The Mindanao montane rain forests cover the higher slopes of Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines, occurring as seven discontinuous patches above roughly 1,000 meters that are surrounded by lowland rainforest, and rising to the stratovolcano Mount Apo at 2,954 meters. The forest grades from hill dipterocarp stands at lower elevations into stunted, gnarled "elfin" or mossy woodlands near the summits, where montane conifers such as Agathis philippinensis, Phyllocladus, and Dacrycarpus appear alongside Lithocarpus. The climate is tropical and humid, with a July-to-November rainy season delivering most of the annual rainfall and average temperatures hovering near 29 degrees Celsius with little seasonal variation. Because most surrounding lowland forest has been cleared, these montane islands act as a vital refuge for rare and endemic wildlife, and the ecoregion is the flagship range of the critically endangered Philippine eagle, of which Mindanao holds about half the remaining population. For gardeners drawn to unusual ornamentals, the region is also a stronghold for tropical pitcher plants, hosting 13 of the 21 Philippine Nepenthes species, all endemic to Mindanao.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 7.9°N, 124.9°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
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
7,025 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: