
Around 30 scientists, researchers, and students from UPLB, as well as 16 scientists from the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Paris, France, are now scouring Mt. Tapulao–the highest peak of Central Luzon in the Zambales Mountain Range–to explore and document its biodiversity.
Mt. Tapulao is among the recognized Key Biodiversity Areas in Luzon, Philippines, and is considered an important site for biodiversity conservation efforts. Although known for its rich flora and fauna, scientific knowledge of Mt. Tapulao remains limited.
Hence, the month-long joint expedition by UPLB and MNHN participants was set to explore and document the biodiversity of Mt. Tapulao. It aims to generate comprehensive biodiversity profiles of the mountain, including its vegetation quality, plant species, terrestrial vertebrates, and arthropods.
The UPLB participants come from various specializations, including botany, carcinology, entomology, herpetology, malacology, mammalogy, mycology, ornithology, and pteridology.
They are joined by a dozen French nationals who work with the MNHN, three Austrians, and a Chinese national.
Entomologists from the President Ramon Magsaysay State University in Iba, Zambales, and from the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, Cotabato, joined the Filipino contingent as collaborating researchers.
The expedition, through the project “Biodiversity Inventory and Assessment in Mount Tapulao, Luzon, Philippines,” is led locally by Dr. Sheryl A. Yap of the Institute of Weed Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology (IWEP) and a curator of the UPLB Museum of Natural History.
The UPLB team includes scientists, researchers, and students from IWEP, the Institute of Biological Sciences, and the Museum of Natural History.
The international counterparts are led by Dr. Eric Guilbert of the Département Adaptations du Vivant of MNHN.
According to Yap, the expedition, which has been funded by the MNHN through the UPLB Foundation, Inc., will also evaluate the mountain’s conservation status, assess the extent of human activity in the area, and identify priority species for conservation, and appropriate plant species for reforestation efforts.
“We plan to do mapping to delineate forest cover, pinpoint biodiversity hotspots, and identify areas in Mt. Tapulao, which are significantly impacted by human activities,” Dr. Yap said in an email interview.
According to Dr. Guilbert, this expedition is just one of the many activities that will be pursued during the five-year collaboration between UPLB and the French Museum. “Aside from mutually beneficial scientific collaborations, we will be pursuing scientist and student exchange in the near future,” he said.
The expedition began on January 10 and will culminate on February 1, 2025. It is part of the collaborative project between UPLB and the French Museum (Ana Margarita S. Palma & Florante A. Cruz)