Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
15.1 Introduction
The composition of the Philippine flora is estimated to be at least 14,000 species
(DENR-PAWB, CI & UP-CIDS 2002). An estimated 3,500 are classified as trees
indigenous to the country (Salvosa 1963). Of this number, only 10 percent (
350) is
considered economically important (Meniado et al. 1974) with the family
Dipterocarpaceae as the prime source of premium hardwood timber for many decades.
Lush tropical forests occupy approximately 90 percent or 27 M ha of the country's total
land area back in the 1500s, prior to the colonization by the Spaniards (Garrity et al.
1993). As of 2000, pristine forest has decreased to 0.8 M ha (Acosta 2004) or a lost of
almost 97% of the original forest cover. Deforestation peaked at 170,000 ha annually
in the 1970s while reforestation averaged only at 52,150 ha per year (Forest
Management Bureau Statistics 2003).
With a staggering loss of forest cover, forest rehabilitation became critically
important. The start of reforestation was traced to the pioneering School of Forestry
at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in 1910. The Silviculture
class made experiments on various methods of replanting areas covered with
Imperata cylindrica (cogon grass). The pioneering effort of the first forestry school in
the country paved the way for the formal government reforestation efforts which
started in 1916 in Cebu then quickly spread in other parts of the country.
Reforestation saw its full-scale implementation from 1937-1941 with regular gov-
ernment appropriations. World War II wreaked havoc to the nearly 28,000 ha planta-
tions (Agpaoa et al. 1976). A revitalized effort was initiated in 1960 with the creation
of the Reforestation Administration. Later, private sectors took active part in the
reforestation efforts particularly the big logging concessionaires, e.g. Paper
Industries Corporation of the Philippines (PICOP) and the Provident Tree Farm Inc.
(PTFI) (JOFCA 1996). Recently, a shift from the corporate-based type of forest
management to community-based forest management by virtue of Executive Order
No. 263 was instituted. Consequently, smallholder tree farmers and people's organi-
zation in the uplands became major actors in forest restoration particularly in planta-
tion development.
Plantation forests in the Philippines occupy approximately 7.53 M ha (FAO
2005). Plantations are vital to meet the country's wood demand as stipulated
in the Revised Forestry Master Plan for the Philippines (2003) where a target
of 460,000 ha of commercial plantations is envisioned within 12 years. This
chapter examined the trends and patterns in species selection for plantation
forestry in the country. It also provided perspectives in the use of indigenous
tree species (ITS) particularly by smallholder tree farmers. Lastly, discussions
were made on the constraints and limitations besetting the use of ITS and how
smallholder tree farmers will be capacitated to contribute to forest restoration
using ITS.
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