Abstract. Daracan VC, Mendoza RC, Torres AM, Jara AA, Manalo RD, Batallones CHR, Razal RA. 2020. Comparison of Agathis philippinensis resin tapping and collection practices in three selected sites in the Philippines. Biodiversitas 21: 5595-5604. This study documented and compared almaciga (Agathis philippinensis Warb.) resin tapping and collection practices in three sites namely Mt. Hamiguitan, Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental; Mt. Mantalingahan, Brooke’s Point, southern Palawan; and Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Marufinas, central Palawan. Resin tappers, mostly male belonging to a local organization, were interviewed, and tapping sites were visited. Tapping and collecting A. philippinensis resin is one of the supplemental income sources of the respondents from the three sites. Market influences, and how tappers learned the trade could partly explain the similarities and differences in tapping practices. Discrepancies in selecting trees to be tapped, tools used, type of incisions made on the bark, and how resin was harvested were noted. Differences in resin appearance across sites were observed, and the existence of uncollected and wasted resins clinging to trees or sprawling at its base was found in all sites. Removing dirt from the portion of the stem to be tapped, covering the bark incision with plastic for protection, and contriving handmade resin baskets from plant parts available in the site were some practices found to be worth replicating. On the other hand, there were damaged or dying trees due to the intensity of tapping, the lack of tapping skills, and limited attention given to the health of trees. There is a need for strengthening tappers’ organizations for increased bargaining power to secure better resin price and policy support to prioritize indigenous peoples in tapping into their ancestral domain. Tappers can benefit from cross-visits and other learning opportunities for sharing lessons and experiences to improve tapping practices for better resin quality and higher prices.
Many areas in the country are rich in biodiversity but are not assessed as they are not part of the identified protected areas of the country. One of which is the Kalahan Forest Reserve (KFR) managed by the Ikalahans, a cultural minority group that practices sustainable agroforestry systems. The study used a modified quadrat sampling method (QSM) where a total of eight 1-km transect with 20-m width were established to assess the biodiversity of the area. The sampling was undertaken in three layers: overstorey (10 plots each measuring 10 m x 10 m, spaced 100 m away from each other in each 1-km transect), intermediate (3 m x 3 m inside the 10 m x 10 m plot), and understorey (1 m x 1 m inside the 3 m x 3 m plot). Results of the study show that Benguet pine (Pinus insularis Endl) and brown oak (Quercus semecarpifolia Sm.) have high importance values of 49.07 and 45.80, respectively. Moreover, the results of the study indicate that KFR has very high biological diversity as manifested by the value of Shannon-Weiner (3.50) and the Shannon diversity index scale of Fernando. In terms of the presence of endemic species, KFR is home to 50 endemic species or has 45% endemism. Based on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and DAO 2017-11 KFR has three threatened, two endangered, and three vulnerable species. Considering these results, KFR is worthy to be protected to conserve and enhance its biodiversity.
This study determined the potential effects of present and future climates on the geographical distribution of Shorea palosapis (Blanco) Merr. and Shorea polysperma (Blanco) Merr in Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP) using Maximum Entropy model. A total of seven models were generated for each species: one Climatic-Only model, four Partial models (combination of four variable groups with climatic variables), one Full model (used 30 original variables), and one Final model (used 18 uncorrelated variables after a series of variable reduction methods). The models’ relative predictive performance was evaluated using Area Under Curve (AUC) and True Skill Statistics (TSS). The Final model performed best both for S. palosapis (AUC = 0.8763; TSS = 0.8176) and S. polysperma (AUC = 0.8626; TSS = 0.8332). Analysis of variable importance revealed that species distributions were largely determined by climatic variables (34.35%) followed by anthropogenic variables (27.25%) and topographic variables (24.15%), while vegetation-related (7.58%) and edaphic variables (6.67%) had relatively lesser contribution. The probabilities of occurrence of the species changed and were found to benefit from future climate with increasing suitable habitat range. This study will provide practitioners with early warning estimates of how climate change may affect the distribution of endangered species. Furthermore, this will also assist decision-makers especially in mainstreaming climate change in the NSMNP management plan to better conserve potential suitable habitats of priority species.
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