Philippines

Patterns of local wood use and cutting of Philippine mangrove forests

Background

Harvesting for wood in mangroves is a common practice yet there has been limited studies. This paper takes a unique approach through integrating ecological and ethnographic methods in order to study local wood use and cutting of mangrove forests in two areas of the Philippines. 

Goals & Methods

The author conducted a series of 202 household interviews to determine how villagers used mangrove resources in North and South Bais Bay and Bindoy,  Negros Oriental, and on Banacon Island, Bohol.

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Social Capital in Biodiversity Conservation and Management

Background

The article begins with a description of the opposing views of the roles of smallholders in conservation strategies.  On the one hand they directly use resources that external agencies attempt to protect, on the other hand these people have intimate knowledge of these systems.  Thus leading to the question, “Could local people play a greater role in biodiversity conservation and management?” (Pretty, 2004).

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Biodiversity–productivity relationships in small-scale mixed-species plantations using native species in Leyte province, Philippines

Background

The authors of this study identified environmental and biodiversity factors to explain variation in productivity at Rainforestation sites across the Philippine islands.

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A Multicountry Assessment of Tropical Resource Monitoring by Local Communities

Background

The study compared data collected on status and trends collected independently by local community members and trained scientists for 63 taxa and five types of resource use in 34 tropical forest sites over 2.5 years so examine the assumption that local people are less objective than external scientists when monitoring natural resources.

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What drives the success of reforestation projects in tropical developing countries? The case of the Philippines

Background

This study reviewed cases and literatures to assess drivers that ultimately lead restoration projects to have successful outcomes. The main 4 categories of drivers are: technical/biophysical drivers, socio-economic drivers, institutional, policy and management drivers, and reforestation project characteristics. The major indicator of success are fall into two categories: environmental indicators and socio-economic indicators.

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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 the Leyte Cordillera in the Philippines, sampling populations of 18 species of Dipterocarp across topographic habitats and elevation classes. As a young volcanic cordillera, this tropical region is dominated by rugged topography, with slopes as steep as 30 to 60 degrees.

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Vulnerability and Impacts of Climate Change on the Forestry Sector

Background

This report focuses on the vulnerability patterns of the forestry sector in Silago, Southern Leyte, Philippines. Leyte Island has diverse ecosystems that are increasingly threatened due to the clearing of forests for commercial and marginal upland agriculture, and non-timber plantation establishment. Still the forest throughout the island provide critical resources for commercial and subsistence use. 

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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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