IUFRO-LIBRO

ORAL SESSIOnS
IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference
relationship between nature and society. To do so, we must pay equal attention to observing how the changing
socio‐cultural situation determines the integrity of ecosystems and biodiversity status and how changes in natural
capital determine human welfare. The frequently flooded forests located in the riparian corridor of lower Orinoco,
among other things, are important for sustaining local fisheries, livelihood, and lifestyle of its inhabitants. These
riparian forests have been degraded in areas near major cities by the increase in land use and change of landscapes.
The objective of this study is to analyze this change, as the deterioration of coastal ecosystems may be affecting the
quality of life of its inhabitants. Documentary research was conducted, to which we posed the following questions:
what are the main ecosystem services provided by these ecosystems? What is the relationship between SE and
quality of life? How can we understand the vision of social‐ecological systems? To ensure the socio‐ecological system
is sustainable, management policies, land‐use planning, and decision making should be aimed at maintaining the
ecological integrity of the riparian landscape and defend the cultural roots of its inhabitants.
Key words: ecosystem services, social‐ecological systems, human welfare, quality of life.
30
Understanding the impacts of land use change and human settlements on the ecosystem functions of the
Molawin‐Dampalit Sub‐watershed through participatory approaches
Damasa Magcale‐Macandog a *, Kathreena Engay a , Jan Lloyd Balon a , Ozzy Boy Nicopior b , Donald Luna b ,
Christian de la Cruz a
*Corresponding author: a Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, IBS, UPLB,
College, Laguna 4031Philippines, b School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the
Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031Philippines.
demi_macandog@yahoo.com
The Molawin‐Dampalit subwatershed, a part of the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, is important for its high biodiversity
and is a major source of water for the surrounding municipality of Los Baños. An initial rapid assessment of patterns
and drivers of land‐use changes aimed at developing an understanding of the interactions between land cover,
economic intensification and river‐catchment functioning in the Molawin‐Dampalit subwatershed was done
through the conduct of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approaches in upstream, midstream and downstream
communities. The three study sites underwent various land use changes driven by demand for food, livelihood
and settlement area; policy intervention; and the need for sustainability of agricultural systems. The upstream and
midstream sites underwent land use change from forest to agroforests and agricultural areas. The lakeshore site
underwent major land use change from agricultural to mainly settlement area due to rapid increase and dense
human population. The current main issue in the upstream site is the lack of livelihood sources while landslides and
flashfloods were the main problems in the midstream site. In the lakeshore site, the main issue is the decline in the
productivity and quality of fish caught from the lake due to uncontrolled dumping of toxic, domestic and household
wastes into the lake. Various solutions were proposed by the communities to address these various livelihood
and environmental concerns. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of PRA approaches in involving the local
community in understanding the environmental problems they face and crafting solutions to address their issues.
Key words: tropical rainforest, land use change, participatory rural appraisal, environmental degradadtion, Molawin‐
Dampalit subwatershed.
Acknowledgements: The authors wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the local communities in the conduct of
the PRA activities in the three study sites, the support of the Local Government Unit of Los Baños, Laguna.