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Palawan Botanical Expedition 1984

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Forest Types

28 vegetation types were described. The Irawan R. valley - Mt. Beaufort area was richest both in vegetation types and in species composition. Lake Manguao (Danao) and Mt.Victoria were the next richest areas

Forest Narratives

  • Nepheronia lutescens, male

Animals

The extremely rare Palawan Peacock Pheasant, Red-Vented Cockatoo, other parrots, Palawan Hornbill, butterflies, other insects, snakes, pangolin and Mouse Deer all make Palawan a very special island.

Animals Conservation

Forest Destruction

Even in 1893, the lower slopes of Mt. Mantalingahan were deforested. In 1984, profitable round-log export was wiping out dipterocarp forest in north central Palawan, while mining removed mid-altitude and ridge forests. Kaingin plots encroached on forest in many other areas.

Destruction
  • Riverine forest

Irawan River Valley Forests

The Irawan River Valley at low altitudes had several forest types: semi-deciduous forest, riverine forests, and valley floor forest. An extremely diverse tree flora was found in these forests.


Diversity

Limestone Islands

The sheer limestone cliffs of these  karst limestone islands tower vertically from the sea to 300 m . Except in the bays, the terrain is rugged with pinnacles, crevasses, sinkholes, and was covered in algae. Surface water was absent. Home to Vietchia merrillii, a new species of Amorphophallus, A. salmoneus was described from the expedition material.

  • Agathis dammara

Mt. Mantalingajan

The ultrabasic, limestone, spilite and basalt areas on Mt. Mantalingajan all support different forest types. These also change with altitude. The endemic Nepenthes mantalingajanensis is only found on the peak. A new durian species was described from here and much more.

Endemics Ultrabasic
  • Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Copyright J. Dransfield)

Mt. Victoria

The Victoria Peaks area is the largest region of ultrabasic forest on Palawan. It is the home of the Palawan Racket-tailed Parrot and the tree Embolanthera, both found nowhere else in the world. 

Ultra-basic Heavy metals

Pagdanan Range

This was one of the most species rich forest types seen. Regrettably, the collection area no longer exists as a logging company has since felled the entire area.

Extinct
  • Balanophora

Ridge Forest

A dense pole forest on Mt. Beauforts' western face and an open forest dominated by large emergent Gymnostoma sp. on its crest.

Montane

St. Pauls Bay Forests

This is still a largely unexplored massive karst limestone area. Three forest types were investigated in the national park, and a fourth type seen on the aerial photographs.

Karst Limestone
  • Mt. Bloomfield in the background

Upper Montane Rainforest

Occurring above 500 m on Mt. Beaufort, this forest type grew on 25 - 36  degree slopes with occasional patches of scree. Agathis populations were healthy, but at risk from careless resin extraction.

Montane

Limestone islands

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Animals

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Useful Plants

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The Almaciga Story

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