The Philippines and Mangroves

The Philippines

The Philippines is a beautiful archipelago, group of islands, located in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean, around 800 kilometers from the Asian mainland and between Taiwan and Borneo. Consisting of 7, 107 islands, filled with beaches, the Philippines measures to be a total land area of 300, 000 square kilometers and a coast that extends up to 36, 289 kilometers. Located 13 ◦00 ◦N, 122 ◦00 ◦E, the Philippines lays along the tropical band, bringing in a tropical climate of a rainy season and dry season. Meaning the summer brings heavy rains from May to October, while the winter brings cooler and drier air from December to February. Further, laying along the tropical band also means thriving mangroves. Among the 15 top most mangrove-rich countries in the world, the Philippines is included.

Mangroves

Mangroves are characterized by a various range of extensive trees, from shrubs to 200 feet high timber that grow in high saline sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics. High in nutrients, these mangroves serve essential proteins for livelihood and biodiversity. These areas are vital breeding grounds for marine life, habitats for insects, and even nesting ground for birds. Mangroves become homes to reptiles, birds, amphibians, mammals, fish, crabs, shrimps, mollusks, and many other invertebrates. Furthermore, more than half of the Philippine's villages depend on these habitats, such as for food, traditional herbal medicine, and wood products.  

Source: http://www.adb.org/features/students-and-local-officials-replant-mangrove-forests-philippines







In Figure 1, we see the distribution of mangrove forests that run along the coasts of the Philippines. Although we see that these mangrove forests are spread through, in Figure 2, we are able to compare provinces and conclude that Palawan extends with the most mangrove forests.

Figure 1: Mangroves forests distribution of the Philippines in 2000
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3231605/

Figure 2: Provinces in the Philippines with the majority of mangrove extent
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3231605/

Source: http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/mangrove.html