CHARL
DARAPISA
Landscape Architect
Biodiversity Conservationist
Scholar
7 POSTER PRESENTATIONS
5 ORAL PRESENTATIONS
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Title:
Social Learning Process for Understanding Indigenous Subsistence as part of Biocultural Diversity: Lessons from the Mangyan Iraya Tribe
Conference: 9th International Conference for Sustainable Development (ICSD 2021), September, 2021 (Online)
Abstract:
The subsistence of Indigenous communities extends beyond a physical material. It is a way of life that is profoundly social, cultural, and spiritual in nature. However, external policies lack proper tool to best represent subsistence as a component of biocultural diversity; this is where policies become a problem rather than a solution. For example, in the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (NIPAS), the recommended suitability assessment tools do not include social learning processes (SLPs) in understanding the lenses of Indigenous communities. This is critical because researchers argue that complex systems such as subsistence are not pre-formed but need to be generated through deliberation and social learning. We adapted the definition of ‘deliberation’ as an essential process by which something can be considered, evaluated or appraised. Inspired by the Deliberative Value Formation model, we answer the question: how can creative SLPs be used to digest the concept of subsistence of the Mangyan Iraya tribe in the context of managing their natural resources and conserving biodiversity?
This research focuses on integrating creative SLPs in the form of community participatory mapping, sketching, visual resource mapping, story-telling and re-enactments. We argue that heterogenous knowledge such as subsistence extracted through complex and consultative process elicits co-learning and enhances research results. Through the SLPs performed, the Indigenous Peoples play the central role in the process. We focus the deliberation to four subsistence concepts that constantly recur during the initial ethnographic study. These include (a) the roles of Gods, myths and legends in biodiversity conservation, (b) the influence of cultural beliefs in managing swidden farms, and (c) the spatial association of world views to the landscape around the community. Each component was further discussed by the informants through the integrated creative SLPs.
Keywords: ethnographic tools, social learning, conservation drivers
Title:
The Terrible Twos: The Mangyan Iraya tribe Towards Dependency and Continued Self-Sufficient Forest Conservation
Conference: 1st Nayong Pilipino Research Summit, July, 2021 (Online)
Organizer: Nayong Pilipino Foundation
Abstract:
The Mangyan Iraya tribe practices endogenous mechanisms in forest conservation. To them, nature conservation is simple; continuous mutual respect between the tribe’s Gods and the Mangyan Iraya tribe in return for agricultural abundance and health. However, this synergy begins to change through time as government projects intervene. This research analyzes the effects of the National Greening Program (NGP) on the long-perused traditional forest conservation of the Mangyan Iraya tribe. NGP is a national policy that aims to plant 1.5 billion trees with the help of Indigenous communities through incentives. Here we argue that the reliance of the Mangyan Iraya tribe on the NGP projects causes deterrence in the practice of Indigenous practices towards forest conservation. The ethnographic fieldworks reveal that the NGP participants (a) stopped from performing traditional kaingin farming, (b) hindered the transference of Indigenous knowledge, and in turn (c) may likely cause the dissipation of their heritage and customs. We recommend that ‘outside’ policies like NGP should be inclusive of the lifestyle of Indigenous communities.
Keywords: neoliberal policies, scenario building, National Greening Program
Title:
What if we map the forest loss data of 113 terrestrial protected areas in the Philippines? Prioritisation for Restoration, Conservation and Preservation
Conference: Digital Landscape Architecture 2021, June, 2021 (Online)
Organizer: Anhalt University in Applied Sciences, Bernburg Germany; Digital Landscape Architecture Committee
Award: Poster Special Award Recognition - 8th Place
Abstract:
Many elements of biodiversity disappear without being assessed and monitored. The establishment of Protected Areas (PAs) further strengthens the need to halt biodiversity loss. However, the rising trend of remote sensing products forms basis for conservation prioritization and other nature conservancy measures. Here we focus on using the Hansen Global Forest Loss Dataset to the 113 terrestrial PAs in the Philippines. This research quantifies the digital forest loss information in the study area from 2000-2018. After quantifying 1,921 forest loss dataset, we found out that the year 2016 marks the highest percentage of forest loss with 15% or 38,494, 711 square meters of forest loss from the total 4,906,311,854 square meters of the 113 PAs. Annually, an average of 2.98% increase in the forest loss increment percentage is recorded wherein only 1.83% of reduction of forest loss occurrence is recorded in 2010-2011, more than a decade ago. However, the average difference of reduced forest loss is higher with 0.75% than the average difference of increased forest loss area with 0.64%. This finding means that despite the fluctuating forest loss increment, the average of reducing the area of forest loss is higher compared to the cumulative increase in forest loss area for the last two decades. We then identified the priority conservation Pas based on the average forest loss increment from 2000-2018, forest loss occurrence in 2018, and priority study areas based on successes in reducing forest loss per 2015-2016 annum. This study provides insights on using the Hansen Global Forest loss dataset. For example, we showcased how to use the dataset in conserving the tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), the only endemic wild cattle species in the Philippines, and integrating the forest loss and gain dataset in creating green conservation networks in the islands of Mindanao.
