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Economic valuation of ecotourism resources as a conservation tool for the Makiling Botanic Gardens

XV World Forestry Congress, 2-6 May 2022









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    Article
    Preliminary assessment of Philippine threatened plants in the makiling botanic gardens, Philippines: A showcase of the gardens’ ex-situ living collections
    XV World Forestry Congress, 2-6 May 2022
    2022
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    Conservation of threatened plants is a national and global concern. Assessment of Philippine plants listed as threatened was conducted at the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) of the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve ASEAN Heritage Park. Aside from providing venue for instruction and research related to forestry and plant sciences as mandated by Republic Act (RA) No. 3523, MBG also serves as a repository of important native and endemic species. The study aimed to showcase MBG’s ex-situ collections and to provide list and information on the threatened plants including status, their number and location within the area to safeguard these threatened plants and save them from possible extinction. The list of threatened plants is based on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2017-11 issued on 02 May 2017 pursuant to RA No. 9147, also known as the ‘Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Law’. Results of initial inventory showed a total of 7,574 plant individuals distributed in 401 species and 75 families. Of these, only 82 species with 2,052 individuals are in the Philippine threatened plant list: eight species critically endangered (CR), 15 species endangered (EN), 39 vulnerable (VU), and 20 other threatened species (OTS). This represents only 8.3% of the total 984 species in the threatened plant list and is still way below the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) Target 8 of 75%. About 45% of these threatened species are endemic to the Philippines. There is a need therefore to prioritize these species for global conservation and restoration. Long-term programs on conservation and restoration of these threatened plants must be developed to at least improve their conservation status. Meanwhile, the MBG has commenced a project to increase its living collections of threatened species and develop propagation protocols to make these available for recovery and restoration programs. Keywords: biodiversity conservation ID:3623523
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    Article
    Tourists’ willingness-to-pay for groundwater conservation, Mt Makiling, Philippines
    XV World Forestry Congress, 2-6 May 2022
    2022
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    Mt Makiling is a dormant volcano that supplies hot water to springs and groundwater in Los Baños and Calamba City, Philippines, spurring the development of a resort-based tourism industry that is heavily extracting groundwater. The paper discusses the results of a contingent valuation survey that sought to evaluate the tourists’ knowledge about the resorts’ water source and use practices, reasons for visiting, willingness-to-pay for improved water conservation practices and the conservation of Mt Makiling as water source, and whether they would visit the resorts during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 50% of 492 respondents were aware of the resorts’ water source, with about half saying that the source is hot springs, but only a few were aware of groundwater as the water source. The main reasons for visiting the resorts are for relaxation and the resorts’ accessibility and affordability. The estimated mean WTP ranged from PhP75/visit (payment card) to PhP174/visit (dichotomous choice), and the respondents were willing to pay because they would like to contribute to the conservation of the groundwater resource of Mt Makiling and because groundwater is limited. On the other hand, some respondents were not willing to pay because they could not afford the additional amount and they perceive that they should not be made to pay for the cost of proper recycling of pool water. Most of the respondents said they would still consider visiting resorts during the pandemic to enjoy the pools and the environment and for the health benefits from the hot-water pools. A higher preference for private resorts was observed because these can be used exclusively by a group. The respondents who do not want to visit resorts during the pandemic said they would consider visits again if compliance with health and safety protocols would be assured. Finally, majority of the respondents recognize that the new health and safety standards for resorts will result in higher fees charged by resorts. Keywords: Mt Makiling, Los Baños, Calamba, contingent valuation, water conservation ID: 3618043
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    Variability in the early growth of Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr. from Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, Luzon, Philippines and its applications in conservation and forest restoration
    XV World Forestry Congress, 2-6 May 2022
    2022
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    This study evaluated the early growth performance of selected mother trees of Parkia timoriana (Fabaceae) and characterized the suitable environmental (soil and light) factors for the growth of the species. P. timoriana seedlings from different mother trees from the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR), Luzon, Philippines were grown in two soil media under greenhouse condition and field trial planted in the University of the Philippines Laguna-Quezon Land Grant (LQLG), where P. timoriana is not occurring naturally and soil and climate differ significantly with the MMFR. Early growth performances in height and ground basal diameter (GBD) or root collar diameter (RCD) both in the greenhouse and field trial plot were measured. Nursery-based performance showed that the average RCD was generally higher in MMFR than LQLG soil but the overall difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, overall average height was consistently higher in LQLG than in MMFR soil, but similar to RCD the difference was not statistically significant. Under different light conditions in the field trial, there was significant difference in mortality, tree height, and GBD. The differences in both the height and GBD may be attributed to the genotype of the mother trees, but height can additionally be attributed to the interaction of the genotype and the different light conditions. Results suggest that P. timoriana can be grown in areas of different soil condition, but it requires partial shade in order to achieve its full growth potential during the early stage of its growth. Hence, P. timoriana when used in reforestation or tree planting projects must consider differences in the early growth response of seedlings according to its genotype as well as light conditions. However, it is highly suggested that growth performances among provenances of P. timoriana and other environmental variables that may affect growth of the species should be looked into. Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, Genetic resources, Sustainable forest management, Deforestation and forest degradation, Monitoring and data collection ID: 3486623

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