Dash Facts

Total Number of Species of selected Taxonomic Groups from the ASEAN.

Amphibians

Arachnids

Basidiomycota

Bacteria

Birds

Bony Fish

Insects

Mammals

Molluscs

Mosses

Plants

Reptiles

Sac fungi

Frequently Asked Questions

Most Asked

Glimpse

Fact sheets

How many species of bees are in the entire ASEAN?

There are about 970 species of bees found in ASEAN. The most common species i.e. found in the region are Apis andreniformis, Apis cerana, and Apis dorsata.

Which country has the most number of bee species?

Indonesia (463 species), followed by Malaysia (266 species) and Thailand (228 species) – We can also show an infographic for this.

What are the endangered bee species in ASEAN?

There is not much information on the conservation status of bee species in ASEAN. The IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species assessed only 1 out of the 970 species to date. This species is Megachile pluto (Wallace’s Giant Bee), found in Indonesia. The Red List status is Vulnerable.

What is the conservation status of bee species and other pollinators in ASEAN?

The ASEAN Biodiversity Outlook 2 section on Agrobiodiversity reported that:

According to the summary report for policymakers of the thematic assessment on pollinators, pollination, and food production of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the status and trends of pollinators in the ASEAN could not be established due to the lack of data although there have been reports of decline locally.

What are the endangered marine turtle species in the ASEAN Region?

According to the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species, there are four (Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia midas, Lepidochelys olivacea) threatened species under Family Cheloniidae in the ASEAN Region. Another threatened species is Dermochelys coriacea under the Family Dermochelyidae.

What are the ecological importance and unique traits or ecosystem services that Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes sp.) provide?

Pitcher plants are carnivorous and can help control insect populations. In the process of “digesting” their catch, they are not only able to nourish themselves, but also contribute to the associated components in their ecological community, allowing them to survive under very harsh conditions. Natural products from pitcher plants may also have pharmaceutical importance that could protect us from new and emerging diseases.

How many migratory Bat species exist in the ASEAN Region? What is the percentage of Migratory Bats?

According to the CMS species list, there are 11 migratory bat species in the ASEAN Region.The total number of bat species in ASEAN as per IUCN is 364. Therefore, the region is home to approximately less than one percent of migratory bats.

What are some Philippine species that are likely to go extinct due to the rise in global temperature?

The following are species vulnerable to global warming. They are classified as critically endangered in the IUCN RedList. The species include the following: Sulu Hornbill, Philippine Cockatoo, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Cebu Flowerpecker, Hawksbill Turtle, Isabela Oriole, Asian Giant Softshell Turtle, Largetooth Sawfish, Green Sawfish, Galapagos Petrel, Negros Fruit-dove, Rufous-headed Hornbill, Chinese Crested Tern and the Philippine Eagle.

What are the species of pangolins and civet cats in ASEAN? What are the chances of the zoonotic pathogens coming from this taxa?

According to a study published in 2017, of the 10 viruses described in Viverridae species, a third were zoonoses that had significant public health implications. These viruses included the SARS coronavirus (SARS CoV), the HPAI H5N1 and variants of rabies virus. Of the 12 species of Civets found in the ASEAN Region, half were listed in the study as species that are affected by different potential pathogens. List of Civets in the ASEAN Region: Paradoxurus hermaphroditus*, Viverra megaspila, Viverra tangalunga*, Chrotogale owstoni*, Arctictis binturong, Cynogale bennettii, Viverra zibetha*, Diplogale hosei, Viverricula indica*, Hemigalus derbyanus, Macrogalidia musschenbroekii, Paguma larvata*. The species with asterisks denote the ones affected by potential pathogens.

How much percentage of land/sea area do AHPs cover in the ASEAN Region?

Total Terrestrial AHP Area/Total ASEAN Terrestrial Area x100 = 2.05%

Total Marine AHP Area/Total ASEAN Marine Area x100 = 0.24%

Distribution of Rafflesia species in the Philippines

**(adapted from Pelser et al., 2019)**

This map shows the distribution of the genus Rafflesia in the Philippines, a group of parasitic plants and the world’s largest flowers. It shows 13 species of Rafflesia found in the Philippines. Species are spread across the various islands of the Philippines, including Luzon, Mindanao, Panay, and Samar, among others. Importantly, each flower size is given in centimeters representing large variation among species for flower size, with several species having flowers reaching over 75 cm in diameter. Each of the Rafflesia species is identified with their scientific name and represented with a flower image, For example Rafflesia consueloae found on Luzon, Rafflesia mira, and Rafflesia schadenbergiana on Mindanao.

Some species have fragmented populations across different regions, while others are more localized or at least historically restricted. Also, it includes colored dots on the map showing current and historical locations of each species underlining the geographic variety of these special plants in the Philippines. Further, the detailed distribution gives suggestions for possible conservation efforts toward these rare and remarkable plants, especially where historic populat nions no longer exist.

Molecular phylogenetic studies of Rafflesia in Asian region with emphasis in the dispersal in the Philippines (adapted from Pelser PB et al 2019)

The figure above represents a phylogenetic tree depicting the evolutionary relationships among Rafflesiaceae, a family of parasitic plants, and their geographic distribution across Southeast Asia and the Philippines. The left-hand map displays the main islands or regions in the Philippines from A to F, with red for Luzon and light blue for Mindanao.

This map shows the arrows depicting possible dispersal patterns of Rafflesia species across the Philippines. The right phylogenetic tree outlines the evolutionary divergence of the species across temporal scales from Late Cretaceous, at about 100 million years ago, to the Pliocene epoch, 0 million years ago. Each node in the tree represents a species of Rafflesia and related genera, Sapria and Rhizanthes; colored circles represent their geographic location as shown on the map.

Limestone karst map of ASEAN region (revised from Chen et al. 2017, Liu et al. 2018)

*alpha-2 codes of countries are from https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/# search/code/

The map shows that most of the karst areas, shown as regions of blue color for carbonate rock, occur along tectonic margins, specifically near subduction zones and faultlines. For instance, distinguishable karst landscapes are found in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia because of the interactions between the Philippine Plate, Eurasian Plate, and Indo-Australian Plate. This observation would suggest that tectonic processes like uplift and faulting are responsible for bringing structures of limestones to the surface, thus creating an environment for karst development. The existence of primary and secondary subduction structure lines (depicted as red and purple dashed lines) in proximity to these karst regions suggests that tectonic activities play a significant role in shaping underground water dynamics, which is crucial for karstification processes, ultimately resulting in the development of caves, sinkholes, and subterranean rivers.

The map underscores the significant correlation between tectonic activity and the distribution of karst formations in Southeast Asia. Karst topographies are predominantly situated along regions of active plate boundaries, where geological processes sculpt both the terrestrial landscape and subterranean features such as caves and springs. This map highlights the intricate interplay between geological processes occurring within the Earth and the emergence of distinctive karst ecosystems throughout this area.

Reference:

Jiang G, Chen Z, Siripornpibul C, Haryono E, Nguyen NX, Oo T, Manzano LSC, Vongphachanch S, Kong S, Guo F. (2020). The karst environment in Southeast Asia characteristics, challenges, and approaches. Hydrogeology Journal 29(9): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10040-020-02267-y

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