A preliminary checklist of vascular plants of Mt. Arayat National Park, Pampanga, Philippines

Abstract

The Mt. Arayat National Park (MANP) is one of the oldest national parks and protected areas in the Philippines. However, very few published studies have been carried out despite its speculated high potential of biodiversity. Therefore, this paper intends to provide a preliminary checklist of vascular plants in MANP with emphasis on their conservation status. Several floristic surveys were conducted in the South and North peaks of MANP. A total of 98 species belonging to 92 genera and 43 families were identified. Of them, Leguminosae was the largest family which contributed 10 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae with 7 species each. The most dominated genera were: Ficus with 3 species, and Artocarpus, Litsea, and Macaranga with 2 species each. Based on IUCN criteria and DENR records, a total of 10 species were threatened while only 8 were least concern and the rest were not evaluated. Among those threatened plants, Cycas riuminiana was the most notable due to its endemicity in MANP. The slash-and-burn farming was one the several threats witnessed in the mountain. Thus, this checklist is vital as it provides a scientific information on MANP's plant diversity and distribution which is a useful starting point for further ecological and bio-prospective research in the area.