Philippine Biodiversity: Status
Biodiversity as defined in the UNCBD is “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part”. Biodiversity consists of variety of species, their genetic make-up, and the communities or population for which they belong.
The Philippines is considered as one of the megadiverse country in the world. Considering 7,100 islands, the Philippines has many endemic species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater, and invertebrates. The table below shows the number and percent endemism of each taxonomic group:
Taxonomic Group
Species
Endemic Species
Percent Endemism
Plants
9,253
6,091
65.8
Mammals
167
102
61.1
Birds
535
186
34.8
Reptiles
237
160
67.5
Amphibians
89
76
85.4
Freshwater Fishes
281
67
23.8
