the philippine envi

The Philippine Environment Amidst Climate Change

PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity refers to the totality of life forms in the areas they occupy

ImportancImportance of e of

BiodiversitBiodiversityy

ImportancImportance of e of

BiodiversitBiodiversityyHeaney and Regalado

IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITYFood

FISH comprises 10% of protein intake globally and 50-60% that of Filipinos.

Food for all living organisms not just for man!

> 90% calorie intake globally comes from 80 PLANT SPECIES

IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITYMedicines

•80% of the world’s population use plants as 1° source of medicine

•30% of all pharma medicines are developed from plants and animals

Fuel, timber, fiber and other resourcesMost houses, furniture and even

many clothes are made from natural products, including wood, oils, resins, waxes, gums and fibers.The cocoons of silk worms are the basis of the valuable, centuries-old Asian silk-making industry.

IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

Air and water purification


Drought, erosion and flood control


Social / cultural value


Biodiversity is directly linked with traditional, spiritual and cultural values of people.

Economic value


National National Pride: Pride:

Philippine Philippine BiodiversitBiodiversit

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82 species are FOUND ONLY 82 species are FOUND ONLY

in the Philippinesin the Philippines

105 species of 105 species of AMPHIBIANSAMPHIBIANS

More than 254 More than 254 species of species of ReptilesReptiles

More than 254 More than 254 species of species of ReptilesReptiles

…with 208 species endemic to the Philippines

BIRDSA total of 576 species of A total of 576 species of

birdsbirds

196 of these occur only in 196 of these occur only in the Philippinesthe Philippines

Of the 179 species of land Of the 179 species of land mammals,mammals,111 species are found only in the PhilippinesHeaney and Regalado

Around 20,940 species of insects

69.8% are endemics

estimated 15,000 species, 50% are endemics

70 – 80% Flowering plants

193 Threatened species

211 Lakes, 18 major rivers,

22 marshes, swamps and reservoir

INLAND WATERSINLAND WATERS

PHILIPPINE WETLANDS1616 species of aquatic plants

3675 species of fauna

MANGROVES

Around 60 mangrove plant species in the world

54 mangroves and related species occur in

the Philippines

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Corals462 coral species recorded (Werner and Allen, 2000) Highest in the world !!!

•Eastern Papua New Guinea with 380 species;

•Ryukyu / Yaeyama Islands with 370

•Great Barrier Reef, Australia with 350

FISH

Philippine Total = 2,459/4,000 species in the Indo-Pacific region

(Fish Base 2000)

82 (possibly 98) species are Philippine Endemics

2,241 marine species (2/3 coral reef-associated)

209 freshwater species

MolluscsMolluscs22,000 freshwater, land and marine 22,000 freshwater, land and marine

speciesspecies

photos by Evette Lee

Seven occur in

Philippine waters

Nine species of

Giant Clams worldwide

COUNTRYTotal

species

Endemic

Species

% Endemi

c

Land Area (km2)

Philippines

1139 558 50% 300,780

Spain 435 25 6% 451,171

Brazil 3131 788 25% 8,511,965

Source: Heaney, 2002

Biodiversity and Endemism

Some Notable Flora and Fauna Species in Philippines•Philippine Eagle-

world’s largest eagle

•King cobra largest - terrestrial venomous snake

•Reticulated python - largest / longest snake

•Phil. Iron Wood/magkuno - hardest wood

Some Notable Flora and Fauna Species in PhilippinesOne of the smallest deerMouse deer1 of the Smallest primitive primatesSlow loris & Tarsier

One of the Largest flowersRafflesia speciousaWorld’s 2 largest batsGolden-crowned Flying Fox & Large Flying FoxWorld’s largest ratCloud rat

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Some Notable Flora and Fauna Species in Philippines

Giant Clam – world’s largest giant clam species

Boring Clam – smallest giant clam species

Porcelain Clam – rarest giant clam species

Sperm whale – largest toothed cetacean

Killer whale – largest dolphin species

Minke Whale – smallest of all baleen whales

Dugong – only herbivorous marine mammal in the Philippines

•Whale Shark – world’s largest fish

•Giant Manta Ray – world’s largest ray

•Saltwater crocodile – world’s largest living reptile

•Leatherback turtle – largest of all sea turtles

Photo by Evette Lee

•Dwarf Pygmy Goby - smallest freshwater fish

•Sinarapan / Bia / Tabios - smallest food fish

Some Notable Flora and Fauna Species in Philippines

One of the World’s Richest in Mineral Resources

• 2nd to Indonesia in geological prospectivity in SouthEast Asia

• 2nd to South Africa in Gold production

• 3rd in copper production

• 3rd in Gold, 4th in Copper deposits

• 5th in Nickel deposits

• 6th in Chromite in nickel deposits

Why is Why is Philippine Philippine

BiodiversityBiodiversity

so rich?so rich?Heaney and Regalado

SE Asia SE Asia ReconstructionsReconstructions

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© Robert Hall 1995© Robert Hall 1995

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© Robert Hall © Robert Hall 19951995

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Present configuration

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DisappearDisappearing ing

BiodiversiBiodiversityty

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Composition and current characteristics of biodiversity in the Philippine Marine

environment (source: DENR, 1997)

