Philippine Journal of Science 145 (2): 127-137, June 2016 ISSN 0031 - 7683 Date Received: ?? Feb 20?? Species Richness and Conservation Status of Ferns and Lycophytes in Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Santuary, Davao Oriental, Philippines Victor B. Amoroso1, Fulgent P. Coritico1, and Peter W. Fritsch2 1Center for Biodiversity Research and Extension in Mindanao (CEBREM), Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon, Philippines 2Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76107-3400, USA An updated species list and conservation assessment of ferns and lycophytes in Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Davao Oriental were provided on the basis of recent field survey and examination of herbarium specimens. One hundred and fifty-two species, belonging to 27 families and 72 genera, were recorded. The species figure is about 13% of the total number of fern and lycophyte species in the Philippines and nearly 20% of the total number on Mindanao Island. Twelve species are broadly distributed Philippine endemics and three more are found only on Mindanao. Nine species are new records for Mindanao. A site-endemic species, Lindsaea hamiguitanensis, was also documented. Of the 18 threatened species recorded, one is critically endangered, seven are endangered, and 10 are vulnerable. Key words: diversity, pteridophytes, Southern Philippines, threatened species INTRODUCTION Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Davao Oriental Province, Mindanao, is a protected area Traditionally, pteridophytes include the so-called covering 6,834 ha between 6 °40 'N to 6 °47 'N and ferns and fern allies because of their shared life cycle 126 °09 'E to 126 °13 'E with the highest elevation of as spore-producing plants. Recently, molecular data 1,637 m a.s.l. (Karger et al. 2012). It is characterized show that pteridophytes are paraphyletic. They are by a variety of vegetation types including a unique now recognized as the lycophytes and ferns (i.e. mossy pygmy forest (Amoroso et al. 2009; Figure 1). monilophytes), the latter of which includes horsetails, It was designated as a World Heritage Site in June of whisk ferns, and all eusporangiate and leptosporangiate 2014 and is also a Mindanao Long Term Ecological ferns (Smith et al. 2006). Research Site. For the latter, extensive data collection The diversity of Philippines vascular plants includes has provided baseline information on the floral and an estimated 1,100 species of ferns and lycophytes faunal diversity in the area (Amoroso & Aspiras 2011; distributed among 154 genera and 34 families, according Amoroso et al. 2009, 2011). Nonetheless, there is no to recent classifications (e.g. Smith et al. 2006). This published checklist of ferns and lycophytes for the estimate continues to increase because of new species sanctuary. Here, such checklist is provided, along discoveries and new records in the Philippines (Amoroso with a species conservation assessment of ferns and et al. 2009; Barcelona et al. 2013). lycophytes in the sanctuary. *Corresponding author: [email protected] 127 Philippine Journal of Science Amoroso VB et al.: Ferns and Lycophytes Vol. 145 No. 2, June 2016 of Mt. Hamiguitan Figure 1. A. Location Map of Mt. Hamiguitan, Mindanao, Philippines; B. Transect Inventory (red line) in Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (Modified from DENR Region XI). MATERIALS AND METHODS the soil, and pressing the plant intact. For the tree ferns, each entire frond was collected and cut into five parts: leaf apex, middle pinna, lower pinna, basal pinna, and Species Inventory stipe. All specimens were processed using the wet method An inventory of ferns and lycophytes was conducted (Hodge 1947). Herbarium specimens were deposited at through repeated transect walks from Sitio Tumalite, the Central Mindanao University Herbarium (CMUH) San Isidro, to the highest point in the sanctuary, and and, in part, at the herbarium of the California Academy down to Barangay Macambol, Mati, from 2007 to 2014. of Sciences (CAS). Another field inventory was conducted by research staff and associates at Central Mindanao University and the Species identifications are based on the specimens deposited California Academy of Sciences from 20–26 June 2015. at CMUH and were performed by consulting the following monographs, floras, and other publications: Copeland (1958- Collection, Processing, and Identification of 1961); Hovenkamp et al. (1998); Nooteboom (1998); Zhang Specimens & Nooteboom (1998); Holttum (1959a, b, c, 1978, 1981, A minimum of four fertile fronds of each species was 1991); Kramer (1971); Zamora and Co (1986) and digitized collected with a shear and trimming cutter. Small ferns plant specimens available in Global Plants on JSTOR. The were collected by uprooting the whole plant, removing