Ligawasan (river marshes)
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| Location: | Philippines | ||
| Specialty: | Mindanao | ||
| Next city: | Cotabato , | ||
| Surface: | 300 km² | ||
The Ligawasan is a river marshland on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines . The river marsh covers 288,000 hectares in the three provinces of Maguindanao , Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato . It is one of the largest wetlands in the Philippines and consists of three main areas, the Ligawasan, Libungan, and Ebpanan River Marshes. The Ligawasan belongs to the catchment area of the Rio Grande de Mindanao ; the rivers Buluan, Maganao and Alah run through it.
It is a whole complex of rivers, small freshwater lakes, ponds and marshland. They form a so-called inland delta with drainage. During the year there are different water levels in the rivers and lakes in this area. Entire areas in the Mindanao Basin are occasionally flooded, especially when it rains heavily. In the Ligawasan river marshes there are large alluvial forests and wetlands that serve as a habitat for ducks , herons , and great egrets , but also for coastal birds such as seagulls .
The river marsh is an important habitat for endemic species such as the Philippine eagle , the Philippine duck and the Philippine crocodile . A total of 92 bird species, six reptile species and five amphibian species were observed in the floodplains. So far 33 species of fish have been counted in the rivers and lakes.
So far, 194 species of plants have been identified in the wetlands, divided into 65 different genera. Twelve of these plant species are endemic to the Philippines.
Approx. 30,000 hectares of the wetland are under nature protection and are designated as bird sanctuaries.
See also
Other swamp, wet and marshland landscapes in the Philippines