Hundreds of newly-discovered PHL species 'under siege'

The Philippines may be one of the world's megadiversity centers, but illegal logging, marine poaching and other crimes overshadow the promise of the country's environmental potential. The recent discovery and seizure of a P35M cache of stuffed green turtles and harvested black corals, coupled with mysterious "fishkills" in Batangas and Pangasinan, has exposed glaring holes in the Philippines' environmental protection efforts. And this, in spite of Conservation International having lauded the country as " 'the center of the center' of global marine biodiversity". Pressure from people Dr Edgardo D. Gomez, Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, declared that Philippine marine biodiversity is "under siege"—mainly due to "direct anthropogenic pressures that are running out of control". In short, humans are pushing the environment to its limits. Unprecedented rates of human population growth and spread, coupled with climate change and ocean acidification, have placed delicate marine and terrestrial ecosystems and habitats in jeopardy. The Coral Triangle in jeopardy A study published by the Reefs at Risk Project in February 2011 shows that, from 1997 to 2007 alone, threats from overfishing, destructive fishing, coastal development, and pollution have increased by 30%, and continue to rise. These results are made more alarming by the fact that the Philippines forms part of the "Coral Triangle"—an area that covers nearly 70,000 square kilometers, or 28% of the world's total reef area. The Triangle encompasses the marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and is home to around 500-600 species of coral and more than 2000 species of fish. Terrestrial species also at risk Meanwhile, Dr Angel C. Alcala, former DENR secretary and current Director of the Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research and Management, warned that many terrestrial animal and plant species are endangered thanks to illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming, and over-harvesting, and cited cases of at least 49 different endemic fern species being overcollected for ornamental purposes. New species, old dangers Last week, the 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition released the preliminary findings of its survey during a symposium held at the National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED) in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. The Expedition, composed of scientists, researchers, and biodiversity conservationists from the University of the Philippines and the California Academy of Sciences, may have discovered over a hundred new species of marine and terrestrial flora and fauna over the course of its month-long survey of the Southern Tagalog region and its coasts. Led by Dr Perry Ong of the UP Institute of Biology and Dr Terry Gosliner of the California Academy of Sciences, three teams of research scientists documented and catalogued specimens from Anilao, the Verde Island Passage and Lubang Island off the coast of Batangas, as well as from the lowland forests and mountaintops of Mts. Makiling, Banahaw, and Isarog. Marine life under threat The scientists who studied the shallow-water ecosystems in Mabini and Tingloy, Batangas reported cases of coral bleaching caused by rising water temperatures on the small coral ecosystems off the coast of Batangas. Coral bleaching occurs when water temperatures rise, stressing and even starving plants and other organisms which thrive in and feed coral ecosystems; when corals die, they turn white. The water temperature recorded in Lian, Batangas on May 24 spiked 3 degrees over 30 days, with the warm water layer spanning 14 meters. Meanwhile, at least a hundred possible new species of underwater invertebrates and fishes were recorded by the both the shallow-water and deep-water research teams, with the deep-water team spending eight days scouring the ocean floor in the Verde Island Passage and around Lubang Island. A side trip to Lake Taal also resulted in the discovery of 2 possible new species of goby fish. The expedition also assessed the effectiveness of the protected marine reserves in Mabini at the request of town officials. Despite reports of coral bleaching and the prevalence of "marine debris" (plastics and other non-biodegradable trash) even in deep water, Mabini's marine preservation efforts were declared effective; these were the only places schools of large fish could be found. However, they stressed the importance of keeping the marine reserves inviolate: "They need to be protected," says Dr Gosliner, "without any wavering on that. This is essential." New, 'rediscovered' terrestrial flora and fauna The expedition also conducted a comparative survey of the flora and fauna of Mts. Makiling, Banahaw, and Isarog, three mountains chosen for their relative similarity in altitude and habitat types. While many specimens of vascular plants and bryophytes (mosses) were collected, how many of these are entirely new species have yet to be determined. Meanwhile, samples of several other plants previously recorded and catalogued as far back as the late 19th and early 20th century were also collected. Spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions, harvestmen and "whip spiders"—distinct from spiders— were also studied in great detail by entomologists. Around 150 species of spiders were collected—with the possibility of 20-30% of them being entirely new. One significant find was the first species of Pasilobus, or triangle-web spider, ever recorded in the Philippines. The number of arthropod species (which include insects) currently recorded in the Philippines is approximately 21,000, around 70% of which are endemic (native) to the country. Just how many of the specimens collected by the expedition will enter these lists have yet to be determined, given the staggering number of samples that need to be recorded and identified. Amphibians and reptiles were also studied, with 15 species of amphibians and 28 species of reptiles recorded. 26 species of mammals, more than half of which can only be found in the Philippines, were captured and recorded on Mt. Makiling. Some of these include the rare mottled-winged flying fox, the Philippine pygmy fruit bat, the Luzon shrew, and the Southern Luzon giant cloud rat—described as being larger than a cat, and possibly one of the largest true rats in the world. The larger wildlife documented in Makiling also include the Philippine warty pig, the Philippine brown deer, and the long-tailed macaque; however these are frequently the targets of illegal big-game hunters, and are listed as endangered. Red-listed species Several of the aquatic and terrestrial species found by the expedition are currently included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List. The Red List is currently the most comprehensive list of every single species of flora and fauna in danger of extinction. The dugong, the Philippine eagle, the green sea-turtle, and the brown deer are only a few of the animals on the list; Dr Alcala has estimated the number of endangered Philippine bird species alone number around 56. Atty. Jose A. Canivel, Executive Director of the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation, attributes the insufficient enforcement of the country's environmental protection laws to internal conflicts over policy direction and jurisdiction as well as a general lack of technical knowledge and political will. "Lawmakers, decision makers, policy makers have shown little interest in biodiversity conservation," Canivel said, "because there is little knowledge, and with little knowledge there is very little value attached." Possible solutions Canivel offers a few possible solutions to conservation issues: the key is to identify and protect biodiversity hotspots, and maintain the importance of preservation amid exploitation and extraction claims. Another approach is to provide benefits and incentives for effective conservation practices, and levy tax penalties for environmental offenders. What is also needed is legislation that will set clearly-defined recovery goals for endangered and threatened ecosystems. Enforcers must be educated to be able to properly identify and defend endangered hotspots. The Expedition offered their own recommendations to local marine conservation efforts: 1) the level of marine debris and sedimentation must be reduced; 2) more moorings must be placed at dive sites; 3) present marine protected areas must be maintained, and their size possibly increased; and 4) if possible, establish new MPAs in unique habitats. — TJD, GMA News