Inventory and abundance of non-volant mammals and birds in the unprotected regions of the Mount Apo Range, Philippines

Abstract

Wildlife, such as non-volant mammals and birds, play a vital role in the maintenance of ecosystem health. They are considered ecological engineers that influence forest vegetation. However, due to deforestation, habitat loss, and human persecution, its population status has declined over the years. This study aimed to conduct a species inventory and assess the relative abundance of non-volant mammals and birds in the unprotected regions of the Mt. Apo Range, Philippines, through camera trapping methods. Furthermore, the anthropogenic threats observed in the study areas were also documented. A total of 1,106 camera trap days were carried out in 2016 and another 500 days in 2020. Based on 260 independent sequences for both the 2016 and 2020 surveys, 12 species were identified, consisting of eight non-volant mammals and four birds. Among the identified species are the Endangered Philippine Brown Deer Rusa marianna & Philippine Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis philippensis and the Vulnerable Giant Scops-owl Otus gurneyi & the Philippine Warty Pig Sus philippensis. Video evidence of the Philippine Warty Pig Sus philippensis performing an important ecological role as an ecological engineer in the Philippine tropical forests were also captured for the first time. Another 61 independent sequences of unidentified rodents were detected in the camera traps, requiring further species monitoring techniques. Conservation must be strengthened beyond the protected landscapes of the Mt. Apo Range through community-based forest governance. This will ensure that the forest vertebrates are protected and conserved from further anthropogenic pressures.