2. Introduction
• Forest – refers to a thick growth of trees and brushes
that covers a large area.
• The Philippines has a total land area of 30,000,000
hectares, around 50% of which is characterized as
forest land.
• As of 1994, only 5,686,055 hectares are stocked with
forest trees (Forest Management Bureau, 1994). This is only about
half of what was existing twenty years ago. To conserve
and protect the forest, the old growth dipterocarp
forest areas have been placed under the National
Integrated Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS) since
January 1, 1992. Thus, logging in these areas has been
prohibited since then.
4. • Ecologically, the forest gives invaluable environmental
benefits to the country by providing watersheds for
rivers, by serving as an effective protector of soils and
regulator of water flows and carbon cycles; and by
providing habitats for a multitude of animal and
plant life.
• Careful protection of the forest is therefore of utmost
importance. Its destruction will have far-reaching
effects such as: depletion of potential resource for
wood and habitat; threatening of the capacity of the
biosphere to regulate atmospheric and hydrospheric
cycles; loss of wildlife habitat and species; soil
erosion; siltation; flooding; and landslide.
Deforestation, along with burning of hydrocarbons,
also contributes to the CO2 build-up in the
atmosphere.
6. Significance of Philippine Forest
Resources
• Philippine forests are classified into different types namely, Mangrove
Forest, Beach Forest, Molave Forest, Dipterocarp Forest, Pine Forest and
Mossy Forest.
Levels:
1. Mangrove Forest - Mangroves are a crossroad where oceans, freshwater,
and land realms meet. They are among the most productive and complex
ecosystems on the planet, growing under environmental conditions that
would kill ordinary plants very quickly.
Ecological Description of the Mangrove Forests
• Mangrove – referrers to the individual plants
• Mangal – refers to the whole community or association dominated by the
mangrove plants
• Pneumatophores
• Proproots or stilt roots
• Viviparous
7. Mangrove forests are rich in biodiversity providing a habitat
for wide varieties of animal and plant species. They are
dynamic areas, rich in food. Live and decaying mangrove
leaves and roots provide nutrients that nourish plankton,
algae, fish and shellfish. Many of the fish caught commercially
in tropical regions reproduce and spend time in the
mangroves as juveniles or adults. Mangroves are also home
to many birds and mammals – such as mangrove monkeys in
South Asia. The Philippines has around 47 “true mangrove”
and associated species belonging to 26 families.
8. Plant Families that Tribe on Mangrove
Forest
• Family Acanthaceae
Acanthus ebracteatus Tigbau; Diliuatiao
• Family Apocynaceae
Cerbera manghas Baraibai
• Family Avicenniaceae
Avicennia alba Bungalon-puti
Avicennia lanata Piapi
Avicennia marina Bungalon
Avicennia officinalis Api-api
• Family Bignoniaceae
Dolichandrone spathacea Tui; Balok-balok
9. • Family Bombacaceae
Camptostemon philippinense Gapas-gapas
• Family Combretaceae
Lumnitzera littorea Tabau; Sagasa
Lumnitzera racemosa Kulasi; Mayoro
Terminalia catappa Talisay
• Family Compositae
Pluchea indica Kalapini
• Family Euphorbiaceae
Exoecaria agallocha Buta-buta; Alipata
• Family Fabaceae
Aganope heptaphylla
Derris trifoliata Tuble
Pongamia pinnata Bani
• Family Lecythidaceae
Barringtonia asiatica Botong or Boton; Bitobitoon
• Family Lythraceae
Pemphis acidula Bantigi
10. • Family Malvaceae
• Hibiscus tiliaceus Malubago
• Family Meliaceae
Xylocarpus granatum Tabigi
Xylocarpus moluccensis Piagau
• Family Myrsinaceae
Aegiceras corniculatum Saging-saging
Aegiceras floridum Tinduk-tindukan
• Family Myrtaceae
Osbornia octodonta Taualis
• Family Palmae
Nypa fruticans Nipa
13. Beach Forest
This formation forms of a narrow strip of woodland along the
sandy and gravelly beaches of the seacoast. Most of the
species have fruits and seeds adapted for water dispersal. The
principal species ocuring in the Philippine beach forest are;
• Barringtonia asiatica – Boton or Botong
• Calophylum inophyllum - Bitaog
• Casuarina equisetifolia - Agoho
• Erythrina orientalis – Dap dap
• Hibiscus tiliaceus - Malobago
• Messerschmidia argentea - Patayud
• Thespesia populneoides -
• Pongamia pinnata - Bani
• Scaevola frutescens -
• Terminalia catappa - Talisay
14. Molave Forest
• Forest Over Limestone
• Molave (Vitex parviflora) Forest, the limestone
forest in the Philippines occupies low limestone
hills, either coastal or bordering large uplifted
river valleys, which are mainly composed of
crystalline limestone covered by a shallow or very
thin soil.
• This formation of is generally open, characterized
by few scattered large trees often short-boled,
irregular in form and with wide-spreading crowns.
15. A number of trees are dominant in this formation:
Liguminous:
• Afzelia rhomboidea - Tindalo
• Sindora sopa - Sopa
• Intia bijuga - Ipil
• Albizia acle - Acle
• Wallaceodendron celebicum - Banuyo
• Pterocarpus indicus - Narra
• Kingiodendron alternifolium - Batete
Other Dominant Species:
• Pterocymbium tinctorium - Taluto
• Ziziphus talanai - Balakat
• Toona calantas - Kalantas
• Mimusops elengi - Kabiki
• Maranthes corymbosa -
• Wrightia pubescens - Lanete
• Lagerstroemia piriformis - Batitinan
• Heritiera littoralis - Dungon-late
17. Dipterocarp Forest
• The dipterocarps make up roughly two-thirds (2/3) of the
total forest cover. These species are located in places with
high elevations, particularly in regions where precipitation
is high.
• Dipterocarp forests are further classified as either old
growth or second growth. Old growth dipterocarp forests
are virgin forests with no traces of commercial logging,
while second growth dipterocarp forests are those with
traces of logging. The dipterocarp forest has been the
major source for the wood industry of its raw material
supply of lumber, veneer and plywood, pulp and paper,
furniture wood and other wood-based products. The
harvest of these species generate revenues for the
government through forest charges, property taxes, license
fees and income taxes from concessionaires.
18. • Dipterocarps are forest stands dominated by trees of
dipterocarp species.
Dipterocarp Group
1. Apitong (Dipterocarpus grandiflorus) group
2. Guijo (Shorea guiso) group
3. Manggachapoi (Hopea acuminata) group
4. Manggasinoro (Shorea philippinensis)
5. Narig (Vatica mangachapoi)
6. Palosapis (Anisoptera thurifera)
7. Philippine Mahogany Group (light red and red mahogany)
Category of Red:
• Red Lauan (Shorea negrosensis)
• Tanguile (Shorea polysperma)
• Tiaong (Shorea agsaboensis)
19. Category of Light Red:
Almon (Shorea almon)
Bagtikan (Parashorea malaalmonan)
Mayapis (Shorea squamata)
White Lauan (Shorea contorta)
8. Yakal (Shorea astylosa) group
Note:
Diptero carp
2 wing fruit
20.
21. Pine Forest
• Also called Tropical Lower Montane Rain Forest
• Pine consists of only one genus, called Pinus,
belonging to the family Pinaceae. Two native species
pines were recorded in the country , Pinus insularis
and Pinus merkusii.
Benguet Pine (Pinus insularis) is called Saleng in
Benguet. It is also known as Bariat, Batang or Saleng in
Bontoc, Palompino in Isabela, and Sahing in Southern
Luzon. It thrives and best developed in the high
plateau region of the Cordillera Mountain on Luzon,
reaching an altitude ranging from 700 to 1800 m
elevation. It occurs in a region with distinct dry
season.
22. • Benguet Pine is a medium-sized or large trees with a diameter
reaching up to 140 centimeters and a height reaching up to 40
meters. A moderately fast-growing species, it has a thick and
flaky bark with no pronounced buttress.
• It is found mostly in Benguet, Ifugao, Pangasinan, Nueva Viscaya,
Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Mountain Province and
Abra. Benguet Pine is endemic to mainland Asia, Taiwan and the
Philippines.
Mindoro Pine (Pinus merkusii) is called Saleng in Zambales and
Tapalau in Mindoro. It occurs in altitude of more than 900 m.
• Mindoro Pine is a medium -sized or large tree growing up to 95
centimeters in diameter and 25 meters in height. It has a
straight cylindrical trunk with a clear length of 10 to 25 meters.
• It is found in the mountains of Mindoro and it is native to
Southeast Asia, particularly, Sumatra and the Philippines.
23. Mossy Forest
• Also called Tropical Upper Montane Rain Forest.
• It occurs on mountains mountain above 1000 m
elevation with the upper limits varying depending
on the locality and height of the mountain. It is best
developed in areas where topography is rough and
constantly changing. It consist of steep ridges and
canyons.
• Generally the climatic conditions are exceedingly
moist with great exposure to winds. Thus, the
vegetation is usually dwarfed, and the trees are
often crooked.
24. Species found in Mossy Forest
Plants belong to the Genera Dacrydium,
Dacrycarpus, and Podocarpus.
Lithocarpus, Syzygium and Myrica.
25. Mangrove Forest
Beach Forest
Beach Forest in Barangay
Pinarigusan, San Miguel,
Leyte
Limestone Forest in
Calbiga, Western Samar
Limestone or
Karst Forest
26. Photo credit: Fernando, 2005
Mossy or Cloud Forest
Lowland Dipterocarp
Rainforest
Mossy forest in Mt. Janagdan, Ormoc City, Leyte
Grassland “Parang” Vegetation
27. Sources:
UPLB, Training Center For Tropical Resources And
Ecosystems Sustainability
Martin Obrero MSF, APECS Training Course Design,
Davao Del Norte
