Project title:
Project leader(s): Raab Bustamante, Jayson Mansibang
Organisations involved: Philippine Taxonomic Initiative Inc.
Project summary:
Brief preliminary studies have identified over a dozen new species across several genera in the region, including species researchers from Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc. published Begonia Akaw (2023) and Begonia Masilig (2023)
Date started and progress to date: This project is currently ongoing.
Project title: Biodiversity of Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve
Project leader(s): Raab Bustamante and John Charles Altomonte
Organisations involved: Philippine Taxonomic Initiative Inc.
Project summary: Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve (PCWFR) is located in the tri-boundary of the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora. This protected area (PA) is enshrined in Republic Act (R.A.) 7586 (as amended by R.A. 11038) by virtue of Proclamation No. 561 series of 1969. PCWFR serves as the primary source of water for irrigations and hydroelectric power plants in the plains of Central Luzon. This PA has a total land area of approximately 94 000 ha and is a critical sanctuary of various wild-forms of micro- and macro-organisms whilst serving as an important biogeographic link between the Sierra Madre and Cordillera mountain ranges. This project seeks to identify accessible, intact sites from which to survey the local flora under the auspices of the relevant authorities, to carry out such surveys, and to use the surveys as platforms to train local botanists in field research techniques.
Brief preliminary studies have identified over a dozen new species across seven genera in the region, including several species that researchers from Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc. published Amorphophallus minimus (2021), Ardisia kalimbahin (2021), Begonia naemma (2022), Bulbophyllum barcelonae (2024), Bulbophyllum pelseri (2024), and Syzygium crystalliferum (2024).
Date started and progress date: This project is currently ongoing.
Project title: Philippine Taxonomic Initiative: Southern Luzon Project
Project leader(s): Raab Bustamante, Jayson Mansibang, John Paul Collantes
Organisations involved: Philippine Taxonomic Initiative Inc.
Project summary: The Mt Labo (1,540 m ) an inactive volcano and the extensive mountain range was extensively logged over from the 1960s til 1980s, with forest area of about 497 sq. km that straddles the boundaries of three provinces. Mt Labo is relatively botanically unexplored until recently. A few charismatic species, like Rafflesia lagascae, Adelmaria isarogensis, Aeschynanthus isarogensis has been identified from initial exploratory fieldwork having similar flora to the nearby Mt Isarog. This project seeks to identify accessible, intact sites from which to survey the local flora under the auspices of the relevant authorities, to carry out such surveys, and to use the surveys as platforms to train local botanists in field research techniques. Brief preliminary studies have identified over a dozen new species across seven genera in the region, including Begonia, Aeschynanthus, Impatiens, Psychotria and a number of orchid genera.
Brief preliminary studies have identified over a dozen new species across several genera in the region, including species researchers from Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc. published Begonia caramoanensis (2020), Amorphophallus minimus (2020), Begonia francisabuidii (2021)
Date started and progress to date: This project is currently in its first phase (Jan.2020-Dec. 2024).
Project title: Biodiversity of the Limestone Karst Formations of North and North-Central Palawan
Project leader(s): Raab Bustamante, Lea Magarce-Camangeg
Organisations involved: Philippine Taxonomic Initiative Inc.
Project summary: Ultramafic peaks comprise the majority of Palawan’s upland areas, but significant and highly biodiverse limestone formations exist in south, central and, in particular, northern Palawan. The North Palawan Block (which runs from the Malampaya sound north to Coron Island) and the Saint Paul formation (pictured) in north-central Palawan are the most significant of these sites. The latter alone protects some of the most intact and noteworthy lowland and upland forests within the Palawan biogeographic province, with a full mountain-to-sea ecosystem that includes a mosaic of eight intact Palawan Moist Forest formations (primarily forest on limestone soil, as well as forest on ultramafic soil, montane forest, freshwater swamp forest, lowland evergreen tropical rainforest, riverine forest, beach forest and mangrove forest). Despite being recognised by the WWF Global Report as containing the richest tree flora in the region, with high levels of endemism, botanical exploration of this region has been historically poor owing to lack of funding and the challenging nature of the terrain. This project seeks to identify accessible, intact sites from which to survey the local flora under the auspices of the relevant authorities, to carry out such surveys, and to use the surveys as platforms to train local botanists in field research techniques. Brief preliminary studies have identified over a dozen new species across seven genera in the region, including Begonia, Amorphophallus, Epithema, Impatiens and a number of orchid genera.
Date started and progress to date: This project is currently ongoing.
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.