Richness and distribution of reptiles and amphibians in the tropical lowland habitats of Mt. Agad-Agad, Iligan City, Southern Philippines

Knowledge of Philippine herpetofauna is progressively increasing. However, there are still areas in the country that are poorly understood and remain unexplored, particularly in the southern Philippines. Mt. Agad-Agad in Iligan City (Lanao del Norte Province) is a secondary lowland evergreen tropical rainforest in the southern portion of the northern Mindanao region, popular with the general public and a biologically important mountain ecosystem. Herein, we present the species richness and distribution of herpetofauna using standardized sampling methods. We documented 37 species of amphibians and reptiles, recording 20 Philippine-endemic species, three exotic anurans, two threatened reptiles, and one unidentified species of lizard. Species richness was higher in a mixed agricultural area (18 species, n = 108 individuals) compared to secondary growth forest (17 species, n = 86 individuals). This research provides baseline information on the herpetofauna from Mt. Agad-Agad, and additional herpetological knowledge on the distribution and ecology of amphibians and reptiles from the northern Mindanao region

Avifaunal assemblage in the expansion sites of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mindanao, Philippines

The Protected Area of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS) was proposed for expansion in 2016 to protect the remaining biodiversity of the buffer zones and to fortify the core zone. This study provides data on avifaunal assemblage and assessment on the added value of the ca. 2.99 km2 MHRWS expansion sites to the already protected zone. A combination of transect line survey and mist netting technique were used to sample bird species in four sampling sites in the MHRWS expansion sites. Our inventory of the MHRWS expansion sites revealed 41 species of birds distributed to 10 orders, 24 families and 34 genera. This adds 24 avifauna species to the previously reported birds in Mt. Hamiguitan Range making it a home to 83 species. The low species diversity in the MHRWS expansion sites could be attributed to the poor soil, low forest productivity and habitat loss. The presence of threatened and endemic species of birds in the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary expansion sites appeals for conservation initiatives by the stakeholders

Species Composition and Assessment of Sphingidae in Mt. Agad-Agad, Iligan City, Philippines

Sphingidae (Hawkmoth or Sphinxmoth) is a known bioindicator that is naturally af-fected by environmental issues such as deforestation and pollution. Members of this family are widely distributed in Southeast Asia and play vital roles as indicators of habitat quality and biomass degradation. This study highlights the diversity and as-sessment of hawkmoths of Mt. Agad-Agad (Sitio Langinlanon, Barangay Puga-an) on Iligan City. Two sampling stations were established, the upper and lower Mt. Agad-Agad. Light trap sampling using 2 ×3 m2white silk cloth and 500 watts light bulb was established in selected points of the sampling stations. Six species belong-ing to four genera were recorded of which two species, Acosmeryx socratesand Pol-yptychus trilineatusphilippinensis, were found very rare in the area. Station 2 (lower Mt. Agad-Agad) had the highest number of species recorded compared to Station 1 (upper Mt. Agad-Agad). However, there is no significant difference between the two (t=0.59, critical t=2.2281, p=0.56) sampling stations in terms of species composi-tion. Moreover, two species from the genus Ambulyxare the endemic species ob-served, viz, A. bakeriand A. wilemani

New records of pyrenocarpous lichens from the Philippines

Pyrenocarpous lichens are an important component of the forest ecosystem, yet remain understudied. Following the recent field surveys of the lichen biota in Mt. Musuan, four pyrenolichen species previously unreported from the Philippines were collected, namely: Porina exocha, Pyrenula pyrenuloides, P. subsoluta, and Nigrovothelium inspersotropicum. Each species is briefly described with morphology and chemistry, distribution, ecology, notes, and illustrations. These collections underscore the need for expanded research attention to fully catalogue the lichen diversity in the Philippines

Taxonomic and ecological notes on the Alsophila hornei complex (Cyatheaceae-Polypodiopsida), with the description of the new species A. phlebodes from New Guinea

