Philippines

Gmelina Boom, Farmers Doom: Tree growers risks, coping strategies and options

Background

The widespread smallholder tree plantations of Gmelina arborea established in the South Philippines in the 1980s led to price boom and bust cycles rather than the expected economic returns for growers. This study evaluates grower responses to the timber price bubbles of the 1990s and recommends policy responses.

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Afforestation and Reforestation Projects in South and South-East Asia Under the Clean Development Mechanism: Trends and Development Opportunities

background

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was created as part of the 2007 Kyoto Protocol to assist countries in achieving both development and sustainability. Afforestation and reforestation (AR) projects are a part of the CDM protocal, but can be challenging to implement and measure.

research goals & methods

This study reports on survey results regarding CDM-AR projects. Surveys were conducted in South and South-east Asia of both (i) experts and (ii) developers, investors, and consultants.

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Direct Seeding of Forest Trees in Grassland Communities of Carranglan, Luzon Island

background

This study concerns the survival of 12 native pioneer species and one exotic species when directly sown into grasslands (Themeda triandra and Imperata cylindrica grasses). They were monitored for 16 weeks . The Authors note that direct seeding studies are important because direct seeding is cheaper and faster than nursery propagation.

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One Century of Forest Rehabilitation in the Philippines: Approaches, Outcomes, and Lessons

background

This chapter provides a review of reforestation efforts in the Philippines, beginning with small-scale forest rehabilitation efforts since 1910. Reforestation was traditionally implemented by government and private companies. Since the mid-1970s, international funders have driven these efforts.

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Taungya in the Philippines

background

This book chapter provides a description of the ecological effects of deforestation in the Philippines and a history of the failed social forestry programs that began in the 1970s.

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The Forest Manual Containing the Forest Act (No. 1148): extracts from other laws of Philippine Commission relating to the Forest Service, and the forest regulations prepared in accordance with provisions of the Forest Act

Background

This document contains the text of the Philppine Forest Act, which regulates the use of public forests and reserves. It includes descriptions of  historical regulations, licenses, taxes, harvest limits, violations, and prohibition of caiñgin (swidden plots). It also includes extracts of other relevant laws.

Open access copy available

Philippine Dipterocarp Forests

  • This study provides a detailed description of Philippine dipterocarp forests, including details on climatic conditions and composition in the first pages. Page 430 has a table of natural stand regeneration studies of a range of plots (natural and cut over), listing seedling numbers and size class distribution of 5 species in “virgin Negros rainforest” (Table 3); 7-10 species of Bataan are listed on p. 433-437 (Table V-VII), 6 species in Laguna are listed on p. 438-441 (Table VIII-IX), and multiple species of Mt Maquiling are listed on p. 444-450 (Table X-XII).
  • Succession pathways on cleared land are described starting on p. 451.
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Philippine Resins, Gums, Seed Oils, and Essential Oils

background

This bulletin is a compendium of plant species containing exudate or oils that might be commercially exploited. The book also describes the difficulty posed by high species-diversity for economically feasible resin/oil extraction.

Open access copy available

Reforestation in the Philippines, Proceedings from the Fourth Pacific Science Congress, Java

  • This Bureau of Forestry authored document describes reforestation efforts to recover areas degraded by shifting agriculture. A forest nursery was established in 1910 to determine best forest tree species for “artificial reforestation of cogon lands” and in areas of “second growth of no commercial importance”- 600 species were experimented with.
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Annual report of the director of forestry of the Philippine Islands for the period 1907-1913

background

This report contains a number of sections relevant to early reforestation activities in the Philippines, including research on succession pathways, restoration experiments on degraded lands, tree nursery operations, and native species.

conclusion & takeaways

This report provides the rare opportunity to look at the history of forestry and ecological activities in the tropics. These activities and projects can now be analyzed in the full context of the past 100 years, wherein the arcs of their success, failure, and learnings can be more fully understood. 

 

 

Open access copy available
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