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S-SCEN001TP BSM31 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2nd Sem ( 2022-2023 )

Module 6 - Biodiversity, Ecosystem Stability, and Endangered Species Acts

Deforestation and Forest Management

Immersive Reader

Deforestation and Forest Management

Deforestation is the natural or anthropogenic that converts forest land to non-forest (IPCC 2012). Rehabilitation cannot fully restore
the original or former condition of a degraded ecosystem. However, it can provide substantial opportunities for conserving
biodiversity and improving ecosystem functions, including water management.

1. Rehabilitation through Reforestation in the Philippines

Has been used in the Philippines to revitalize marginal and degraded public areas. Performance success in reforestation by civil society
is not fully monitored but can potentially contribute to forest rehabilitation if properly implemented.

2. Use of Exotic Species in Reforestation

The Philippine forestry statistics revealed that the tree species used in reforestation were mostly exotic species. Examples are the
following:

Gmelina arborea (47%)

Acacia auriculiformis (9%)

Amazonia mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) (9%)

 Philippine Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) (12%)

The extent and mechanisms of displacement of native species in reforestation areas planted to exotic species are unknown.

Gmelina arborea

The use of fast-growing species in place of native species in reforestation has persisted because of several reasons:
 a. inadequate supply of native seeds/seedlings for reforestation
b. slow regeneration and growth rates of native species
c. poor appreciation or understanding of the watershed value of natural forest stand against that of a reconstructed forest or tree
plantation
d. the misguided notion of the general public that simply greening an area is as good as ecosystem restoration
e. absence of adequate data on forest biodiversity

3. Natural Regeneration

Pertains to the process of allowing an ecosystem to recover on its own through natural succession. From the biodiversity point of
view, natural regeneration is the most appropriate rehabilitation method but only when the protection of the rehabilitation is
sustained.

4. Ecological enrichment through agroforestry

Ecological enrichment is a method used to repair/rehabilitate degraded areas through certain approaches, such as agroforestry.

5. Rehabilitation of forest reserves and Protected areas

Planting native wild food plants in the rehabilitation of protected areas in the Philippines can attract seed-dispersing birds and
mammals. It can also serve as a physical barrier to the influx of unwanted species into the forest interior.

Slash-and Burn Agriculture-deforestation in Philippine uplands often begins with commercial logging, frequently followed by slash-
and-burn agriculture. This traditional form of farming is referred to as “swidden farming” or “shifting cultivation” or locally known as
“kaingin” .It usually involves 3 basic steps: 1.) felling of trees ( usually in second-growth forests and logged-over areas), 2.) burning of
forest debris, and 3.) clearing the site for crop production.

Forest Ecosystem in the Philippines

The Philippine forest ecosystem currently consists of patches of old-growth (primary) and second-growth forests, ranging in size from
small to quite large. The old-growth forests sometimes referred to as “virgin forests”, is not in the true sense “untouched” because it
has actually been used and modified for hundreds of years by indigenous peoples.
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1. Lowland rainforest - supporting more than 200-300 woody species and numerous other species of plants and animals, covering
about 60-70% of the land area of the country in the early 1900s.

It is now the most degraded forest type in the Philippines because of over-harvesting of the highly prized timber (Philippine
Mahogany) and associated non-timber products (e.g. rattan, wildlife) as well as the conversion of forests to agriculture and other
uses.
Because lowland tropical rainforests have thin topsoil and low nutrient content, the removal of vegetation makes them highly
vulnerable to soil erosion, esp. during heavy rainfall.

2. Montane (mossy) forest

:
 Located at about 1000-3,000 meters in elevation
Dominated by tree species in the oak and laurel families
With numerous ferns and epiphytes
With high rainfall and the trees and the forest floor are shrouded with thick mats of moss that excel at receiving and slowly
releasing rainwater forming the headwaters of most of the rivers in the
Philippines and play an especially important role in hydrology
Removal of forest often causes catastrophic floods and landslides at this elevation but severe drought at a lower elevation.
Grades into the mossy forest or upper montane forest.
This forest type is sometimes called “cloud forest” because it is often covered with rain clouds
Trees are stunted (2-8 meters) and twisted due to high winds and steep terrain
The leaves of trees are usually smaller, harder, and thicker than those found at the lower altitudes; the forest floor is covered with
slowly decomposing organic matter.

3. Pine Forest
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 Pine forests in the Philippines are of two-types-one type is dominated by Benguet Pine (Pinus insularis) in the Central Cordillera at
1,000-2,5000 meters elevation, and the other type is dominated by Mindoro Pine (Pinus merkusii) in northwestern Mindoro.
These species are fire tolerant.

4. Coastal forests

These include mangrove, beach, and karst forests:

The mangrove forest is dominated by evergreen, woody trees (e.g. Rhizopora, Avicennia), which adapt to varying levels of salinity.
The mangrove forest forms interphase between the terrestrial lowland forest ecosystems and the marine notably seagrass beds
and coral reefs.
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5. Beach forest is found along sandy and gravely beaches along the seacoast.

It forms a narrow strip of vegetation dominated by widely distributed species such as Terminalia cattapa, Casuarina equisetifolia,
Acasia farnesina.
Much of the beach forest in the country has been indiscriminately removed to give way to tourism and human settlement.

6. Karst forest is a special forest type found in several coastal areas in the country.y beaches along the seacoast.

Karst is a limestone landscape formed by minerals in solution in natural waters

Because soil moisture and nutrients are limiting, only a few but highly distinctive species survive on coastal mountains
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