1998 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 19-32
The altitudinal zonation of the montane forest of Mt. Pulog (2924 m altitude), Cordillera mountain range, the highest mountain in Luzon Is., Philippines was described and compared with other mountains in the Philippines and in the tropics. Three vegetation zones were distinguished from ca. 2000 m to 2700 m altitude each indicated by the common dominant species in the site ; Zone I (ca. 2000 m to 2400 m altitude), Finns, zone composed of a distinct pure Pinus forest (ca. 2000 m to 2300 m altitude) and a Pinus-Deutzia-Schefflera forest (ca. 2300 m to 2400 m altitude, Zone II (ca. 2400 m to 2600 m altitude), Lithocarpus-Dacrycarpus-Syzygium-Leptospermum forest and, Zone III (ca. 2600 m to 2700 m altitude), Rhododendron-Clethra-Eurya forest. The floristic character was not similar to the other mountains in southern Luzon and the rest of the Philippines because of the presence of a number of northern types (e.g. Skimmia, Pinus, Ilex and others) on Mt. Pulog. The number of species and species diversity, DBH, and height tended to decrease with increasing altitude. Dominant component species at the upper altitudinal forest zones were found to be the same species forming the understory elements of the lower altitudinal forest zones. The change of the vegetation between each zone was not gradual in contrast with the other tropical mountains. Mt. Pulog appears to be a southern extension of north temperate flora and the northernmost limit of the tropical mossy forest, a unique forest type within the montane zone in the tropics.
