Pinanga sclerophylla

One of the main threats being faced by Pinanga sclerophylla is the continuous loss of its quality of habitat. It was reported by Villanueva and Buot (2016) hat Mount Halcon has one of the very few remaining intact primary forests of Mindoro Province, due to the after-effects of the continuous degradation within adjacent municipalities. This is in turn will have a negative influence and restrict the natural habitat of the species. These disturbed areas within Mt. Halcon include Mt. Baco, a site of extensive logging at 700 m asl, and Mt. Ilong, where illegal pit-saw logging nearby destroyed the forests below 850 meters m asl (BirdLife International 2019). Activities including commercial logging, intensive agriculture, and infrastructure development or land conversion were the primary drivers which has led to the lowland forest becoming remnant in the province of Oriental Mindoro (Schult 2011). Moreover, Villanueva and Buot (2016) indicated that, in terms of natural causes, typhoons, flooding, and strong winds are some of the main drivers for habitat loss in the area. These claims are supported by Global Forest Watch Analysis (GFW 2020) where 2,500 hectares of tree cover were lost from 2001 to 2018 recorded only at Baco and San Teodoro. This accounts to almost 13 percent of the total tree cover loss in the whole province of Oriental Mindoro.

To date, there are no known conservation measures that were specifically implemented to protect Pinanga sclerophylla. But, Mt. Halcon itself is considered to be one of the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in the Philippines, which is a priority area for conservation in the country (DENR-BMB et al. 2006). However, the lack of strict protection mechanisms has been illustrated by recent continuous decline in the local habitat, and in these areas. Actions such as artificial propagation, species reintroduction, and species recovery are some of the most essential measures in assuring the continuity of the species. It is also recommended that there are additional surveys of the area to verify the species' distribution and any species-specific threats.