The morphologically variable tree fern Alsophila hornei of the Gymnosphaera clade is taxonomically and ecologically evaluated. While there is only one morphospecies present at the type locality on Fiji, three species can be characterized along an elevational transect on New Guinea. Alsophila hornei is also present at low elevations throughout New Guinea. Alsophila phlebodes is newly described and so far only found at high elevations on the Vogelkop Peninsula of New Guinea. Among its sympatric congeners, it stands out by having relatively pale brown petiole scales and well-developed, highly dissected remote basal pinnae on the petioles that form a wig-like structure around the trunk apex. Alsophila olivacea is reinstated and separated from A. hornei and A. phlebodes mainly by lacking adventitious pinnae and having an intermediate elevational distribution in the mountains of New Guinea. A key to the Australasian species of the Gymnophaera clade is provided in order to facilitate taxonomic studies of this biogeographically and phylogenetically interesting group

Schizaea erecta Amoroso & Coritico 2023, sp. nov

<i>Schizaea erecta</i> Amoroso & Coritico, <i>sp. nov</i> (Figs. 2–4) <p> Type:— PHILIPPINES. Dinagat Island: Municipality of Tubajon, Paragua Forest, 10.29355°N, 125.58594°E, 65 m, 30 January 2023, <i>V. B</i> <i>. Amoroso with F. P. Coritico & M. M.</i> <i>Guiang. 3003</i> (holotype PNH!, isotypes CMUH!, BRIT!).</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis:</b> — <i>Schizaea erecta</i> resembles <i>S. dichotoma</i> in having hairy rhizomes, dimorphic fronds, stipes with a t-shaped xylem strand, laminae fan-shaped and branching dichotomously, stomata hypocytic, sorophores pinnately arranged in 2 rows, and sporangia with long non-glandular hairs, but differs by having a rhizome with short-appressed brown hairs (vs. long, coarse brown hairs), the stipe longer and up to 26.6 cm long with a narrow groove (vs. up to 20 cm long and deeply grooved), fronds 3–5 times branching dichotomously (vs. 6–8 times branching), narrower (8–14 cm long by 2.0– 4.5 cm wide), and consistently erect fronds (vs. 15 cm long by 17 cm wide, not erect), sorophores up to 39 per stipe with 12–16 lobes alternately arranged (vs. up to 34 with 5–10 lobes oppositely arranged), and sporangia oblong with long white hairs (vs. reniform with brown hairs).</p> <p> <b>Description</b>:—Terrestrial, 30–50 cm long. <i>Rhizomes</i> short creeping, 1.5–5.0 cm below ground, 0.3 mm thick, covered with persistent shiny brown appressed hairs 1–2 mm long. <i>Fronds</i> dimorphic, crowded, irregularly branched; <i>sterile fronds:</i> erect, stipes distinct, 18.5–26.6 cm long, base partly buried in ground, blackish and becoming light green in upper portion, slightly winged at middle to distinctly winged at apex, with shallow groove and scattered short hairs; laminae fan-shaped, 9–15 cm long and each axis 1 mm wide, whole laminae 2–4 cm wide, costae distinct, branching dichotomously 3–5 times; <i>fertile fronds</i> erect, stipes 11–27 cm long, tetragonal in transection and distinctly winged in upper portion; lamina fan-shaped, 8–14 × 2.0– 4.5 cm, branching dichotomously 3–5 times, basal branch slightly flattened, 1–2 mm wide, distal branch up to 0.5 mm wide with scattered small projections (bases of glandular hairs). <i>Sorophores</i> born distally of each branch of frond, 5–12 mm long, 24–39 per stipe, bearing 12–16 pairs of lobes, pinnately arranged in 2 rows and opposite in arrangement. <i>Sporangia</i> in two rows associated with long white non-glandular hairs, with opposite to alternate arrangement, loosely arranged at base and tightly packed in upper part, oblong with short stout stalk, brown, annulus apical, opening by a vertical slit. <i>Spores</i> monolete and reniform, 37 µm in diameter.</p> <p> <b>Etymology</b>:—The specific epithet refers to the erect fronds of the species.</p> <p> <b>Suggested common name:—</b> Dinagat grass fern.</p> <p> <b>Distribution and habitat:</b> — <i>Schizaea erecta</i> is known only from open habitat at 65 m elevation. It grows as a terrestrial plant in colonies with rhizomes growing below the ground in ultramafic soil associated with plants such as <i>Dicranopteris linearis</i> (Burman 1768: 235) Underwood (1907: 250), <i>Imperata cylindrica</i> (Linnaeus 1759: 878) Palisot de Beauvois (1812: 165), <i>Piper</i> sp., <i>Pteridium aquilinum</i> (Linnaeus 1753: 1075) Kuhn in Decken (1879: 11), <i>Pteris cretica</i> Linnaeus (1767: 130), and <i>Smilax</i> sp. (Figure 5).</p> <p> <b>Conservation Status:—</b> Dinagat Island was identified as a critical terrestrial conservation priority in the Philippines (Ong <i>et al</i>., 2002). Logging, mining, and land conversion threaten the entire island (Haribon, 2004). <i>Schizaea erecta</i> is known only within the Paragua forest, Municipality of Tubajon, with an estimated number of 30 individuals growing in just one open area near agricultural land. The habitat is prone to land conversion because of nearby residential areas. Thus, we recommend listing the species as critically endangered based on its restricted population with ≤ 50 mature individuals and the extent of occurrence estimated to be ≤ 10 km 2 (IUCN Standards and Petition Committee 2019).</p> <p> <b>Discussion</b>: <i>— Schizaea erecta</i> is most similar to <i>S. dichotoma</i>, based upon descriptions of Holttum (1959) and Sofiyanti <i>et al.</i> (2019), and examination of JSTOR type images and Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines (Table 1). The species share nearly the same height and the presence of hairs on their rhizomes. Their fronds are dimorphic with fan-shaped lamina which branch dichotomously, they both have hypocytic stomata, and they both possess two rows of sorophores. However, the new species differs from <i>S. dichotoma</i> in having rhizome hairs 1.0– 2.3 mm long (vs. 2–3 mm) (Figure 2B); sterile fronds branching dichotomously 4–5 times (vs. 6–8 times) (Figure 2C). Further, the frond is consistently erect whereas that of <i>S. dichotoma</i> is not erect (Figure 2A). The sorophore of <i>S. erecta</i> has 12–16 pairs of lobes whereas <i>S. dichotoma</i> has 5–10 pairs. The sporangia of <i>S. erecta</i> are oblong whereas <i>S. dichotoma</i> has reniform sporangia (Figure 2G, H).</p> <p> Ke <i>et al</i>. (2022) and Brownsey & Perrie (2014) stated that the <i>S. dichotoma</i> complex exhibits wide morphological and cytological variation. However, most members of this complex are poorly characterized and have been collectively lumped into “ <i>S. dichotoma</i> ”, which was found to be polyphyletic in the phylogeny of Ke <i>et al.</i> (2022). Although our new species was not included in this phylogeny, we reckon that it is morphologically so distinct that it merits treatment as a separate species, especially in anticipation of further splitting in this group. With the recognition of this new species, there are now 21 species of <i>Schizaea</i> worldwide (PPG I, 2016) and three in the Philippines.</p> <p> The salient anatomical features of <i>Schizaea erecta</i> include the following: the rhizome is almost circular with appressed hairs as outgrowths of the epidermal cells. The cortex is mainly composed of parenchyma cells. The stele is a haplostele with the phloem surrounding the xylem tissue (Figure 3B). The stipe shape changes from tetragonous at the base with indistinct costa and concave with narrow groove at the middle and somewhat flattened in the upper stipe with two distinct grooves and wings. The cortex becomes complex, being composed of the outer cortical sclerenchyma and the inner cortical parenchyma cells with the stele becoming actinostele and with a T-shaped xylem strand (Figure 3C–E). The lamina is flattened at the lower axis with distinct costa and incurved at the apical axis. The outer wall of the smaller epidermal cells is thickened and inwardly with large hypodermal cells. The vascular bundle is surrounded by a layer of large endodermis and a single layer of pericycle as also reported by Sofiyanti <i>et al.</i> (2019). Moreover, both surfaces of the costa have large sclerenchyma cells to protect the inner undifferentiated mesophyll from drying as the plants are found in open area. The guard cells protrude on the abaxial surface of the epidermis and connect to the large intercellular spaces.</p> <p> The anatomy of <i>Schizaea erecta</i> differs from that of <i>S. dichotoma</i> in the rhizomes for having larger outer cortical cells and smaller inner cortical cells (vs. smaller outer cortical cells and larger inner cortical cells), vascular bundles surrounded by ring-like sclerenchymatous cell layers (vs. star-shaped sclerenchymatous cell layers), numerous metaxylem (vs. 4 metaxylem); stipe tetragonous at the base and flattened in the upper stipe with narrow groove (vs. M-shaped and deeply grooved); lamina narrowly grooved (vs. deeply grooved), and guard cells protruding from the abaxial surface (vs. guard cells sunken).</p>Published as part of <i>Amoroso, Victor B., Acola, Mescel S., Guiang, Maria Melanie M., Acma, Florfe M., Fritsch, Peter W. & Coritico, Fulgent P., 2023, A new species of grass fern, Schizaea erecta (Schizaeaceae), from Dinagat Island, Mindanao, Philippines, pp. 265-273 in Phytotaxa 618 (3)</i> on pages 267-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.618.3.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8406837">http://zenodo.org/record/8406837</a&gt

