines.

M.V. Duya

Melizar Duya is a Senior Research Associate of the project entitled “Comprehensive Biodiversity Conservation and Monitoring Program of the Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, Luzon Island, Philippines†funded by the First Gen Hydro Power Corporation under the Institute of Biology, College of Science, UP Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

M.A. Cruz

Margaux Cruz has a degree in MS Remote Sensing from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She has been working part-time as a remote sensing and GIS consultant for various projects for the past three years. She is currently affiliated with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as a remote sensing consultant.

O.G. Coroza

Oliver Coroza is with Conservation International Philippines. He has 22 years of experience in applying cartographic modeling and GIS for natural resources management, remote sensing applications, biodiversity conservation, land use and protected area planning, real estate management and facilities/utilities management.

S.G. Vergara

Sheila Vergara, a marine ecologist by training, mobilized the marine KBA process with colleagues in the course of implementing the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape Initiative. She is now the Director for Biodiversity Information Management at the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity.

N. de Silva

Naamal De Silva is Director of Conservation Priorities and Outreach in the Science + Knowledge Division of Conservation International. She is also a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

N. Molinyawe

Norma Molinyawe is the Chief of the Biodiversity Management Division of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines.

B. Tabaranza

Blas Tabaranza was Haribon Foundation’s resident scientist and Chief Operating Officer before his retirement. He is a member of Birdlife International’s Global Council 2008-2012 and president emeritus of the Wildlife Conservation Society of the Philippines.

Downloads

Published

06-08-2012

Issue

Vol 4, No 8 (2012)

Section

Communications

License

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.