GROUP 1

PRESENTS

FOREST

The Philippine Forest are the most diverse and complex in the world and are also among the most endangered.

They host one of the world’s richest plant and animals species.

The Flora alone is composed of at least 13, 500 species that represent 5% of the world’s flora.

Forest prevent flash floods and soil erosion, source of food and supply power.

Our Forests also harbor million indigenous people ( IPS ) and upland dwellers ( IP ) 18 M.

This forest cover is roughly 18.6% of the total land area, far below the ideal forest cover ( to be ecologically sound and sustainable ),Which is 54% , and it is steadily shrinking. The average rate is at 2% annum, or a relatively fast deforestation rate of 550,000 ha. per year or 63 ha. Of forest are cleared every hour.

Forest cover: 1900Forest cover: 1999

Depleted forests would mean fewer sources of food. Medicinal plants , renewable energy and less capacity to nurture genetic species.

Cleared forests would also mean loss of home and livelihood for 18.6 million IPS and upland dwellers.

Their degradation results to erosion, siltation, and sedimentation.

CATEGORIZATION OF PHILIPPINE FORESTS

Dipterocarp – 65.58%

Mossy – 19.29%

Sub – marginal – 8.81%

Pine – 4.23%

Mangrove – 2.88%

A. Dipterocarp ( estimated at 3,536,017 ha. In 1997 from 4,029,200 ha. In 1991 )

- Major source of timber and other forest products.

- They support one of the world’s richest plant and animal species.

- Have nurtured innumerable generations of tribal Filipinos.

- Can either be old growth ( those w/o traces of commercial logging or virgin forests ) or residual ( those w/ traces of commercial logging.

B. Mossy and Sub- marginal

- Protected watershed areas.- Supply water for irrigation and domestic use in the

lowland.- Protect soil and water of wildlife feeding grounds.- Majority of the country’s watershed areas are

considered hydro logically critical because of their degraded condition.

- Of the 11 million ha. Of critically denuded forest land at least 2 million ha. Are in critical watershed areas, Agno River, Pampanga and Cagayan rivers, The Maga and Pantabangan Watersheds.

- 1991 = 519,500 ha. 1997 = 475, 100 ha.

C. Pine

- Pine forests are endemic to the higher altitudes of Luzon.

- 1987 = 238, 893 ha.- 1991 = 235, 100 ha.- 1997 = 227, 900 ha.

D. Mangroves

- Mangroves occurs on tidal flats along the sea coast up to the streams where the water is brackish.

- 1987 = 143, 522 ha.- 1997 = 112, 400 ha.

9 Facts you need to know about Forests and Trees

Trees are incredible. They can live for thousands of years and grow hundreds of metres tall. There is not a species on the planet that doesn’t owe its existence to them.

1. The Boreal forest (aka Taiga) is the largest land habitat on the planet.It runs across northern USA and Canada, southern Iceland, across Norway, Finland, Sweden, through Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northern Japan. This region is one of the most threatened by climate change and has experienced some of the most dramatic temperature increases anywhere on Earth. Not to mention the threat from clearcutting for toilet paper, timber logging and, in Canada, tar sands oil extraction which now covers an area larger than England.

2. More species of plant and animal live in the rainforest than any other land habitatThe Indonesian rainforest alone is home to one fifth of all plant and animal life yet it is disappearing at a faster rate than at any other time. There are now fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild as their habitat is destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations.

3. Not all rainforests are tropicalThe Great Bear rainforest in western Canada is home to the extremely rare Kermode “spirit” bear. A subspecies of black bears, their white coat is caused by a recessive gene, but it makes them expert fishers as they are harder to see. Whilst most of the Great Bear rainforest is protected, parts of it are still under threat from logging for timber. The sitka spruce that grows there is particularly prized for making guitars, violins and mandolins.

4. More than 25% of the medicines we use originate in rainforest plants Yet only 1% of rainforest plants have been studied for medicinal properties. Every second an area of rainforest the size of a football pitch is cut down meaning every day we might lose a potential cure.

5. The forests are the lungs of our planetThey play a crucial role in stabilising global climate by converting CO2 into oxygen. As we pump more and more CO2 into the atmosphere the forest’s ability to regulate the global climate is increasingly diminished.

6. Orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammal Unlike most other primates, they spend more time in the trees than on the ground. Their tools use is incredibly advanced; they build tree nests to sleep in, use sticks to probe logs for honey and one was even observed trying to spear fish after observing locals doing the same. Their rainforest home is being cut down to make paper and to create space for palm oil plantations.

7. The tallest tree in the world is called Hyperion It's a coast redwood from California that measures an incredible 115.61m tall. The largest tree in the world by volume is a giant sequoia called General Sherman which has a trunk 10m round and contains an estimated 1486 cubic metres of wood.

8. The world’s oldest non-clonal tree is a recently-discovered and as yet unnamed Great Basin bristlecone pine tree from the White Mountains in CaliforniaIt's still living at an incredible 5063 years old. Old Tjikko is the oldest single-clonal tree (meaning a new trunk is grown from original roots) at an astonishing 9,550 years old. But if you thought it ended there, then you’ve never heard of Pando… 

9. Pando, also know as The Trembling Giant, is a colony of quaking aspen treesTesting has shown this group of trees to be a single organism and is assumed to be connected by a single massive roots system. So here it is, the age: Pando is thought to be around 80,000 years old making it the oldest living organism on the planet (except the immortal jellyfish which technically never dies of old age).

Massive soil erosion provinces are severely eroded and degradation ,

destruction of rivers and coastal ecosystems.

Causes of Forest Destructions

¤ Logging / cutting of upland trees mining.

¤ Geothermal Projects

¤ Land conversion/ Development projects

Effects of Forest Denudation

Changes in Hydrology cycle. Occurrence of devastating floods and drought. The Ormoc City ( 10% ) forest cover left.

Flashfloods claimed more than 8,000 lives.

1997 – 1998 EL NIÑ0 PHENOMENON:12 million people affected and 10 billion

pesos worth of properties and goods were destroyed or lost.

Some Example of BIOPIRACY

-The Philippine sea snail conus magus produces the world’s most powerful pain killer. After bioprospection, the snail was biopirated without prior informed consent of local communities and it is now owned by the U.S. multinational corporation neurex , inc.

- The American company , ELI LILLY began sending worldwide medical researchers in 1948. In 1949, a young Filipino doctor ( A. Aguilar ) turned in a soil sample he had already evaluated. In an American type culture collection, the sample was merely identified as “ soil from the Philippines”. But in 1952, the world knew it was llotycin or llosone and with the generic name ERYTHROMYCIN.

-The company refused to share its million US $ in profits with either local doctor’s family or in the Philippines. ERYTHROMYCIN is one of the most commercially lucrative drugs the world has ever been.

- A fruit that has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia and China against tumors & infections, Momordiea Charanthia – bitter melon has been patented by the US National Institute of Health, the US army, and the New York University for its Anti- HIV effects. Even the “inventor” of the bitter melon patern admits it is “very widely eaten” in the Chinese community for health reasons and that the fruit is widely thought to have Anti- HIV properties.

The Effects of Deforestation on AnimalsStarvation

Deforestation is the massive cutting down and clearing of trees and plants. Because many animal species that live in the forests are herbivorous, such as giraffes, deer and tapirs, they are forced to leave what once was their home to search for food. As a result, many starve to death. Other times they wonder out of the forest and into areas populated by humans and get hit by automobiles. Meanwhile, carnivorous animals that prey on herbivorous animals find it more difficult to find food and end up starving to death or wandering off into human-populated areas and getting killed.