Schizaeaceae

Key to the genera and species of grass ferns (Schizaeaceae) in the Philippines <p> 1. Sorophores pinnately arranged or comb-like (<i>Schizaea</i>)....................................................................................................................2</p> <p> -. Sorophores digitate (<i>Actinostachys</i>)...................................................................................................................................................4</p> <p> 2. Fronds unbranched.............................................................................................................................................. <i>Schizaea malaccana</i></p> <p>-. Fronds repeatedly dichotomously branched.......................................................................................................................................3</p> <p> 3. Laminae arching; segments ≥ 2 mm wide............................................................................................................ <i>Schizaea dichotoma</i></p> <p> -. Laminae consistently erect; segments <2 mm wide................................................................................................... <i>Schizaea erecta</i></p> <p>4. Laminae ≥ 2 mm wide; stipes indistinct.............................................................................................................................................5</p> <p>-. Laminae <2 mm wide; stipes distinct................................................................................................................................................6</p> <p> 5. Laminae (sterile portion) ≤ 5 mm wide; stomata in one row on each side of costa; sporangia in four rows on the sorophores................................................................................................................................................................................... <i>Actinostachys digitata</i></p> <p> -. Laminae (sterile portion) ≤ 2.5 mm wide; stomata in two rows on each side of costa; sporangia in two rows on the sorophores............................................................................................................................................................................ <i>Actinostachys inopinata</i></p> <p> 6. Epiphytic; sorophores <6 mm long, 1 to 4....................................................................................................... <i>Actinostachys minuta</i></p> <p> -. Terrestrial; sorophores ≥ 6 mm long, 1............................................................................................................. <i>Actinostachys simplex</i></p>Published as part of <i>Amoroso, Victor B., Acola, Mescel S., Guiang, Maria Melanie M., Acma, Florfe M., Fritsch, Peter W. & Coritico, Fulgent P., 2023, A new species of grass fern, Schizaea erecta (Schizaeaceae), from Dinagat Island, Mindanao, Philippines, pp. 265-273 in Phytotaxa 618 (3)</i> on page 272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.618.3.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8406837">http://zenodo.org/record/8406837</a&gt