Posted on / by phtaxa

Phytogeography of Ultramafic Peaks in central Palawan

Project title: Phytogeography of Ultramafic Peaks in Central Palawan

Project leader(s): Raab Bustamante,  Maverick N. Tamayo

Organisations involved: Philippine Taxonomic Initiative Inc.

Project summary: The mountains of Palawan harbour a rich and often undescribed suite of locally endemic species. These mountains also are important for the range of ecosystem services they provide to surrounding communities. This inaugural, long-term project of PTI aims to characterise vegetation communities among the main peaks of central Palawan, to better understand ecosystem dynamics and ultimately help manage these primary rainforests so they remain functionally resilient into the future.

Brief preliminary studies have identified over a dozen new species across seven genera in the region, including species researchers from Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc. published Corybas circinatus (2020), Begonia tandikan (2021) Vaccinium exiguum (2021), and Psychotria pendens (2024)

Date started and progress to date: Project started in September 2018; this project is currently in the planning and development stage.

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