会议名称：“2022世界木材日”研讨会暨第四届国际林联（IUFRO）林产品文化研究组讨论会
会议时间：2022年3月22日

报告嘉宾：Ren Obena
嘉宾简介：菲律宾大学洛斯班那斯分校, Inocencio E. Buot Jr.教授研究生

摘要：
Forests over limestone phenomena are geomorphologic features that re sult from the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock. Extensive areas of tropical forest over limestone occur in Southern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, in Southeast Asia, in cluding the Philippines. In the Philippines alone, there is roughly 35,000 km2 of forest over limestone surface. Generally, plants experience more stresses in this type of forest, due to shallow soil substrates, high tempera ture and other limiting factors. Hence, unique plants abound and expected to possess secondary metabolites potentially for medicine, food, etc. How-36ever, information on this is quite lacking.
A combined field work and comparative literature review was done, and results revealed important threatened woody plant species under various threat categories of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and that of the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the forests over limestone in Samar Island Natural Park, Mount Tabunan in Cebu, Mount Lantoy Key Biodiversity Area in Cebu, and in Verde Island Passage in Batangas. The top ten (10) important species are noted in this paper; 4 critically endangered, 2 endangered and 4 vulnerable species. I. Critically endangered (CR): Diospyros longiciliata Merr., Cynometra cebuensis Seidenschwarz, F., Tectona philippinensis Benth. & Hook. f., Shorea polysperma (Blanco) Merr. II. Endangered (EN): Cinnamomum cebuense Kosterm., Vitex parviflora Juss. III. Vulnerable (VU): Agathis philippinensis Warb., Aquilaria cumingiana (Decne) Ridley, Cinnamomum mercadoi S.Vidal, Dipterocarpus gracilis Blume.
Results indicated human activities, like overharvesting (e.g. resin of Agathis and Aquilaria), cutting of branches and removal of barks (e.g. Cinnamomum), illegal logging (e.g. Shorea, Dipterocarpus, etc.), indiscriminate cutting due expanding coastal tourism in the case of Tectona and associates along Verde Island Passage, triggered the continued decline of populations of these threatened species, most of which are endemics and can only be found in the Philippines. They are valuable sources of wood and non-wood products among the forests over limestone communities. They also serve as food/shade plants and perching materials for local fauna and forest pollinators sustaining life cycles and ecosystem dynamism. There is an urgent need for massive education and awareness campaign in local government units and village sectors and communities to enhance wise utilization and conservation, hence, preventing the eventual loss of these botanical treasure

责任编辑：iwcs2245H