Endemic Avifauna in Caraga – the mining capital of Mindanao Island, Philippines: their preferred habitats and threats

Presentation cancelled by author

Endemic Avifauna in Caraga – the mining capital of Mindanao Island, Philippines: their preferred habitats and threats

(Oral)

Sherryl Paz
slpaz@up.edu.ph

School of Environmental Science and Management University of the Philippines Los Banos College, Los Banos, Philippines, Philippines
,
Neil Aldrin Mallari
Center for Conservation Innovations Foggy Heights Village, Tagaytay City 4120, Philippines Biology Department, College of Science, DE La Salle University William Hall, 4th Floor 2401 Taft Avenue 1004 Manila, Philippines, Philippines

DOI: 10.17011/conference/eccb2018/108122

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Caraga Region comprises most of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor in the Philippines which is known to be the center of endemism. However, it is popularly known as the “Mining Hub” in Mindanao Island where there is obvious overlapping of mining concessions with the remaining blocks of tropical rainforests. Habitat preference of endemic avifauna and their threats are least studied in the region. Hence, in this study, habitat characteristics across habitat types and responses of endemic birds to habitat alterations were assessed in four selected mining areas (Masabong and Philsaga in Rosario and Bunawan, Agusan del Sur and Claver, Surigao del Norte) using Canonical Correspondence Analysis, survival envelope, niche position and niche width analyses. High suitability areas in Caraga that potentially harbor viable populations of endemic birds and suitable habitats for the key forest-dependent endemic birds across the landscape were also predicted using species distribution modeling. Among the four selected mine sites in Caraga, Masabong and Claver are good representation of forest ecosystem, while Bunawan and Philsaga are dominated by agro-forests and cultivated areas. A total of 47 endemic birds were encountered in four selected key mine areas of Caraga. Fifty of which are Philippine-endemics (four are near-threatened, three vulnerable and one endangered) and seven of them are Mindanao-endemics (one near-threatened and three vulnerable). Most of the endemic birds prefer advance secondary forests especially the threatened endemics. Some can tolerate regenerating forests but not in the non-forest habitat e.g. cultivation and open, degraded areas which implies sensitivity to forest fragmentation. Most of the predicted high conservation value areas for forest-dependent endemic birds are overlapping with mining concessions and expanding perennial crop plantations. Failure to do effective policy reform and law enforcement in regulating land-use changes in Caraga will most likely compromise the niche requirements of the endemic bird specialists.

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INTRO:
Habitat tolerance of forest bird species in eastern Mindanao, Philippines (a region of high bird endemism) is analyzed in relation with the location of mining concessions.
MERITS:
The manuscript focuses on an often little-studied area of high avian endemism.
CRITIQUE:
There is a major inconsistency in the first part of the results: "A total of 47 endemic birds were encountered in four selected key mine areas of Caraga. Fifty of which are Philippine-endemics...", which doesn't make sense even if fifty was written instead of fifteen. Or is it "A total of 47 bird species were encountered... 15 of which are endemic"? It would be useful to mention habitat types early in the abstract. For example, is there no primary forest in the region? The field method of bird census is not explained. Is it just presence-absence in each habitat type?
DISCUSSION:
The research focuses on a center of high avian endemism within a global biodiversity hotspot (the Philippines), in relation with high-impact human activities (mining and agriculture). It could become the scientific backup to advocate for the protection of critical forest sites within this threatened landscape. The results fit with what is observed elsewhere in the tropics (the older the forest, the richer the avifauna; primary and old secondary forests are critical for most sensitive or endemic species...) and in this regard are not so original. However, they have major country-wide (and global, as many species are endemic) conservation implications.

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INTRO:
This submission presents results of a study of habitat preference of endemic birds found in a diversity hotspot within the Philippines. This study is especially important because many forested areas with high conservation value are part of mining concessions which will likely be developed in the future. The authors found that no endemic birds tolerated the degraded areas caused by existing mining, which indicates that they are likely very sensitive to land-use change. The authors recommend that land-use-change regulations are updated to reflect these findings.
MERITS:
The authors used a wide range of techniques to assess habitat preference, as well as sampled across multiple sites.
CRITIQUE:
Based on the information in the abstract alone, I don't think the authors can make the case that endemic birds are sensitive to fragmentation- the study merely measured preference for one habitat type over another, and while it is clear that endemics avoid areas of extreme habitat degradation, there was no objective assessment of fragmentation effects.
DISCUSSION:
I think that the techniques used in this research will be of interest to many conference attendees, and the research is timely given increasing development of forested areas in the Philippines. However, I recommend that the authors reconsider their statements about fragmentation.