Changing Climate and Habitat

Deforestation plays a strong role in the management of atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide. According to Michigan State University's Tropical Rain Forest Information Center, almost 200 tons of carbon dioxide can readily be stored on just one acre in a rain forest. This is why the rain forests help in limiting the effects of changes in climate that are caused by greenhouse gasses due to deforestation. Depletion of the acreage of rain forests increases the levels of carbon dioxide entering into the atmosphere. This results in changes in the climate. When the greenhouse effect increases over time, the result is a change in climate that can lead to habitat changes for animals as well. This increases the possibilities of species of animals becoming endangered or even extinct around the world.

Specialized Habitat Loss

According to Michigan State University's Tropical Rain Forest Information Center, the loss of just a very small area in a rain forest can consequently lead to the extinction of animal species. The reason is that quite often animals that live in the rain forests require specialized habitats. When deforestation occurs, these animals have increasingly fewer areas in which they can survive. When these areas are destroyed, the species become extinct.

Broad Ramifications

According to the Earth Observatory website of NASA, losses in species of animals in the rain forests have huge ramifications that affect both animals and humans. From studies of genetics among a multitude of diverse species within the rain forest, scientists are able to see some clues that assist them in the discovery of cures for deadly diseases and illnesses in both animals and humans. When species go extinct because of deforestation, scientists lose the opportunity to learn more about these species. The diverse species that live within the rain forests offer vital information that could make a difference to all animals and humans for survival into the future.

The Current State of Philippine Forests and Wildlife Reserve

                           According to Manila Bulletin, the Philippines as we know today is in a critical state because of legal and illegal logging threatens our remaining 800,000 hectares if forest cover, unnecessary mining activities are going on and the increased amount in illegal fishing. For instance, the only existing pygmy forest in the Philippines – which is located in the border of Mati and San Isidro, Davao Oriental is now in danger. Pygmy forests are very rare in the world and they are only formed when there is an abundance of cobalt under the ground where the forest resides. Our only pygmy forest is now threatened because of foreign mining companies in cooperation with local officials are mining minerals in that forest.               

                Another mountain in Caraballo Range in Nueva Viscaya is also in danger. The media reports that two foreign companies are fighting tooth and nail with the communities in the mountains to mine gold and copper despite the fact that the residents would rather continue their citrus plantations. These are just two of the hundreds of forests that are currently in danger in the Philippines.                People say that the increasing population, over consumption, dubious technology and greed for money are the factors that harm our environment. These factors led the Palawan into jeopardy. Parts of Palawan were mined for over 30 years now leaving behind environmental degradation and ill-health and poverty to the communities today. This was cause again by another foreign mining company in conspiracy with some government officials that intend to build a hydrometallurgical processing plant.                Only 20 percent of the country’s original forest cover remains, making the Philippines the only country in Southeast-Asia with the thinnest forest cover. An environmental group in Aurora foresees that all forest cover will be gone by the end of this decade if logging operations continue to their present pace. Despite of various reforestation programs, the reforestation rate is not enough to restore the damage that has been done to our forests.

WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

BIODIVERSITY STOCK!!!

- AGAINST BIOPIRACY THROUGH BIO-PROSPECTING

What is BIO – PROSPECTING???

-The gathering and collection, for scientific and/or commercial purposes, of biological resources, plants, animals, micro organism, soil, etc.

- Bio-prospecting also includes the conduct of interviews and documentation of traditional healing practices and knowledge.

Who conducts BIO – PROSPECTING???

- Scientists and researchers connected with local/ national or international universities and research institutions. - Other with tied- up multi-national/ transnational corporations ( agri-business, pharmaceuticals, companies, etc. )

Our mining industry remains extractive and pollutive.

Large Quantities of soil are wasted during mineral extraction and processing.

To illustrate this, 1 ton of gold just produces 2.08 grams of gold or equal to the size of a

madicine tablet.

To extract a metric ton of copper, 2.2 metric tons of earth and rocks are

wasted.

