Mt. Pangasugan: Home to Rare Species
And Endemic Life Forms
Home to a number of extremely rare species and endemic
life forms, Mt. Pangasugan is located north of the west coastal
town of Baybay Leyte. Mt. Pangasugan lies at the western boundary
of an area that is 150 square kilometer or more, lying on
and between the two principal ridges that run North-South
down the west coast and the center of the island.
With an elevation of about 1,150 meters above sea level, Mt. Pangasugan
is extremely steep, rising from sea level to a distance of about
four kilometers. Most of this rise occurs over a distance of two
kilometers. Compared with other mountains like Kanlaon of Negros
or Kalatungan of Mindandao, Mt. Pangasugan is relatively low mountain.
But it is one of the highest peaks of the Central Cordillera of
Leyte.
The western side of the mountain is composed of parallel
ridges which descend gradually to the narrow alluvial plain.
The northern and southern ridges are generally steep giving
rise to the young rivers like Pangasugan, Lago-lago and Calbigaa
rivers.
Some of the remaining forests in Leyte region can still
be found on the higher elevations and on the slopes of Mt.
Pangasugan.
The mountain has one of the few remaining forest in the Philippines
which is less disturbed and still provides more or less diverse
and varied habitats for "anthropod communities " .
Sources:
- Milan, et. al. 1993. Anthropod Abundance and Diversity
in Ecosystems of Mt. Pangasugan, Baybay Leyte with Special
Reference to the Coleoptera and Hymenoptera Fauna.
- Lawrence R. Heaney et al. 1989. Elevational Zonation of
Mammals in the Central Philippines.
Journal of Tropical Ecology
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