Although many of the mountain regions and some of the lowlands remain heavily forested, the country’s forests have been shrinking rapidly for decades. Between the mid-20th century and the early 21st century, the country’s forestland was reduced by more than half—largely a result of logging, mining, and farming activities—and now accounts for less than one-fourth of the country’s total land area. Where forests remain in northern Luzon, the principal mountain tree is pine. In other areas, lauan (Philippine mahogany) often predominates.
Most of the Philippines’ vegetation is indigenous and largely resembles that of Malaysia; the plants and trees of the coastal areas, including themangrove swamps, are practically identical with those of similar regions throughout the Malay Archipelago. Himalayan elements occur in the mountains of northern Luzon, while a few Australian types are found at various altitudes. The islands are home to thousands of species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of species of orchids, some of which are extremely rare. Tall, coarse grasses such as cogon (genus Imperata) have arisen in many places where the forests have been burned away.
The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals, including water buffalo (carabao), goats, horses, hogs, cats, dogs, monkeys, squirrels, lemurs, mice, pangolins (scaly anteaters), chevrotains (mouse deer), mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer, among others. The tamarau (Anoa mindorensis), a species of small water buffalo, is found only on Mindoro. Of more than 50 species of bats, many are peculiar to the Philippines. Fossil remains show that elephants once lived on the islands.
Hundreds of species of birds live in the Philippines, either for all or part of the year. Prominent birdlife includes jungle fowl, pigeons, peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, hornbills, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds, herons, and quails. Many species are endemic to the island of Palawan. The endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is limited mainly to isolated areas on Mindanao and in the Sierra Madre on Luzon.
The seas surrounding the islands and the inland lakes, rivers, estuaries, and ponds are inhabited by no fewer than 2,000 varieties of fish. The Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 in recognition of their abundance and diversity of marine life; in 2009 the boundaries of the World Heritage site were extended to triple its original size. The milkfish, a popular food fish and the national fish of the Philippines, is plentiful in brackish and marine waters. Sea horses are common in the reefs of the Visayan Islands.
A number of species of marine turtles, including the leatherback turtle, are protected, as are the Philippine crocodile and saltwater crocodile. The islands are home to a diverse array of reptiles and amphibians. Water monitor lizards (Varanus salvator) of various sorts have been prized for their skins. Skinks, geckos, and snakes are abundant, and more than 100 species are endemic to the Philippines. The country is also host to many types of frogs, including several flying varieties; most are endemic to the islands.
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