This article argues that smallholder agroforestry farmers in the selected provinces in the Philippines have already been experiencing climate change in their respective areas as indicated by the change in the rainfall and temperature patterns. Using direct interviews and focus group discussions, the respondent-farmers highlighted that increased incidence of pests and diseases, stunted growth of crops, low crop productivity, delayed planting, delayed fruiting of some crops particularly perennial species, poor quality of produce, increased cost in farm operations, low income and decreased yield of some crops, are among the general impacts of climate change in their agricultural production systems. On the positive aspect, some crops had increased yield as an impact of climate change. The farmers employ their local knowledge and skills in adapting to the impacts of climate change. Among these include changing cropping patterns, integrating more crops in the farm, engaging in other off-farm and non-farm activities as additional source of income, changing the cultivated crops, mulching, and using organic fertilizers, among others. This article also highlights the benefits that the respondent-farmers derive from agroforestry, a land use management system that is currently being practiced in the study sites.

The present publication is the 3rd issue of the APN Science Bulletin series to be published in the APN's Third 5-year Strategic Phase, which runs until March 2015. Issue 3 ( 2013) is a peer-reviewed publication that has become a main source, next to the APN website, for up-to-the-minute information on activities undertaken by the APN. As a landmark publication written by the global environmental community, supported by the APN, and focussing on issues of underpinning science that is policy-relevant, the 2013 Science Bulletin aims to satisfy readers in both the science and non-science communities with a keen interest in Global Environmental Change in the Asia-Pacific region.The 2013 APN Science Bulletin highlights those APN projects either funded and/or completed in the year of publication (the present year runs from April 2012 -March 2013). The Science Bulletin has three main sections: 1) Featured Articles; 2) Regional Research Projects funded under the Annual Regional Call for Research Proposals (ARCP) Programme; and 3) Scientific Capacity Development Projects funded under the CAPaBLE Programme. A supplement to the Bulletin will be published in early summer 2013 and will include a number of important activities supported by the APN outside its core programmes, for example, the development of Future Earth in Asia and the Pacific, Focussed activities under Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Land-Use, a series of Hyogo-funded workshops on the New Commons, among others.Under featured articles, nine scientific papers have been written and cover a number of major themes in the APN's science agenda. These include issues from the tracking of endangered tree species in the forests of Borneo to observing the impacts of extreme weather events and adaptation plans in major coastal cities. Other issues focus on the impacts of climate on the hydrological cycle, and on smallholder farms. The core regional research programme is supporting twenty-four regional-based research activities this year, two of which are seed grants for further proposal development, and includes a wide array of biodiversity, ecosystems and land-use themes from looking at Seagrass-Mangrove ecosystems, terrace farming practices, marine ecosystems in Northwest Pacific, among others. The APN continues its underpinning and policy-relevant research by looking at impact assessment tools for urban policy makers. The APN's capacity development programme, CAPaBLE, is the 2nd core programme of the network and reports fourteen capacity development activities and their impacts for the region. Activities extend from supporting young and early-career scientists to attend major global change programme events such as the PAGES and Earth System Governance Conferences, to providing regional climate modelling training programmes and looking at the impacts of global environmental change on human health.On behalf of the Scientific Planning Group (SPG), who advises the scientific programme of the APN to the APN's governing body, the Inter-Governmental Meeting; and of the SPG Co-Cha...

No abstract