Managing the Mt. Nacolod Landscape: a Shared Conservation Challenge
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Managing the Mt. Nacolod Landscape: A Shared Conservation Challenge The Mt. Nacolod Key The KBA is home to 34 trigger species Biodiversity Area (Conservation International, 2006). In fact, its high (KBA) is the heart of biodiversity value and current threats to species and the landscape. habitats have levelled its category as a very high priority KBA (Ong et al., 2002 cited in 2014, GIZ). It is also one of the 11 Mt. Nacolod’s biological richness has been terrestrial KBAs in Region validated with the completion of the biodiversity 8 that is within the Greater assessment conducted in 2011 and 2013. Mindanao Biogeographic Zone. Findings of the assessment highlight that more than half (54%) of Southern Leyte is still covered with Seven municipalities, forest (88,812 has. out of 163,271 hectares) and including Mahaplag and comprises 12.5% of the total land area of Leyte Island Abuyog of Leyte Province, (88,812 hectares out of 709,699 has.). and Sogod, Silago, St. Bernard, Libagon, and In terms of species richness, the assessment Hinunangan of Southern records more than 350 species of trees, 133 species Leyte Province, cover the of birds, 27 species of amphibians, 57 species of forest block in the Mt. reptiles, and 40 species of mammals. Nacolod KBA. Recently discovered species of frog in Mt. Nacolod. (Platymantis sp.) Mt. Nacolod is rich in flora. There Among the threatened mammalian are 65 families and 229 species of flora species records (based on the IUCN list in identified in the area. Of the 229 flora 2011) are the golden-capped fruit bat species, 14% are endemic to the (endangered) and three endemic species that Philippines, 9% are classified as are all listed as vulnerable. These are the vulnerable, and 4% are critically large flying fox, the Philippine horseshoe endangered. Vulnerable tree species bat, and the Philippine tarsier. Meanwhile, found in the area include Myristica 25 frogs, 23 lizards, 20 snakes, and 1 philippensis (duguan). Critically terrestrial turtle complete the herpetofaunal endangered trees, on the other hand, list in the area. The list is even enriched by are Hopea quisumbingiana (subyang), the identification of new island records as Shorea negrosensis (red lauan), Shorea follows: 8 species of birds, including the seminis (malayakal), and Shorea contorta endemic and threatened little slaty (white lauan). The assessment also flycatcher (Ficedula basilanicai), 3 volant brought to the fore the discovery of mammals (Pipistrellus tenuis, Tylonycteris Cinnammomum cebuense (Cebu robustula, and Murina suilla), two amphibians cinnamon), which was previously (Philautus poecilus and P. surdus), and 2 recorded in Cebu Island only. recently discovered species of frog from the genus Platymantis. The richness of its fauna is comparable to that of its flora. There Being the head source of major are 212 terrestrial vertebrates that watersheds (Higasaan, Hinabian- comprise 112 avian, 36 mammalian, and 94 herpetofauna species. Lawigan, Buac, and Das-ay), Mt. Endemism in the area is also high, with Nacolod supports a population of 60 species (41 birds, 17 mammals, and about 210,000. 2 herpetofauna) found only in the landscape. Of the 41 bird species, 14 The Buac Watershed Reserve and the are endemic to the Greater Mindanao Hinabian–Lawigan Watershed Reservation faunal region and 11 are under the have actually been established as major IUCN threatened category. Among the watershed reserves. The most common threatened bird species in the area as goods and services provided by Mt. listed by Birdlife International (2011) Nacolod are (i) water – used for household are the Philippine eagle (with recent consumption and irrigation; (ii) wood, sightings), Mindanao bleeding-heart including rattan gathering – used either for pigeon, Philippine eagle owl, home consumption, such as fuel, or Philippine dwarf kingfisher, silvery commercial purposes, such as furniture and kingfisher, and Visayan broadbill. Of house construction; (iii) plantations for the 17 endemic mammalian species, 8 abaca, coconut, and fruit trees; and (iv) are restricted to the Mindanao faunal agricultural crops, such as vegetables and region and include the Philippine root crops, and fruit trees. pygmy squirrel and the Samar squirrel. Ixos everetti (yellowish bulbul). NewCAPP/FFI/GIZ Rhinolopus philippensis (large-eared horseshoe bat). NewCAPP/FFI/GIZ Land conversion for the past years (e.g., slash-and-burn The results of the farming, wildlife and timber biodiversity assessment poaching) has been threatening triggered the decision to Mt. Nacolod. establish the Mt. Nacolod LCA. There has been a very high incidence of uncontrolled hunting of birds – The biodiversity assessment was pigeons, doves, and the threatened blue- considered an essential tool for naped parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis) and informed decision-making that Rufous hornbill (Buceros hydrocorax) – and generated key species – habitat data, monitor lizards. In fact, children go into triggering stakeholders, including the wildlife hunting at an early age. Another national government agency, i.e., the serious threat to Mt. Nacolod is the Department of Environment and unclear land tenure situation that Natural Resources (DENR), local encourages unsustainable forest government units (LGUs), and management practices. Forest areas are communities to arrive at a concerted being utilized for planting food crops, for effort to sustainably manage Mt. gathering wood to be used as fuel, and Nacolod’s natural resources. It was for construction materials. These issues also a key activity in the process that and problems have resulted in a decrease jumpstarted collaboration among of 20% (18,938 has.) of forest from 2007 to concerned stakeholders. Led by 2010. Degraded forests have increased Fauna and Flora International (FFI), by 3% or 503 has. (GIZ, 2014). the Assessment Team was composed of representatives from regional, These external pressures triggered provincial, and community offices of the seven municipalities to converge and DENR, the National Museum, collectively identify effective municipal and barangay LGUs, and conservation management actions on the members of Peoples’ Organizations area, especially since Mt. Nacolod is the (POs). Aimed at generating reliable headwater source of four watersheds that results, the study, which ran from support the seven municipalities November 7 to December 16, 2011, surrounding it as well as being an covered both flora and fauna of the important source of wood and food and municipalities of Sogod, Silago, an area for biodiversity and disaster risk Hinunangan, and the city of Maasin, reduction (DRR) management. It should which is located outside of the be noted that Southern Leyte is a disaster Nacolod KBA but lies within the prone area. REDD+ project site. MT. NACOLOD BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS • Revision of the old KBAs based on the nine High • Use of Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) for Conservation Values (HCVAs) for Leyte Island protected areas of DENR-BMB as monitoring that were identified for the 23 trigger species of protocol species sensitive to forest degradation trees, birds, and frogs. Four of these HCVAs and species tolerant to land use change. are found in Southern Leyte. • Implementation of comprehensive biodiversity • Expansion of protected areas to cover suitable inventories for Measurement, Reporting and habitats of key biodiversity in the Island. Verification (MRV). • Need for restoration or reforestation activities to • Implementation of comprehensive biodiversity be undertaken as there is a minor overlap with inventories for MRV following the before/after- the hotspots. control/intervention (BACI) approach. In October 2012, with a deeper Hotspot areas or with severe understanding of the biodiversity resources of to medium deforestation identified Mt. Nacolod as a result of the presentation of through the biodiversity assess- the assessment results to stakeholders, the ment are found in Mahaplag, Leyte Provincial Board of Southern Leyte approved province, and in Silago, Sogod, Ordinance No. 2012-43 declaring Mt. Nacolod Hinunangan, and St.Bernard, as a Forest Protected Area. The ordinance Southern Leyte province. (GIZ, 2014) covers the Nacolod original forest reserve. The extent of the coverage is consistent with the FFI For purposive management recommendation to increase the Mt. Nacolod interventions addressing issues and KBA from its original forest reserve area because threats in the area, four conservation of the ecological significance of the landscape. zones have been identified and delineated through a map (at right): To complement and operationalize the provincial government’s initiative in declaring • Conservation Zone 1. Mt. Nacolod as a protected area, the ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE. This municipalities of Sogod, Silago, St. Bernard, refers to closed canopy forest areas Libagon, and Hinunangan of Southern Leyte with low or no fragmentation. Province and Mahaplag and Abuyog of Leyte Province decided to collaborate in developing • Conservation Zone 2. a Conservation Management Framework (CMF) FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPE. for Mt. Nacolod. Overall, the CMF is envisioned These are natural areas or open to guide and consolidate conservation efforts of spaces that are fragmented by all concerned stakeholders by increasing roads, rural communities, and other human uses but which may community awareness, enforcing socially contain conservation targets and acceptable land use plans and zoning provide potential habitat linkages ordinances, securing