Hotspot: An Overview on Philippine Biodiversity

The Philippine Archipelago
Image courtesy of Google Images

                With 7,100+ islands composing the archipelagic state of the Philippines, it is considered as the second largest archipelago in the world next to Indonesia. Moreover, across and around these macro and micro islands, a rich population of flora and fauna can be found in the country. Some are endemic. Some are not. Some are still waiting to be discovered.

Chocolate Hills, Bohol
Image courtesy of Google Images

                According to The Encyclopedia of Earth (www.eoearth.org) , Philippines is one of the biologically rich countries in the globe. Known as the Pearl of The Orient, situated near the Pacific Ring of Fire along the equator, Philippines is considered as a Biodiversity Hotspot. Ergo, the country’s local biodiversity is undeniably prosperous and dynamic. The country is one of the few nations that is, in its entirety, both a hotspot and a megadiversity place, placing it among the top priority hotspots for global conservation and development.

Mayon Volcano
Image courtesy of Google Images

    Hundreds of years ago, most of the Philippine islands were covered in rain forest. The bulk of the country was blanketed by lowland rainforests dominated by towering dipterocarps (Dipterocarpaceae), prized for their beautiful and straight hardwood. At higher elevations, the lowland forests are replaced by montane and mossy forests that consist mostly of smaller trees and vegetation. Small regions of seasonal forest, mixed forest and savanna, and pine-dominated cloud forest covered the remaining land area. (http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org)

Banaue Rice Terraces
Image courtesy of Google Images

                 Facts have been delivered. Truth is, Philippines is really a sanctuary that houses a vast diversity of species that must be preserved and conserved. The challenge now for us, Filipinos, is how can we instill into our minds the idea of protecting these gems and blessings of Mother Nature? Currently, the country is facing an excruciating ordeal on dealing with different environmental issues that put the Philippine Biodiversity into peril. Let’s not compromise our future. Philippines is a hotspot. She is in danger as well. Let’s protect, preserve, and love what we have.




By: Jaybee T. Domingo