Ferns and Lycophytes of Mt. Tago Range, Bukidnon, Southern Philippines: Species Richness, Distribution, and Conservation Status

Abstract

The species of ferns and lycophytes of Mt. Tago range are here documented in a checklist, along with information on their distribution and conservation status. The list is based on a comprehensive field survey conducted by the authors in 2018 and 2019 and comprises 203 species belonging to 29 families and 89 genera. Of these species, 187 are ferns and 16 are lycophytes. Eighty-six species are epiphytes, 85 are terrestrial, 12 are tree ferns, 6 are hemiepiphytes, and 14 species have more than one growth form. The number of species constitutes about 19% and 33% of the total number of pteridophyte species in the Philippines and Mindanao Island, respectively. The highest species richness was observed in the upper montane rainforest. Seventeen species are classified as broadly distributed Philippine endemics whereas four species are endemic to Mindanao. One species (Alsophila commutata Mett.) was newly documented for the Philippines and three species [Pteris whitfordii Copel., Selliguea elmeri (Copel.) Ching, and Selliguea pyrolifolia (Goldm.) Hovenkamp] were newly documented for Mindanao Island. Of the 28 threatened species recorded, one is critically endangered, 13 are endangered, nine are vulnerable, and five are considered other threatened species.