Subic Watershed Forest Reserve
| Subic Watershed Forest Reserve | |||
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| Location: | Philippines | ||
| Specialty: | Zambales , Bataan | ||
| Next city: | Olongapo City | ||
| Surface: | 62.61 km² | ||
| Founding: | 1992 | ||
The Subic Watershed Forest Reserve is located in the northwest of the Bataan Province and in the south of the Zambales Province on the island of Luzon in the Philippines . It extends over an area of 6,261 hectares, from the northwest slopes of Mount Natib to Subic Bay . It was created with the entry into force of Republic Act 7227 in 1992. The nature reserve borders the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in the northwest and was part of the United States Naval Base Subic Bay until the US Navy withdrew . In the southeast the Bataan National Park joins and it belongs to the Zambales Biosphere Zone.
The Subic Watershed Forest Reserve is located in a varied natural setting that includes grass savannahs and evergreen lowland rainforests . The forest areas of the nature reserve and the surrounding areas cover approx. 9,800 hectares, in which a total of 745 different plant species have been found. In the edge zones of the nature reserve there are areas used for agriculture that alternate with built-up areas. However, the forests are threatened by slash-and-burn and illegal logging. The eruption of Pinatubo in the north in 1991 caused lasting damage to the forests in the national park.
The nature reserve provides a habitat for the giant bark rats ( Phloeomys pallidus ), the golden crowned flying fox ( Acerodon jubatus ), the Philippine deer ( Cervus mariannus ) and the Philippine pustular pig ( Sus philippensis ) endemic to the Philippines .
Under the Avifauna are remarkably the Philippines duck ( Anas luzonica ), the Philippines hood Adler ( Nisaetus philippensis ), the red-vented cockatoo ( Cacatua haematuropygia ), the Luzon-Spatelschwanzpapagei ( Prioniturus luconensis ), the Philippine Eagle-Owl ( Bubo philippensis ) and Manila Papageiamadine ( Erythrura viridifacies ) .