Early twenty-first century biodiversity data pinpoint key targets for bird and mammal conservation in Mindanao, Southern Philippines

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mindanao, one of the three major groups of islands in the Philippines, is known for its diverse and unique species. Despite its biological significance, conservation efforts aimed at protecting its wildlife have been inadequate. To address this, a comprehensive biodiversity synthesis was conducted, focussing on the birds and mammals of Mindanao. This analysis was based on published papers from 2000 to 2022, aiming to identify conservation priorities at both species and site levels. This present synthesis of 69 bird and mammal articles accounted for 404 species of birds (83%) and mammals (17%). As expected, the analysis found that endemic species are more vulnerable to extinction than widely distributed species. The study also showed that endemic and threatened species in Mindanao are more dependent on increasing the remaining forest cover. This study highlights the importance of biodiversity data synthesis to aid in conserving unique species in Mindanao and the need to prioritize conservation efforts based on the distribution and vulnerability of species. Key policy insights Increasing local conservation efforts and studies in Mindanao should be prioritized, particularly for understudied species, interactions, and sites. The findings of the current synthesis support the importance of increasing forest reserves and protected areas to circumvent biodiversity loss in Mindanao. Advocating for FAIR data sharing (referring to findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) among institutions can improve the understanding of biodiversity patterns in Mindanao by ensuring easy access, integration, and reusability of data for research and conservation strategies. The approach used in this work could be applied in other taxonomic groups and sites for comparative analysis of priorities. The biodiversity patterns observed in Mindanao potentially apply to the Philippines as a whole, and these gaps need to be further addressed in future work and funding allocations.