Taxon NumberEconomically

ImportantThreatene

d

Marine Fungi 7

Sea Grasses 16 3

Algae 1,062 531 60

Corals1 381

Other Invertebrates

1,616 152 47

Fish2 1,831 672

Mammals3 18 18 18

Reptiles 20 20 20

Total*Total* 4,9514,951 1,3961,396 1451451 Total number of corals found in the Phil. now stands at 462 (Werner and Allen, 2000)2 Total number of fish now is estimated to be over 2,000 species.3 Total number of marine mammals in Philippine waters is now at 23.* Estimated number of species in the Philippine marine environment is over 5,000

Status of Philippine Mangroves

! loss is largely due to fishpond conversion of mangroves

! reclamation for residential, commercial & industrial purposes and excessive harvesting of trees for fuel

1918 450,000 hectares (Brown and Fisher, 1920)

19971997 only 112,400 hectares (24.97%) only 112,400 hectares (24.97%) remains!!! remains!!! (Phil. Forestry Statistics, 1998)

Total number of wildlife species in the Philippines

Major Taxa No. of Species

Endemic Species

ThreatenedSpecies

Amphibians 101+ 82+ (78%)

24

Reptiles 258+ 170+ (66%) 8

Birds 576+* 195+ (34%) 74

Mammals 204+** 111+ (54%) 51

Total 1139+ 558+ 50%) 157

1875 1949 1970 1987 1992

Forest loss in Negros

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Source: Environmental Science for Social Change, 1999

Extent of Forest Cover Loss in the last 100 years

Less than 6% of the country’s original forest remains!

YEAR 2002

18% forest cover

< 3% original forest remains!!!

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 1990

YEAR Extent of Original Forest Cover in the Philippines

Km2 FOREST COVER

Spanish colonization (270,000 km2)

American colonization (210,000 km2)

Philippine Independence 1950’s (150,000 km2)

Post EDSA Revolution (8,000 km2)

Land area (300,000 km2)

(400 years)

(100 years)

(50 years)

(40 years)

The Physical Environment

Country’s productivity

* "Declining" productivity of the country's agricultural lands and fisheries.

• .

• These areas become increasingly degraded and pushed beyond their capacity to produce

• Cause: Rapid forest loss has eliminated habitat for unique and threatened plant and animal species; it has also left large tracts of land in the Philippines vulnerable to soil erosion

*The loss of nutrient rich soil reduces crop yields and contributes to the expanded use of chemical fertilizers - a practice that can, in turn, pollute water sources.

• Rivers and streams also carry eroded soil to the coasts, where it interferes with fish nursery areas.

• * Soil runoff into fish breeding and nursery areas is one of several factors leading to the overall decline in productivity of fisheries in the Philippines

Consequences Food insecurity. The lack of a stable and reliable

food supply contributes to poor nutritional status for many Filipinos, especially for children: Approximately 28 percent of children under 5 are underweight (DOH Report, 2006)

Food insecurity also contributes to increases in environmentally destructive practices such as slash-and-burn agriculture ("kaingin" farming) or the use of dynamite to increase short-term fish catches.

. * In 1970, 32 percent of the country's population lived in urban areas. * Today, 48 percent is crowded into cities, where housing and infrastructure struggle to keep pace with the growing numbers.

• Overcrowding and insufficient housing can be particularly detrimental to children: Studies have suggested that infant mortality rates in Manila's slums are three times higher than in non-slum areas

Water crisis is not far behind: Access to clean and adequate water is an acute seasonal problem in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, and Central Visayas.

Government monitoring data showed that up to 58 percent of the country's water ground is contaminated with coliform bacteria, causing such diseases as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis A.

studies show that there is a steady 30-50% drop in the levels of the country’s water sources for the past 20 years or an average drop of 1 meter/year

While on the average, the atmosphere’s moisture is renewed every 8 days, stream water every 16 days, soil moisture annually, swamp water in 5 years, lake water in 17 years, groundwater renews only after 1,400 years.

Threats to Threats to Philippine Philippine biodiversitbiodiversit

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Picture soure: Internet

Industrial Pollution

(Sources of Water… continuation)

Aquaculture

Mobile Pollution

(Sources of Air… continuation)

Domestic Pollution

DIRECT

• Deforestation due to unsustainable logging, farming and related

practices • Aquatic destruction due to

unsustainable fishing and deforestation

• Conflicting and poor policies• Poor law enforcement• Pollution• Natural extinction

INDIRECT•Poverty

from 47% Erap regime to 65% now (2 out of 3 feel extreme hunger)

•Overpopulation 87.6 Million (August 1,

2007)

•Corruption

•Lack of knowledge/Miseducation

•Apathy (Tragedy of the Common)

Laws of Ecology

Nature’s Law of InterrelatednessNature’s Law of Interrelatedness

All things are All things are interconnectedinterconnected

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Law of Conservation of Matter

Everything Must Go somewhere!

Nature Knows Best

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

-Baba Dioum, a Senegalese conservationist

the philippine envi

Education

species of fauna

fauna species

freshwater species

ma robert hall

coral species

species of birds

related species

species of reptiles