forestry in philipines
...ts of a tangle of vegetation, of which pandan, Pandanus tectorius, forms a conspicuous part. The principal trees are talisai, Terminalia catappa; dapdap, Erythrina variegata var. orientalis; botong, Barringtonia asiatica; palomaria, Calophyllum inophyllum; agoho, Casuarina equisetifolia; bani, Xylocarpus moluccensis; and tawalis, Osbornia octodonta. The Mossy Type, found on high and very rough mountainous regions, is essentially protection forests. As a rule, rainfall and humidity are high. Exposed to strong winds, the trees are mostly dwarfed and usually covered with mosses, liverworts, filmy ferns, and epiphytic orchids. The principal species are Dacrydium spp., Podocarpus spp., Eugenia spp., Decaspermum spp., Quercus spp., Myrica spp., Symplocos spp., and Tristania decorticata. The species mentioned above belong to certain forest types and have certain uses but due to deforestation or destruction of the forest, we would not be able to use these resources. The forest is very important to us, people, because we need them in order to live. Trees, water, and the natural cycles of the forest provide us with our needed oxygen, food, and protect us from excessive heat which could be destructive to our world in thre form of global warming, heat waves, and the greenhouse effect. Therefore, we should take care of our forests to prevent it from deforestation. Deforestation can be caused by various factors such as ineffective forest laws, policies and programs; unsuccessful enforcement of forestry laws, and low priority given to forest conservation and environmental protection; and lack of support to forestry programs by the local government units and the various sectors in the community Thus we should manage our forests well because it comprises of most of the essentials we need to survive. A well-managed forest satisfies standards of environmentally, socially and economically sound management. These standards ensure the long-term health and productivity of forests for timber production, wildlife habitat and water quality protection while also providing social benefits such as lasting community employment." Sustainable forestry consists of managing practices that guarantee the growth and health of the forests for the coming generations. As our economy grows, responsible people are concerned about our forests. They want assurances that our forests will always be there. There are many different approaches to the management of forests. Management systems are heading for improving production of a mix of desired products or services from a forest ecosystem. Usually, management is directed towards the production of timber or pulp, but other management objectives include wildlife habitat, watershed protection and erosion control, fuel wood, non timber forest products such as resins or mushrooms, and forest grazing for livestock. In the simplest terms, forest management involves just keeping an area of forest free of any human activity. More active forest management systems generally follow a plan of harvesting, planting, protection and maintenance activities that are drawn up for the area of forest in question. The key elements of a forest management plan involve specifications for ways in which a forest will be harvested; the time period during which regeneration and regrowth will take place whether the forest will be allowed to regenerate naturally or will be replanted. Also to be considered are the species mix to be used in the case of planting and the spacing between trees. Lastly, the pruning or other manipulations during the rotation will also be considered. The science of manipulating forest vegetation through management in order to achieve the goals of the management plan is known as “ Silviculture”. Logging bans have appeared in some countries, to limit forest lost. In the 1990s, for example, China and Thailand imposed complete logging bans. These bans prevent excessive exploitation however, results have been mixed. The livelihoods of local people may be hurt, and logging pressures may simply increase in neighboring countries. Likewise increasingly being included in forest management are the principles of sustainability, which may include maintaining forest biodiversity, productivity, and regeneration capacity. However, in practice the principles are not always followed. In fact, the World Bank has been criticized for making loans which encourage deforestation and while they are developing a Forest Policy Strategy, they have been charged of not implementing it. The following are some alternative management technologies and systems: • Alternative silviculture systems ‘Ecological forestry’ or ‘New forestry’ tries to imitate natural processes in forest ecosystems. The ‘Lübeck model’ in Germany has successfully harvested timber with minimal ecosystem interference, low costs, and community participation. This technique involves careful inventories of trees and habitat, and the conservation of some areas. The principles and techniques of ecological forestry have mainly been tested on a small scale but results have been positive. • Agroforestry The integration of trees in a farming system is called Agroforestry. It is believed to be an important regional strategy in forest management as it minimizes the pressure on remaining forests and has environmental benefits. While the inclusion of trees on farms diversifies production, agroforestry is not a substitute for forest ecosystems. • Revisiting indigenous forest management systems The awareness of the way in which different cultural and ethnic groups have administered their forests is growing. These non-conventional or indigenous forest management systems include agroforestry as well as selective harvesting, protection of trees for ritual reasons, and ‘enrichment planting’. Non-timber forest products such as herbs and plants for weaving are often included. In Asia there is a rising interest in the management of forests before the beginning of Western forestry systems. It has been observed that such forests can draw ecotourists. • Joint Management / Partnerships The focus of decision-making about forest resources in government agencies distantly removed from the ground can lead to ineffective forest management. This can even deteriorate by conflicts with local communities. Hence there have been experiments with community partnering, in which communities partake in the management of forests, either independently or jointly with state agencies. These are meant to address social deprivation as well as deforestation by ensuring locals have a stake in the long-term survival and productivity of the forest. It is difficult to approximate the scope of community-based forest management given a number of different models. • Carbon trading Concern about global climate change is elevating the prospect of running forests as carbon reservoirs to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. If international trade in ‘carbon sink credits’ is realized, it would be a motivation to conserve forests. For example the Kyoto protocol of the UNFCCC contains targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by for example putting up large-scale tree plantations to sequester the carbon dioxide. There are critics of that protocol that argues that trees and soil will anyways release the carbon and that the protocol underestimates old trees that store carbon more slowly. • Certification When motivated by normal market forces whereby producers make the most of profits by decreasing costs, yimber production is often not sustainable But consumers’ awareness of issues of environmental and deforestation is growing and they are more and more willing to pay a premium for sustainable produced timber and wood products. ‘Certified’ timber comes from a forest that encounters certain economic, environmental and social standards. For example the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) runs a realistic and independently audited system. As of January 2003, it had awarded 466 Forest Management Certificates in 56 countries. The NRCD and WFF support certification because it encourages environmentally responsible forestry practices, protects the forest heritage and guarantees the continuing health and productivity of forests. Other certification systems exist, like the PEFC or the SFI, but a significant difference is that the monitoring is implemented by the forest and wood products industry itself. The ENN has compared the FSC and PEFC scheme and concluded that PEFC only provides a framework for mutual recognition of national forest certification since it was funded by the forest industry. A significant percentage of the land base of the Philippines is mountainous and steep; 54% of the land in the Philippines – 16.3 million ha - has a slope greater than 18% (this land is termed “upland” for the purposes of this document), and 68% of this upland area – 5.2 million ha - has a slope greater than 30%. In general, the land use classification, “forestland” in the Philippines refers to all land with slope greater th...