Ecosystem Diversity in The Philippines
Ecosystem Diversity in The Philippines
Ecosystem Diversity in The Philippines
Primarily, forests serve as the country’s most important source of water, thus
allowing all other forms of natural resources to flourish and become productive.
Forest ecosystems naturally provide clean air and food in the process. In
addition, these resources also contribute through power (electricity) generation,
and by providing protection as a raw material for houses and other forms of
shelter. They also offer indirect benefits, such as by functioning as buffer zones
from storms and prevention of soil erosion. Forests support human livelihood,
although proper management and conscious conservation efforts are
emphatically required in this sense.
Unfortunately, forests are heavily prone to abuse and exploitation. Over the last
century, human populations consumed and altered forest landscapes in favor of
agricultural development and urbanization. It is estimated that from having 70%
forest cover at the start of the 1900s, only about 24% remain, based on 2001-03
satellite imagery, according to the DENR’s Forest Management Bureau.
Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation,
“deforestation continues at an average of 100,000 hectares per year or 273 hectares per day.”
People draw benefits from mangrove systems as they serve as breeding and
feeding grounds for local terrestrial and aquatic species, while also being “stop-
over sites” for migratory species. They also contribute to ecological balance by
stabilizing and minimizing sedimentation and siltation in coral reefs, while also
facilitating the increase of land area by way of accumulated soil and debris.
Since agriculture evolved to bring about gains for human societies, it follows
that people have continued to draw numerous benefits from these types of
ecosystems. It has served as people’s primary source of sustenance and
livelihood, as well as other basic needs, for generations. In the case of the
Philippines, it is historically one of the primary economic drivers for the
country.
There are approximately 1,210 local agricultural plant species here, over a third
of which has food value. Agriculture also supports other cash crops for feed,
medicinal/herbal, ornamental, and industrial values. Rice, corn, and coconut are
the main types of produce obtained through agriculture in the Philippines.
It can be said that agricultural ecosystems are both threatened and serve as a
threat to other ecosystems as well, despite their unquestionable socio-economic
importance. On one hand, continuous urban development for residential and
commercial land use is encroaching on agricultural lands. In turn, farmers are
forced to move upland, harming forest ecosystems in the process.
Another important issue that needs to be addressed in matters regarding
agriculture is the debate involving high value hybrid crops and genetically
modified organisms that was sparked by the so-called Green Revolution of the
1960s. While these applications of modern biotechnology are developed with
the benefit of humankind in mind (i.e. increasing food supply and ensuring
world food security), the environmental and human health risks involved in the
propagation of such crops have yet to be adequately studied and are thus still
much-debated in the overall biodiversity protection and conservation campaign.
Marginal Ecosystem
Marginal ecosystems are those that are located between two ecosystems. These
can be either natural or artificial, such as areas adapted or reappropriated for
agricultural use. Marginal lands now comprise about 70% (over 11 million
hectares) of declared forest area in the Philippines.
Urban Ecosystem
Urban ecosystems are the product of modernized, industrialized human society.
These function as the base of human settlements, as well as economic
development. They are a testament to the economic, academic, and
technological progress that humankind has achieved through generations. That
said, they are still rapidly expanding, often to the detriment of natural
ecosystems.
(Source: de.wallpaperswiki.org)
Coral reefs are comprised of massive deposits of calcium carbonate that take
centuries to produce and develop. Because of such a long process, coral reefs
are very delicate ecosystems and are due extensive protective measures. A
recent example of damage occurred at the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea in
January 2013, where approximately 1,000 square meters of coral reef was
damaged.
These ecosystems are the natural habitat of fish species and other marine
organisms, where feeding, breeding, and spawning happens at incredibly
productive levels. They also serve as natural breakwaters that protect coastal
areas from waves and storms, facilitate coralline sand production that create
remarkable white sand beaches that are a hit among tourists, and enable oxygen
production through supporting photosynthetic algae. Coral reefs also offer
significant educational value for biological and ecological study
Coral reef damage is a serious concern. As of 2006, only 5% of Philippine coral
reefs are in excellent condition, while 32% are already severely damaged
(Haribon, 2006). The World Resources Institute more recently reports that 85%
of the reefs in the Coral Triangle as a whole are threatened (WRI, 2013),
shadowing the global average which stands at 60%.
Freshwater Ecosystem
This type of ecosystem is commonly put in peril by the need for draining to
serve the purposes of fisheries and agriculture
Seagrass and Soft-Bottom Ecosystems
Seagrass ecosystems comprise of aquatic flowering plants that can live in
seawater. These types of ecosystems occur in shallow water environments.