classification systems used are those of Smith et al. (2006, 128 Philippine Journal of Science Amoroso VB et al.: Ferns and Lycophytes Vol. 145 No. 2, June 2016 of Mt. Hamiguitan 2008), Rothfels et al. (2012), Labiak et al. (2014), Lehtonen Table 1. Total number of genera and species of ferns and lycophytes et al. (2010) and Hoogland & Reveal (2005). documented from Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary. Assessments of the endangered and conservation status of the species recorded are based on the national list of threatened Number of Family Genera Number of Species Philippine plants (Fernando et al. 2008; Amoroso et al. 2015a) which follows the criteria of the International Union Aspleniaceae 1 8 for the Conservation of Nature. This information serves as a Athyriaceae 1 1 basis for governmental agencies that set environmental policy Blechnaceae 1 3 (Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), Department Cyatheaceae 2 5 of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Local Davalliaceae 2 6 Government Units (LGU’s)) for monitoring and protecting threatened species, both within the sanctuary and beyond. Dennstaedtiaceae 3 3 Dicksoniaceae 1 1 Dipteridaceae 1 1 Dryopteridaceae 3 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Gleicheniaceae 4 6 Hymenophylllaceae 3 11 Species Richness One hundred and fifty-two species, belonging to 27 Lindsaeaceae 3 8 families and 72 genera, were recorded. Of these, 135 Lomariopsidaceae 3 5 species are ferns and 17 are lycophytes (Tables 1 & Lycopodiaceae 2 3 2). The families with the highest number of species Lygodiaceae 1 3 are Polypodiaceae (28 species), Pteridaceae (16), Marattiaceae 2 2 Selaginellaceae (14), Hymenophyllaceae (11), and Thelypteridaceae (8). These families are also ones with Oleandraceae 1 1 the highest number of species in the entire country Ophioglossaceae 1 2 (Salgado 1990). They are also common families that are Osmundaceae 1 1 widely distributed in Mindanao (Amoroso et al. 2009, Plagiogyriaceae 1 1 2012, 2015b). Polypodiaceae 18 28 This estimate of species richness closely resembles Psilotaceae 1 2 that of the Karst Forest in Bohol Island, Mt. Bali-it Pteridaceae 8 16 in Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park, Northern Schizaeaceae 1 3 Luzon, Mt. Marilog in the area of Davao City, and Mt. Pinamantawan in Quezon of Bukidnon Province. Selaginellaceae 1 14 It is higher than that of Mt. Iraya and its vicinity in Tectariaceae 1 5 Batan Island, Batanes Province, Mt. Pangasugan on Thelypteridaceae 5 8 Leyte Island, Pasonanca Natural Park in the region TOTAL 72 152 of Zamboanga City, and Mt. Malukot in Batangas Province, Southern Luzon. However, it is relatively lower than that of Panay Island, Mt. Burnay and its of Schizaea (commonly known as “grass fern”) in the vicinity in Northern Luzon, and two montane ecosystems Philippines (Barcelona et al. 1996) were found there: in Mindanao: Mt. Kitanglad, Bukidnon Province and viz., S. dichotoma, S. inopinata, and S. malaccana. Mt. Malindang, Misamis Occidental Province (Table The latter two species were last collected in 1923 in 3). Several factors may affect local montane species Dimyao, Bohol and in 1993 in Mt. Guiting-guiting, richness in the Philippines such as the size of the area Sibuyan Island, respectively. Other unusual species are sampled, climatic conditions, soil type, and geographic the “ant ferns” of the genus Lecanopteris. Two species location (Kessler 2010). Species richness is also affected are present, L. deparioides and L. sinuosa. The former by human activities such as the conversion of forests to was found in the pygmy forest growing epiphytically agricultural or industrial lands and pollution. on Leptospermum flavescens Sm. Two species of whisk ferns, Psilotum complanatum and P. nudum, were also Noteworthy Species found, both growing on trunks of the scaly tree fern Many notable species of ferns and lycophytes were found Sphaeropteris polypoda. Nine species are new records in the sanctuary (Figure 2). Three of the four species for Mindanao: Lindsaea philippinensis (also in Luzon, 129 Philippine Journal of Science Amoroso VB et al.: Ferns and Lycophytes Vol. 145 No. 2, June 2016 of Mt. Hamiguitan Table 2. Checklist of ferns and lycophytes in Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary. Aspleniaceae Asplenium affine Sw. A. nidus L. A. nigrescens Blume A. polyodon G.Forst. A. tenerum G.Forst. A. vittaeforme Cav. A. thunbergii Kunze Asplenium sp. Athyriaceae Athyrium puncticaule (Blume) T. Moore Blechnaceae Blechnum egregium Copel. B. melanocaulon (Brack.) T.C.Chambers & P.A.Farrant B. vestitum (Blume) Kuhn Cyatheaceae Alsophila fuliginosa Christ lurida (Blume) Hook. Sphaeropteris glauca (Blume) R.M.Tryon S. lepifera (J.Sm. ex Hook.) R.M.Tryon S. polypoda R.M.Tryon Davalliaceae Humata angustata