ISSN: 2067-533X INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSERVATION SCIENCE Volume 15, Issue 3, 2024: 1533-1552 www.ijcs.ro DOI: 10.36868/IJCS.2024.03.24 LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE ON LAND SNAIL DIVERSITY IN MOUNT BANAHAW, PHILIPPINES Kinsley Meg G. PEREZ 1 * , Lorena L. SABINO 2 , Carmelita M. REBANCOS 1 , Juan Carlos T. GONZALEZ 3 , Emmanuel Ryan C. DE CHAVEZ 3 , Virginia C. CUEVAS 1,4 1 School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines 2 Department of Social Forestry and Forest Governance, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines 3 Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines 4 Environmental Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines Abstract Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is a community-based conservation effort that promotes sustainable management of natural resources. However, studies on LEK are very limited in the Philippines. To address this information gap, LEK on land snails in Mount Banahaw, Luzon Island, Philippines was investigated. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in the four communities (Dolores, Lucban, Tayabas and Majayjay) along the slope of the mountain. A snail calendar was used as a tool for identifying the hunting season and practices of these communities on land snails. The results showed that the communities were knowledgeable on macro land snails (>5 mm shell size) such as the introduced species, Lissachatina fulica and the endemic and edible, Ryssota otaheitana, but were unaware of micro land snails (<5 mm shell size). Locals also demonstrated an awareness of the snails’ ecosystem functions as a food source for other animals and agents of nutrient cycling. Additionally, sustainable hunting of R. otaheitana in communities was observed. Only adult R. otaheitana were harvested, leaving the juveniles to grow and reproduce. In Lucban, the people hunted while they were waiting for the harvest season of their crops. In Tayabas, the community observed that the snail was abundant during wet and moist soil conditions when leaf litter, its primary food, decomposed easily. In Majayjay, hunting was associated with the blooming of the flowering plant, Erythrina variegata. In Dolores, hunting was practiced after clearing farmland. This research underscores the importance of determining LEK in developing policies and regulations on sustainable utilization and conservation of land snails in a tropical forest setting. Keywords: Local ecological knowledge; Land snails, Mount Banahaw; Key Informant Interview; Focus Group Discussion Introduction Local ecological knowledge (LEK), also referred to as “Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge” (IEK) or “Traditional Ecological Knowledge” (TEK), is the knowledge held by a group of people in a specific location about their local ecosystem. It is a combination of practical and scientific knowledge, which may also involve a belief system [1-3]. Typically found in rural settings, LEK is site-specific and unique to the local environment. * Corresponding author: kgperez2@up.edu.ph