Philippines

The Effect of Deforestation on Water Quality: A Case Study in Cienda Micro Watershed, Leyte, Philippines

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Forests and water are important resources that provide both socioeconomic and ecological benefits. They also are connected, meaning that deforestation has a negative impact on the quality of water flowing through a watershed. This paper seeks to present the detailed effects and relationship between deforestation and water quality.

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What does it take? The role of incentives in forest plantation development in Asia and the Pacific

Background

The Asia-Pacific region has a significant amount of diverse forest cover. While many countries have experience deforestation, the remaining forests are still valued for their ecosystem services and timber products. To protect these two benefits, severa government have promoted forest plantations as a forest management strategy. This reports  assess the impact of incentives on forest plantation development.

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Preliminary assessment of post-Haiyan mangrove damage andshort-term recovery in Eastern Samar, central Philippines

Background

In this study, authors examined the natural ability of mangrove trees to recover after major storms and supertyphoons in the Philippines. Coastal mangroves are important for reducing the damage from these storms.

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Understanding Forest Transition in the Philippines: Main Farm-Level Factors Influencing Smallholder’s Capacity and Intention to Plant Native Timber Trees

Background

Small-scale farmers' decisions on when, where, and how to plant trees in their use of natural, human, and capital resources is critical to understand as part of any forest transition trajectory. This paper studies these questions in the Philippines.  

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What Drives the Success of Reforestation Projects in Tropical Developing Countries? The Case of the Philippines

Background

This study evaluates the drivers and indicators related to reforestation success in the Philippines. The study included surveying 43 reforestation projects on Leyte.

Research Goals & Methods

The authors capture success drivers in three general categories: socio-economic, institutional / policy / management and reforestation characteristics.

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Habitat Distribution of Dipterocarp Species in the Leyte Cordillera: an Indicator for Species – Site Suitability in Local Reforestation Programs

Background

This article presents the results of a vegetation study in primary forest areas of Leyte, in vicinity of the case study site (near Mt. Pangasugan). It provides information on habitat distribution patterns and elevational ranges of dipterocarp species with the purpose of providing baseline data for ensuring species-site suitability for local reforestation programs.

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Designing Mixed Species Tree Plantations for the Tropics: Balancing Ecological Attributes of Species with Landholder Preferences in the Philippines

background

This paper reports on the assessment of forest stands planted as part of the Rainforestation Farming Program and the management of plantations by local landowners regarding the original intent of planting.

Research Goals & Methods

Data was collected beginning 6-11 years after initial plot planting. Forest stands were evaluated for structure and floristic composition. Subsequent measurements were taken in 2008 and 2012.

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Seed Dispersal by Birds and Bats in Lowland Philippine Forest Successional Area

Background

While seed dispersal by birds and bats can be an important driver of succession, few studies have studied this dynamic in the tropical forests of SE Asia. This study compares the role of bird and bat dispersal in the lowland dipterocarp forest of the Subic Watershed Forest Reserve (SWFR) in Luzon Island, Philippines.

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Biodiversity–Productivity Relationships in Small-Scale Mixed-Species Plantations Using Native Species in Leyte Province, Philippines

background

The growth of tropical reforestation in recent decades has given rise to a debate between the relative productivity, biodiversity, and general merits of mixed-species vs. single-species plantations. To further investigate the relationship between tree species diversity, productivity, and abiotic factors such as climate and soil, this study investigated the growth of mixed-species plantations in Leyte province in the Philippines. These smallholder plantations were planted in 1992 to meet social, economic, and environmental needs through the Rainforestation Farming system.

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Between Cash and Usufruct Rights: In Search of an Appropriate Policy Instrument for Sustained Local People's Participation

Background

This study examines a reforestation program that was launched in the Philippines funded by the Asian Development Bank in 1988. Contract restoration and incentive mechanisms were introduced to include the participation of civic and local community groups in reforestation. 

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