Keywords: remote sensing, Google Earth Engine, biodiversity metric, conservation prioritization, Essential Biodiversity Variable (EBV)
Title:
Informing Tamaraw Conservation Prioritisation: Mapping of Forest Loss in Mount Iglit-Baco Natural Park using Hansen Forest Loss Dataset
Conference: International Society for Tropical Foresters (ISTF) Conference 2021, February, 2021 (Online)
Organizer: ISTF Yale Chapter, Yale School of the Environment
Abstract:
Unevenly distributed threats to biodiversity dictates the urgency of conservation actions in an area. In Mt. Iglit-Baco Natural Park (MIBNP), the individual numbers of tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) declined from thousands to hundreds. This is alarming because the tamaraw is hailed as the largest critically endangered endemic megafauna and the only wild cattle species in the Philippines. The impacts of forest fires, deforestation, and invasive plants continue to threaten the remaining four home ranges of tamaraws. Here, we use the Hansen Global Forest Change dataset to identify key conservation priority areas in MIBNP. Specifically, the forest loss dataset is overlaid to the annual counting vantage points, the four known tamaraw species distribution home range, and within and around these natural habitats. The spatial reactive vulnerability conservation frameworks were integrated to propose new tamaraw conservation management plan. We located key forest loss monitoring and conservation priority areas that may be used to reconnect metapopulation corridors, stepping stone patches and areas for species recolonization and recovery. We argue that incorporating remotely sensed data on forest loss and vegetation changes were not fully accounted in the conservation plan of the tamaraws. This may potentially reroute the existing conservation and management plan in connecting the metapopulation and locating new breeding grounds for the tamaraws.
Keywords: remote sensing, biodiversity conservation, tamaraw, species home range, metapopulation
Title:
Improving the Habitat Integrity of Candaba Swamp for Migratory Birds using Multi- Spectral Vegetation Profile and Seasonal Water Occurrence using Google Earth Engine
Conference: Digital Landscape Architecture Conference 2020, August, 2020 (Online)
Organizer: Harvard School of Design, Digital Landscape Architecture Committee
Awards: Poster of Excellence Award - Third Place
Third Best Poster for Visual Impact
Third Best Poster for Information
Third Best Poster for Innovation
Abstract:
Waterbirds reflect the habitat integrity of a wetland. In the Candaba Swamp, migratory birds have dwindled over the last ten years. Only 1,449 were recorded in 2018, the lowest since 2010 with 13,160 birds. This is critical because the swamp serves as a major refuge habitat during Siberian cold winds for many migratory and local bird species. Changes brought about land use and water loss worsen the swamp’s diminishing habitat integrity. Monitoring ecological functions is also a challenge due to the wetland’s extensive size and inaccessibility. However, satellite-derived information like Landsat provides a cheaper and easier method in studying wetlands. This research attempts to improve the habitat integrity of Candaba Swamp by identifying both key conservation and preservation areas in the bird sanctuary. Using Google Earth Engine and Landsat data, the vegetation dynamics using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and seasonal water occurrence through Global Surface Water (GSW) dataset were studied. Thirty-eight potential habitat zones were explored by overlaying the collected ecological information provided by NDVI and GSW datasets. Analyses of NDVI suggested a stricter implementation of preservation measures in the existing bird sanctuary, specifically in patches 3, 4, and 5. Meanwhile, the GSW dataset revealed patches 33, 34, 35, and 36 hold water resources that may serve as new nesting and breeding grounds. However, these patches also record high water loss over the years. A composite map of all conservation strategies was made to better inform policies in the sanctuary.
