Sierra Madre (Philippines)
Encyclopedia
The Sierra Madre is a mountain range
in The Philippines. It is located along the north-eastern coast of Luzon
Island, running north/south. Quezon National Forest Park
is situated in the range.
of Cagayan
and ends in the south in the province of Quezon
, just east of Laguna de Bay
. To the west as it reaches the province of Nueva Vizcaya
to form the Caraballo Mountains, with which it connects with the Cordillera Central
range.
The range's highest point is Mount Anacuao at 6069 feet (1,849.8 m). Several of the range's mountains are dramatic landforms, such as Mount Mirador
which has views of Luzon from the peak. Ecoregion
s in the range are in the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
(lower) and Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
(higher) biomes.
(common name: Butikaw) was described to science, although the Aeta
and Ilongot
indigenous peoples
have known and used it as a food source.
habitat
is threatened by human activities. Settlers living at the lower portions of the slopes generally are supported by work in logging and coal-making. Some portions of the forest cover are already second growth forest.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in The Philippines. It is located along the north-eastern coast of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
Island, running north/south. Quezon National Forest Park
Quezon National Forest Park
The Quezon National Forest Park is a national park in The Philippines. It is situated between the towns of Pagbilao, Padre Burgos and Atimonan, in the province of Quezon. The park covers the western end of the isthmus of Luzon at southeastern Luzon Island, located southeast of Metro...
is situated in the range.
Geography
The Sierra Madre is the longest mountain range in the Philippines. The range starts in the in the north in the provinceProvinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
and ends in the south in the province of Quezon
Quezon
-History:Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces....
, just east of Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...
. To the west as it reaches the province of Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.-History, people and culture:The name was derived from the...
to form the Caraballo Mountains, with which it connects with the Cordillera Central
Cordillera Central, Luzon
The Cordillera Central is a massive mountain range situated in the northern central part of the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. Several provinces bound it, namely Benguet, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Baguio, a chartered city located entirely within Benguet...
range.
The range's highest point is Mount Anacuao at 6069 feet (1,849.8 m). Several of the range's mountains are dramatic landforms, such as Mount Mirador
Mount Mirador
Mount Mirador is a mountain in the Sierra Madre mountain range, located on Luzon Island in the The Philippines.-Geography:The peak is situated in the center of the Quezon National Forest Park, near the town of Atimonan, in Quezon Province.-Features:...
which has views of Luzon from the peak. Ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
s in the range are in the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
(lower) and Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a forest biome. They are located in regions of semi-humid climate at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Most tropical and subtropical coniferous forest ecoregions are found in the Nearctic and Neotropic ecozones, from Mexico to Nicaragua and on the...
(higher) biomes.
Endemic species
In the forest, in April 2010, the endemic lizard species Northern Sierra Madre Forest monitor lizard - Varanus bitatawaVaranus bitatawa
Varanus bitatawa, known by the common name northern Sierra Madre Forest monitor lizard, is a large, arboreal, frugivorous lizard of the genus Varanus. The lizard is eaten by the Aeta and Ilongot indigenous people of the Philippines, who call it Butikaw.-Physical description:The forest monitor...
(common name: Butikaw) was described to science, although the Aeta
Aeta
The Aeta , Agta or Ayta are an indigenous people who live in scattered, isolated mountainous parts of Luzon, Philippines. They are considered to be Negritos, who are dark to very dark brown-skinned and tend to have features such as a small stature, small frame, curly to kinky afro-like textured...
and Ilongot
Ilongot
Ilongot can refer to:*Ilongot language*Ilongot people...
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
have known and used it as a food source.
Human Activities
The Sierra Madre mountain range forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is threatened by human activities. Settlers living at the lower portions of the slopes generally are supported by work in logging and coal-making. Some portions of the forest cover are already second growth forest.