Threatened Plant Species of Mindoro, Philippines

Abstract

There have been some studies on the plant species found in Mindoro, Philippines, but there remains little information in their status particularly at the local level. This paper presents a list of threatened plant species of Mindoro. A list of indicators of the conservation status was formulated for this particular study and was used for categorizing the threatened plant species at the local level. The list recorded 173 threatened plant species from 70 plant families, which are composed of 25 Critically Endangered (CR), 46 Endangered (EN) and 102 Vulnerable (VU) plant species. The species were found to be threatened because of their endemicity, as well as some anthropogenic activities that could lead to the destruction of their habitats and ultimately, their extinction. There are still existing gaps in the knowledge of the flora of Mindoro, and when these gaps are addressed, it is possible that more rare and threatened plants will be added to the list. It is also recommended to utilize the data in the enactment of the laws to address the threats to plant biodiversity loss. Keywords - Botany, threatened plant species, Mindoro, conservation status, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Mindoro, Philippines