Forests in the Philippines

Philippine ForestThe Philippines is one of the most biologically diverse

nations in the world. Species endemism is very high covering at least 25 genera

of plants and 49% of terrestrial wildlife. The Philippines, 4th in bird endemism, 5th in number of plant

species and maintains 5% of the world’s flora.About 121 endemic and 76 threatened species.

Philippine Forest Cover(as of December 31, 2003)

Closed Forest = 2,560,872Open Forests = 4,030,588Mangrove = 247,362Plantation Forest = 329,578Total Forests = 7,168,400

Philippine Forest CoverBetween 1990 and 2005, Philippines lost 32.3% of its

forest cover, or around 3,412,000 hectares. Measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion) for the 1990-2005 interval, Philippines lost 7.9% of its forest and woodland habitat.

Types of Forest in the Philippines

The molave forest is a dry, monsoonal forest which is found only in parts of the western Philippine (central Luzon, Mindoro, and Palawan).

The molave forest type makes up only 3% of the total area of the Philippines.

Types of Forest in the Philippines

The beach forest used to occur on coastal areas and was a transition between the mangrove forest and other forest types inland.

For all practical purposes, beach forests no longer exist in the Philippines.

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Types of Forest in the Philippines

There two types of pine native to the Philippines: Benguet pine, found in northern Luzon, and Mindoro pine, found in parts of Mindoro and western Luzon.

Altogether pine forests occupy 2,390 km2.

Types of Forest in the Philippines

Mangroves are restricted to coastal fringes and tidal flats and now occupy approximately 1,391 km2. They have been subjected to increase pressure because their woods are valuable for fuel (charcoal).

Types of Forest in the Philippines

The mossy forest (also referred to as mountain or cloud forest). It is a stunted forest and has no commercial value. It is distributed throughout the Philippines and its primary role is in water-and-soil-holding functions.

It presently covers 11,347 km2.

Number of Threatened Plants

Critically endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Other threatened

Other wildlife species

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

DeforestationCAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

Commercial loggingIntensive logging over decadesUpland migrationAgricultural expansionDevelopment policy failuresInequitable land distribution

Declining wood availability, heavy soil erosion and flashfloods led to logging bans on primary forests with concessions reduced to a few sustainable operations and massive reforestation efforts in the last few decades.

EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATIONNot only the typical giant trees

will disappear more and more, also more than 3500 species of plants and animals, many of them only found in the Philippines, will disappear, for always. Some of the threatened animals are: the Tarsier the Philippine Eagle the Philippine cockatoo flying lemurs flower peckers the Philippine crocodile

Protected Areas

RA 7586Also known as National Integrated Protected Areas

System (NIPAS) Act which was enacted in June 1992.This law provides for the establishment and management

of protected areas in the Philippines.The NIPAS law, serves to "protect outstandingly

remarkable areas and biologically important public lands that are habitats of rare and endangered species of plants and animals representative of biogeographic zones and related ecosystems."

RA 9147Also known Wildlife Resources Conservation and

Protection Act (2001 July).An act providing for the conservation and protection of

wildlife resources and their habitats, appropriating funds there for and for other purposes.

To conserve the country's wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainability.