Abstract. Baliton RS, Landicho LD, Cabahug RED, Paelmo RF, Laruan KA, Rodriguez RS, Visco RG, Castillo AKA. 2020. Ecological services of agroforestry systems in selected upland farming communities in the Philippines. Biodiversitas 21: 707-717. A study was conducted in three selected upland farming communities in Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet and Quezon, Philippines to assess the ecological services of agroforestry systems. Results showed that alley cropping was the dominant agroforestry system in Nueva Vizcaya, while vegetable-based and coffee-based multistorey systems were found prevailing in Benguet and Quezon provinces. Agrobiodiversity assessment revealed that the values of Shannon-Wiener diversity index of agroforestry systems in the three study sites were considered to be low to moderate, ranging from 2.21 to 2.71. This validates that the number of individuals per species in the agroforestry landscape was not evenly distributed. The means of biomass in the three study sites, ranging from 106.22-127 tons ha-1, were higher than that of agroforestry systems (102.80 tons ha-1) in the Philippines. The agroforestry systems in Nueva Vizcaya had the largest carbon stock of 57.15 ton C ha-1, followed by Quezon 52.96 ton C ha-1 and Benguet 47.80 ton C ha-1. These results are comparable to the overall mean of carbon stock of tree plantations (59.0 ton C ha-1) and higher than that of agroforestry systems in the Philippines, i.e., 45.4 ton C ha-1. Therefore, this article argues that the different agroforestry systems provide ecological services in the upland farming communities in the Philippines.

This article argues that the practice of agroforestry provides ecological contributions to the smallholder farmers cultivating in the watershed areas. Specifically, this farming system provides contribution to carbon sequestration potential of the woody perennials and the biodiversity conservation of the other components of the system. This argument is based on the research conducted in Molawin-Dampalit Sub-Watershed, Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve in the Philippines and Way Betung Watershed in Indonesia. The research involved an interview session of 106 and 261 smallholder farmers and an assessment of 27 and 14 agroforesty plots for carbon stock assessment and biodiversity assessment, respectively. Results indicated that the total carbon found among the crop components was 52.32 MgC/ha in Molawin-Dampalit Sub-Watershed and 244.26 MgC/ha in Way Betung Watershed, which suggested the high carbon sequestration potential of the woody perennials and understory crops in an agroforestry system. The farm lots being cultivated by the smallholder farmers were found to contribute to biodiversity conservation having a moderate biodiversity index of 2.59 and 2.53, respectively. With these findings, promotion of desired agroforestry systems in suitable portions of the watershed areas should be intensified and heightened to contribute to ecological balance across the landscape. Agroforestry should always be an integral part of all initiatives toward ecological restoration with the cultivators/smallholder farmers as potential partners. The agroforestry system should consider all the technical and socioeconomic considerations toward having diverse components and ensure food security among the smallholder farmers throughout the year.

The upland farming communities in the Philippines are among the vulnerable sectors to climate change impacts. Their agricultural production is generally rainfed, and their farms are in marginal upland areas with steep slopes prone to soil erosion. Water scarcity is a common and perennial problem. To address the need expressed by the smallholder farmers, 11 rainwater harvesting facilities (RWHFs) were established in three upland farming communities in Albay Province, Philippines. The project team facilitated the establishment of RWHFs from two state universities, three local government units, and farming communities. Capacity development and participatory project planning and implementation were the important project approaches. This project generated several lessons. These include the essence of multisectoral collaboration, comprised of local government units, farming communities, and state colleges and universities; the value of collective action of farmers; effectiveness of cross-farm visits and on-site training; tapping locals for project monitoring; integration of sustainable land use management system to sustain RWHFs; and, the importance of resource sharing in carrying out project activities. The project experiences and lessons could be used as a reference by other development programs in replicating this initiative in other upland farming communities in the country.

This article highlights the experiences and lessons generated by the project collaborators in enhancing the adaptive capacities of selected upland farming communities in Southeast Asia. The project collaborators employed capability building programs, such as farmers' and technicians' training, local climate change awareness programs, cross-farm visits, demonstration plots showcasing agroforestry technologies as climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies, and linking science with policies. The outcomes of the project indicate that this program was able to enhance the local adaptive capacities of the upland farming communities by building their key community assets, creating knowledge and information, initiating innovations, strengthening institutions, and initiating forward-looking decision making and governance. The lessons and experiences generated from these initiatives could serve as important reference for scaling up the project. The outputs and outcomes of the capacity development initiatives have generated lessons that could contribute to the body of knowledge in CCA, particularly on enhancing the adaptive capacities for CCA.

Abstract. Landicho LD, Ocampo MTNP, Cabahug RED, Abadillos MG, Cosico RSA, Castillo AKA, Ramirez MAJP, Laruan KA. 2021. Local knowledge and practices towards the ecological restoration of selected landscape in Atok, Benguet, Philippines. Biodiversitas 22: 2785-2794. This study argues that local ecological knowledge and practices contribute to forest conservation and management efforts. This argument is based on the research conducted in upland communities in Atok, Benguet, Philippines. Interviews, farm visits, and focus group discussions revealed that the local communities have been dependent on the forest resources within the watershed in their agricultural production activities. These local communities employed their knowledge and practices towards restoring the ecological state of the watershed. These include the integration of trees on the farm, planting of Alnus japonica for soil and water conservation, the establishment of structural soil and water conservation, maintenance of communal forests, and awareness building among the youth on forest conservation and management. A moderate level of biodiversity and evenness index were in the conservation of giant tree ferns. A very low (0.9718) diversity index and a very high (0.825) evenness index were recorded in the farm lots, while a very low (0.437) diversity index and moderate (0.421) evenness index were measured in the communal forests. On the other hand, high soil organic matter contents of 6.49% and 5.86% were recorded both at the community and farm lots, respectively. Results imply the need to sustain the use of local knowledge and practices in combination with the technological interventions from academia and research institutions to enhance the ecological restoration of forest landscapes.