The Luzon montane rain forests cloak the higher slopes of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, blanketing peaks above roughly 1,000 metres across the Sierra Madre, the Cordillera Central highlands, the Zambales Mountains, and volcanic cones such as Mayon and Mount Banahaw. With increasing altitude the dipterocarp trees of the lowlands give way to oak and laurel forest, with families such as Fagaceae, Lauraceae, and Podocarpaceae prominent, and the highest ridges grading into mossy elfin forest draped in moss and aerial plants. The climate is wet and tropical, with rain falling throughout the year and intensifying with exposure to typhoons and storms, so that some areas receive exceptionally high annual rainfall. The mountains are a hotspot of endemism: scientists have described 52 non-flying mammals, including cloud rats and earthworm mice, found nowhere else on Earth, and the ecoregion is rated Critically Endangered, with about 46 percent of its area under formal protection. Gardeners may recognize native ornamentals here, including Rhododendron and Clethra, which reflect the cool, humid montane character of these forests.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 16.1°N, 121.4°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.0°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Indomalayan
Approximate area
3,205 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: