CHAPTER 4: PEOPLE

AND FORESTS
GE-PES: PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEMS
OVERVIEW
• Learning Outcomes

• Initial Activity
• Discussion

• Philippine Forests
• Philippine Forests
• Issues on the Philippine Forests

• Evaluation
• Rubrics

• References
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After going through in this chapter, you should be able to:
• Discuss the different types of forests in Palawan.

• Assess impacts of issues and problems of terrestrial ecosystems in the

Philippines.
• Propose mitigating measures to address some contemporary issues in Philippine
forests
INITIAL ACTIVITY
The following are plant species endemic in Palawan. Try to guess their common
names:
PHILIPPINE FORESTS
• One of the most valuable resources in the Philippines is its forests. Forests
provide wide
range of ecosystem services, including provisional (food crops, timber, non-timber
food
products, medicine), regulatory (climate regulation, water filtration, carbon
sequestration),
support (biodiversity, productivity, pollination), and cultural services
(education,
recreation). Furthermore, according to the National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples
(NCIP), forests is a primary settlement area to around 12-15 million indigenous
peoples.
These communities rely on forest as their source of livelihood.
THERE ARE THREE CLASSIFICATIONS OF FORESTS:
• Open canopy forest in which all lands with tree canopy has a density of 10
percent and
more but less than 40 percent

• Closed canopy forest where the average canopy area is between 60-100 percent
• Mangrove forests consisting of several the different species of mangroves
PALAWAN FORESTS
• According to the Forest Management Bureau, in 2010 the forest cover of the
Philippines is
around 6.8 million hectares. Based on the forest cover, 28% is closed forest, 67%
open forest,
while the rest is of mangrove type. Among the provinces, Palawan has the biggest
forest cover,
around 700,000 hectares.
• Palawan is situated on the Sunda Shelf, together with Borneo (Malaysia). During
early
geological period, Palawan was connected to Borneo by a land bridge. This allowed
migration
of the dominant vegetation from Malaysia to Southern Palawan. Changes in the
landforms
later broke this connection, making the flora migrate further to Calamianes Islands
but not
reaching the Mindoro Strait. This explains the contrast between the vegetation in
Palawan
with those of the rest of the islands in the Philippines. Palawan flora resembles
those of
Borneo.
VEGETATION OF PALAWAN

1.

Mangrove and Nipa Grove

2.

Beach Forest
[Link] Over Limestone

4. Forest Over Ultramafic Rock

5. Lowland Evergreen Forest

6. Lowland Semi-deciduous Forest

• Sub-montane Forest
ISSUES ON THE PHILIPPINE FORESTS
Introduction of Exotic and Invasive Species- Exotic species are organisms that are
introduced to environment they are not native. These organisms have the tendency to
invade and proliferate easily in the area since it is possible that no predators
prey on that
particular exotic species. They compete aggressively with endemic species when it
comes
to natural resources and thus could reduce the organisms naturally inhabiting the
area and
could even replace them. Introduction of invasive species has been recognized as
one of the
main causes of global biodiversity loss.
PLANTS ANIMALS
• Acacia mangium
• Eichhornia crassipes

• Pomacea canaliculata
OTHER INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE PHILIPPINES
INCLUDE
PREVENTION OF THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES
• Eradication of invasion gets problematic once an extensive spread of invasive
species has
occurred in an area. Hence, the most effective way to combat the invasion is to
prevent
them from occurring in the first place. According to [Link], here are the
guidelines
we can use to help stop the introduction and spread of invasive species:
• Refrain from buying ornamental plants that are known to be invasive. If you have
invasive
plants in your garden, try to replace them with local plants that are non-invasive.

• When travelling across different water bodies, make sure you use a boat that are
cleaned
thoroughly. It is possible that plants and wildlife are transported to other places
without
us knowing. These organisms could potentially be invasive when introduced to other
environment.
• Your boots and hiking outfit could carry weed seeds and pathogens that can be
carried
to the new area. Make sure you always check and clean them.
• Do not “pack pests” when hiking. Fruits, vegetables, and snacks that you bring
when
travelling might contain pests that are not seen by naked eye. When you throw the
food
scraps, these pests can be introduced in the environment and there can become
invasive
in the place where you left them.
• Never release aquarium fish, plants, and animals in the wild. As much as
possible, do not
own exotic pet if you can not commit to look after them.

• Report any cases of invasion in your area. There are some organizations that are
dedicated to the eradication of spread of invasive species. Volunteer to their
programs to
help remove invasive species.
GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD
OF INVASIVE SPECIES
• There have been efforts by the Philippine government to combat the growing issue
of
species invasion in the Philippines. For instance, the Department of Environment
and
Natural Resources (DENR) have formulated the National Invasive Species Strategy and
Action Plan [Link] aim is to minimize the impacts of invasive alien species
on
biodiversity, economy and human health. As emphasized in the plan, solving the
problem
would require timely, efficient, and judicious enforcement of laws and regulations;
focused
research; enhanced multi-sectoral participation; stronger public awareness and
involvement; collective action; and better information exchange. The figure on the
next
page shows the conceptual framework of the management strategy that was formulated
by the DENR.
• Legislations related to invasive species also contribute to the prevention spread
of invasion. Efforts
of the local government unit are much needed in minimizing the environmental
impacts in their
respective area of authority. For example, a remarkable action was made by the city
government of
Puerto Princesa by proposing ordinance prohibiting the introduction and planting of
invasive tree
species in all 66 barangays. The ordinance is entitled “Invasive Species Ordinance”
which was
submitted to the City Council on 2019. According to Hon. Jimmy Carbonell, the
author of the said
ordinance, it is the aim to promulgate the plans of the Environment and Natural
Resources Office
(ENRO) to fight the growing issue of invasive species in the city. Furthermore, the
public
engagement in the removal of invasive species as well as educating them not to
plant further the
specified tree species.

• The identified invasive tree species in the ordinance include African Tulip
(Spathodea campanulata),
Alibangbang (Bauhinia malabarica), Gmelina/Yemane (Gmelina arborea), Ipil-Ipil
(Leucaena
leucocephala), Large-Leaf or Big-Leaved Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), Mangium
(Acacia
mangium), Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyriferia), and Rubber Tree (Hevea
brasiliensis).
The said invasive species are known to be threats to the ecosystem. They tend to
reproduce rapidly
and overwhelm the native trees that thrive in the area. When left unrestrained,
these invasive species
can lead to numerous environmental and human health impacts. Once approved, the
ordinance will
prohibit any individual, group or community to introduce or plant the said
[Link] will be
penalized as follows: P1,000 for the first offense; P3,000 for the second, and
P5,000 or community
service for the third depending upon the discretion of the court.
FOREST CONVERSION
• Forest conversion is the clearing of natural forests to make land suitable for
other use such as
agriculture, , housing, infrastructure, mineral extraction. It is considered as the
main cause of
deforestation worldwide today. Most people engaging in forest conversion are driven
by economic
reasons. Meanwhile, indigenous communities indulge in deforestation for subsistence
faming.
• The rate of forest conversion is most rapid among developing tropical regions
such as the Philippines.
This is mainly due to increasing foreign investments, most commonly by big
commercial companies
requiring large amount of resources. For instance, forest conversion has been very
extensive among
Southeast Asian and Latin American countries over the past 20 years. This was to
accommodate the
increasing demand for products such as beef, palm oil, paper, and soy. Individuals
engaged in agriculture
have tendency to consider deforestation as a means to increase the area available
for production
OTHER ISSUES THAT MAY RESULT FROM FOREST
CONVERSION INCLUDE
• Loss of biodiversity – forests are home to numerous plants and wildlife that play
important roles in the
balance of ecosystems. Forest clearing leads to decrease in species population and
worse, extinction.
• Climate change impacts – less forest area means less capacity of the forest to
absorb and store
quantities of carbon dioxide. When carbon dioxide level continues to rise, the
Earth’s climate becomes
more erratic. Natural disasters such as storms and droughts are intensified,
leading to higher vulnerability
of communities that are frequently experiencing such phenomena.
• Conflicts over land rights – most often the deforested area are still considered
public land and therefore
owned by the government. Problem arises when claims are made without any secured
land tenure.
• Pressure on local communities’ rights – deforestation can lead to total eviction
of the local
inhabitants in the forest. The loss of forest area could also mean the loss of
livelihood and culturally
important sites of the indigenous people living in the affected area.
• Food insecurity– loss of forest cover exposes the topmost layer of the soil to
weathering activities
such as precipitation, wind, and extreme heat. Many provinces suffered loss of at
least 50% topsoil and
around 70% of the croplands are susceptible to erosion. Loss of topsoil results to
the depletion of
essential nutrient to sustain the growth of commercially important crops
• Mass wasting- It is known that the Philippines is hit by an average of 19
typhoons per year. Around
52% of the land have slopes of greater than or equal to 18%. When these land are
not covered by
forest, the frequent heavy rains induce soil erosion, mass wasting, and landslides.
Once a mass of soil
is eroded to the sea bodies, it becomes unavailable for crop production
• Water insecurity- as much as 57% of the watersheds are deforested. The absence of
forest cover
means loss of water infiltration to recharge the water tables, which makes aquifer
to be vulnerable to
saltwater intrusion. Forest helps in the filtration of the runoff before it reaches
the water treatment
facilities. With less forest covers, the water quality degrades and more expenses
are needed to treat
water.
INTERVENTIONS MADE BY THE PHILIPPINE
GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION ACTIVITIES
• Decentralisation
• Resource Tenure

• Reforestation
EVALUATION
• Written TaskCan you still remember the different types of forests in Palawan that
were discussed in this
module? In this activity, you are going to take pictures of each type of Palawan
[Link]
may gather these images personally using a camera, or from other sources such as
the
internet and literature. Write captions for each picture and describe the landscape
and the
plants that can be seen in the forest being depicted.
EVALUATION
• Performance Task
In this activity, you are going to form groups of 3-5 members. Choose an area near
you
which has significant forest resources. Try to identify the issues associated with
these
resources. Conduct a stakeholders analysis to identify the individuals and groups
who are
essential in resolving the issues you have identified. Be prepared to present your
output on
the scheduled online meeting.
REFERENCES
• Fisher, M. R. (2018). Environmental Biology.
• Madulid, D. A. (2002). A pictorial guide to the noteworthy plants of Palawan.
Palawan
Tropical Forestry Protection Programme.
• Long, J., Napton, D., Giri, C., & Graesser, J. (2014). A mapping and monitoring
assessment
of the Philippines' mangrove forests from 1990 to 2010. Journal of Coastal
Research,
30(2), 260-271.
• [Link] sed