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