Mount Timolan Protected Landscape

The protected landscape is an important watershed of several river systems supporting irrigation for the surrounding rice paddies and lowland communities. It spans six barangays or rural villages in Tigbao namely, New Tuburan, Timolan, Upper Nilo, Maragang, Limas and Guinling, and one each in San Miguel and Guipos municipalities namely, Dumalinao and Datagan, respectively.[5] The park is characterized by steep slopes and dividing ridges, with rolling to moderately undulating topography.[5] Lowland forests cover eighty percent (80%) of the landscape with the remaining areas consisting of secondary grassland.[3] The headwaters of the Dinas and Labangan rivers are found here, and is also crossed by the Limonan, Lapuyan and Kumalarang rivers.[3][5] The park also contains several streams and freshwater lakes, including Lake Timolan which has been transformed into a marshy area.[3]

Mount Timolan's landscape area is composed of 80% natural dipterocarp forests, as well 7% man-made forest plantation of gmelina and acacia. In the open bushland grow cogon grass and other species of family Graminae.[5] It is an important bird area being home to the Philippine eagle, Philippine cockatoo, Philippine hawk eagle, brahminy kite, hornbill kite, wild ducks, pigeons, fruit doves, and jungle owls.[3][5] It is also a habitat of the Philippine tarsier, Philippine warty pig, Asian palm civet cat (also known as alamid), Philippine pygmy squirrel, Philippine tree squirrel, and reptiles such as the Philippine sailfin lizard, water monitor, snakes and geckos.[3][5]