Consultancy: Workshop Facilitator for Mid-Term Review

Biodiversity Management Bureau is currently looking for a consultant to develop the National Survey Report on IAS for the Philippines. If interested, please read on. This posting and other opportunities can also be viewed in BMB website.

Consultancy: Develop National IAS Survey Report for the Philippines

Biodiversity Management Bureau is currently looking for a consultant to develop the National Survey Report on IAS for the Philippines. If interested, please read on. This posting and other opportunities can also be viewed in BMB website.

Now you know: Chinese softshell turtle introduction in the Philippines is prohibited

Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis Wiegmann, 1835) is a native of parts of China, Vietnam, Japan, North Korea and Russia and have been introduced in different parts of Southeast Asia and the United States of America.

Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in its natural
habitat. Photo taken from Arkive.

This turtle's natural populations was assessed by the IUCN as vulnerable (VU) although there is evidence that it is massively farmed in China (Haitao, et al., 2008). In the Philippines, it has proliferated in wetlands and aquaculture areas particularly in Pampanga region (Region 3) and has probably established populations in Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna, Nueva Ecija and Mindoro. It has been considered a threat to local biodiversity and a pest to the multi-million fishing industry of Central Luzon.

Piper aduncum L. invasion in Allah Valley Protected Landscape

Piper aduncum L. is a shrubby tree belonging to the family Piperaceae. It is commonly known as "matico" or spiked pepper. It is a native of the West Indies and Central America from Mexico to northern Argentina. It can form thickets and spreads by sprouts and suckers. It grows up to 8 m tall with a diameter of 10 cm or more. Leaves are alternate, distichous, elliptic, 12-22 cm long, shortly etiolate and softly hairy beneath. Flowers are cord-like, white to yellow inflorescence spikes that contain minute black seeds.

It inhabits disturbed rainforest areas and margins of up to 2000 m in altitude. It is also found along agricultural areas, roadsides, secondary forests or on forested ridges. It can live in areas with greater than 4000 mm of mean annual rainfall. It can colonize most soil types. It requires high levels of sunlight and a bare soil surface, indicating that disturbance is necessary for its establishment. 

Piper aduncum at the Allah Valley
Protected Landscape (photo taken
by Marianne Saniano, 14/06/09)

Lantana camara poisoning in cattle: A South African Experience

The weed, Lantana camara locally known as "lantana", "koronitas" or "kantutay", is a known IAS from the Central and South America with approximately 650 varieties reported to be expanding in different regions of the world. It was introduced in the Philippines during 1980s for ornamental purpose. However, it has invaded grassland areas, which has caused livestock mortalities affecting ranchers, subsistent farm families and backyard raisers relying on cattle as source of income.

Lantana plants have troterpenoid constituents, or pentacyclic triterpenes, called lantadenes (A & B), which are hepatogenic photosensitizers. These chemicals are concentrated in the leaves and in unripe and ripe fruits. During the dry season here in the Philippines, when there is scarcity of forage grasses, cattle resort to feeding on the dominant lantana weed resulting to poisoning and eventually, death.

L. camara uploaded from Wikimedia

Call for Thesis/Dissertation Proposals on Forest IAS

We are looking for Filipino MS/PhD students enrolled in any Philippine state universities and colleges (SUCs), who are interested in working on forest invasive alien species, particularly plants. For interested applicants, please read on.

You can also visit the Announcement section of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (http://bmb.gov.ph/) for this call.

The Green Invasion: Destroying Livelihoods in Africa

Watch this video on how invasive alien plant species have affected the agricultural livelihoods on the other side of the world. Dr. Arne Witt, FORIS Project's Invasive Species Scientific Coordinator, presents his take on the IAS that are rapidly and negatively affecting people and the environment.