Current Philippine Laws on Forest and Wildlife Conservation

Republic Act No. 10067                            An act of establishing the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the province of Palawan as a protected area under the Nipas Act (R.A. 7586) and the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan Act (R.A. 7611), providing its management and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9847                           An act of establishing Mounts Banahaw and San Cristobal in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon as a protected area under the category of protected landscape, providing for its management and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9494                            An act declaring the Mimbilisan Watershed located in the municipalities of Balingoan and Talisayan, province of Misamis Oriental as a protected area under the category of protected landscape, providing for its management and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9486                           An act establishing the Buhisan Watershed Forest Reserve, the Mananga Watershed Forest Reserve, the Sudlon National Park, the Central Cebu National Park and the Kotkot-Lusaran Warshed Forest reserve situated in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Toledo and Danao and in the municipalities of Minglanilla, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Balamban, province of Cebu into one protected area to be known as the Central Cebu protected landscape and for other purposes.

Solutions Saving the Forests ( source: GREENPEACE INTL. )

Protecting forests will not only preserve biodiversity and defend the rights of forest

communities, it's also one of the quickest and cost effective ways of halting climate change.

Greenpeace is campaigning for zero deforestation, globally, by 2020.

To protect these precious ecosystems, the international community, corporations, 

indigenous communities and individuals will need to work together in an unprecedented, concerted effort. Greenpeace is campaigning to realize this

vision in several ways:

Corporate action

If corporations have the ability to destroy the world's forests, they also have the power to help save them. We investigate, expose and confront environmental abuse by corporations around the world, and ask our supporters to take action for the planet. As a result, many multinational corporations have changed their practices - but there is still a long way to go to protect the world's forests.

Consumer power

The conversion of irreplaceable forests into consumer products like tissues, books, paper and ingredients food and toothpaste is one of the great environmental crimes of our time. But, in the battle to protect our forests, consumers have the power. Don't believe us? Just ask Unilever, Nestle, McDonald's and Kraft, all of whom changed their sourcing policies after our supporters piled on the pressure.

Political solutions

Greenpeace is campaigning for a meaningful, international mechanism to help end forest destruction globally known as REDD (reduced emissions from degradation and deforestation). If it is done well, REDD could benefit biodiversity, humanity, and the climate. Yet some governments and industries are lobbying hard to undermine REDD - or unfairly profit from it - and many forest communities are being left out of discussions that will directly affect their lives.

Putting 'No Deforestation' into practice

Tropical forests hold large stores of carbon, are packed full with important biodiversity, and are critical for millions of people from local communities who depend on forests for their livelihoods. The companies that have been converting tropical forests to agriculture or plantations, for commodities like palm oil or paper, have come under increasing pressure from their customers to prove that their operations and supply chains are not causing deforestation.

Defining deforestation is very complex, as it has to factor in carbon and climate, biodiversity and social implications. However, the urgency for an answer increases every day as more of our irreplaceable forests are destroyed. Over the last three years, Greenpeace has been working with one of the world’s largest palm oil suppliers, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), and The Forest Trust, on a pioneering initiative on implementing no deforestation and forest conservation - via identifying and conserving High Carbon Stock (HCS) forest areas.

Forest communities

Greenpeace works with indigenous communities around the world at the front line of forest destruction - supporting the demarcatation of traditional boundaries and eco-forestry initiatives, and offering a global platform through which these communities can address the rest of the world. Why? We believe that if these communities are able to keep control of their forests, they will protect their resources for the future, and the planet. 

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

Ecological and socially responsible forest management can, and is, being practised by some companies. This kind of forest management seeks to ensure that the forest ecosystem is not damaged, that only low volumes of trees are extracted, and that the impacts on plant and animal life are minimal. The FSC, an international, non-profit association, was created in 1993 so that corporate buyers and the public can identify products that come from responsibly managed forests.

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ARALIN PANLIPUNAN JULY 29, 2015

GRADE 10 – ST. JOHNMRS. AIMEE P. VERGARA