Keywords: NDVI, NDWI, Global Surface Water Data
Title:
Determining Priority Preservation Areas for Keystone Species’ Home Range in Mangrove Forest Areas using Tukey HSD Test: The Case of Kawit, Cavite, Philippines
Conference: Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2019, Forests and Well-Being, June, 2019 (Seoul, South Korea)
Organizer: Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO) Forestry, Korea Forest Service Incheon Metropolitan City
Abstract:
The role of keystone species in mangrove forests is yet to be fully realized. Crabs that are crucial in processing leaf litter that when accumulated can reach high densities increasing sulphide levels in the soil and negatively influences the productivity of mangrove trees. Its burrowing adaptive behaviour helps in aerating the soil to keep a sufficient exchange of water and oxygen for vegetation. However, mangroves and keystone species are difficult to monitor through field observations due to the size and inaccessibility of the area. Satellite-derived information like Landsat provides cheaper and easier access for monitoring purposes and studying vegetation dynamics.
This research attempts to determine key preservation priority areas for mangrove forests in order to determine potential home ranges extent and patch connectivity for five keystone species in mangrove forests namely: Scylla serrata, Callinectes sapidus, Varuna litterata, Convolvulus bilobatus,and Uca spp. Using Google Earth Engine and Landsat 7 satellite data, 65 landscape patches and 45 linear corridors situated in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines were identified, and Normalized Difference Index (NDVI) from 2013 to present for each were computed. Results of ANOVA-One way test showed significant difference (p-value: 2x10^-16) between the patches and linear corridors, therefore, the researcher used the Tukey HSD Test to determine variances between key priority preservation areas and its neighbouring landscapes to determine home range extent and potential ease of migration flow for the mentioned keystone species. Computational analyses and mapping of preservation priority areas showed the urgency to preserve habitats for Callinectes sapidus and Convolbulus bilobatus as mangrove areas in riverine ecosystems are heavily damaged due to urbanization and fragmentation of habitat. Moreover, smart management of mangroves that are home to Scylla serrata, Varuna litterata, and Uca spp. are highly encouraged for continuous future use.
Keywords: Landsat 7, Biphasic Migration, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Vegetation Mapping, Remote Sensing
Title:
Beyond Just Blue: Utilization of Simpson’s Diversity Index and Tree Planting Design Spacing Requirement to Increase Urban Tree Species Diversity Using Philippine Native Trees
Conference:: 1st World Forum on Urban Forest, December, 2018 (Mantova, Italy)
Organizer: Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO) Forestry, Politecnico di Milano
Abstract:
This paper focuses on increasing tree species diversity as a vital component of the urban ecological system. The researcher utilized tree morphology information of various Philippine native trees and Simpson’s Diversity Index formula to increase tree species diversity via the experimentation and computational analyses of tree planting design shapes that are hypothesized to be an efficient way in designing tree planting plans that would maximize any given land size and shape. Using the Simpson’s Diversity Index formula, the researcher conducted series of computational analyses utilizing three planting design shapes: triangle, square and hexagon.
Using mmoc (millimeter on spacing center), among the three shapes, utilizing triangular shapes in spacing between trees will facilitate the highest computed biodiversity, since space requirement for each allowable triangular permutation set is smallest, thus, landscape architects, designers and or bioengineers could highly use more varied tree species in a relatively small area which in turn increasing both species richness and species diversity as compared to square and hexagonal spacing designs. Moreover, in order to easily determine where the minimum biodiversity count could be achieved using any polygonal shape, the number of polygonal sides minus 1, could best exhibit the minimum biodiversity count (around 1.0-0.9) if available land area and spacing distances are to be considered. Moreover, results also showed that if two or more shapes are to be used in the design, the best shapes to choose are those with the least combined total number of polygonal sides since these combinations correlate to the least area requirement for each permutation combination in the design.
This paper concludes that maximizing any available land area, be it for urban parks, green open spaces or any related landscape projects could be efficiently done if the spacing between trees using polygonal shapes that are widely used in the practice of landscape architects when doing tree planting designs and construction plans is to be considered. Furthermore, this paper highly acknowledges that although other tree requirement factors should be considered, like growth rate, species-specific nutrition tree requirement, sizes of the canopy, availability of the sapling, tree physiologies, tree’s effects on other trees or wildlife, and so on and so forth, the results of the study, specifically its methodologies, are highly flexible to be utilized in any other countries across the globe as long as tree morphology information and the size of the available land for the project are known. The summary of the potential biodiversity count with respect to the spacing requirement and tree planting polygonal designs are believed to be a powerful tool for landscape architects, urban planners, foresters, and the like to immediately determine the potential biodiversity count in any available land, regardless of the size and shape of the given project.
Keywords: Tree Planting Design, Urban Biodiversity, Tree Species Diversity, Landscape Architecture Standards, Simpson’s Diversity Index,