Contrasting Biodiversity Monitoring Methods in Two NIPAS Sites in Luzon, Philippines: A Mini-Review

Protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) in the Philippines serve as critical habitats for biodiversity conservation. This mini-review compares two biodiversity monitoring approaches used in NIPAS-declared areas of Luzon remote sensing in Mt. Pulag National Park and field-based rapid biodiversity assessment in Bataan National Park. The Mt. Pulag study employed Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to detect forest disturbance, while the Bataan study conducted species-level surveys to document biological richness. The review highlights key differences in data type, scale, and application: remote sensing allows for broad-scale, time-series habitat monitoring, while ground-based surveys offer direct ecological insights but are limited by time and area. The review concludes that combining these approaches can create a more effective and adaptive biodiversity monitoring system, aligned with the objectives of the NIPAS framework. An integrated method linking technology, field data, and local participation will better support conservation decision-making in protected areas.