Biodiversity
Biodiversity in the Kuroshio Region: Challenges and Trends inthe Upstream
Kristian Q. Aldea1, Minerva I. Morales2, Aurora E. Araojo2, Jimmy T.Masagca2
Biodiversity in the Kuroshio Region: Challenges and Trends inthe Upstream
Kristian Q. Aldea1, Minerva I. Morales2, Aurora E. Araojo2, Jimmy T.Masagca2
1 Catanduanes State University (Panganiban Campus), Panganiban, Catanduanes, Philippines 2 Catanduanes State University (Virac, Campus), Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines
Abstract
Biodiversity is one of the important tools to consider the richness of natural resources. Unfortunately many of the world’ s mega diverse areas are experiencing biodiversity loss due to natural and anthropogenic influences. The Kuroshio Region has not escaped from this global phenomenon. Catanduanes Island, which is located at the forefront of Kuroshio Current faces species decline for the past years due to overexploitation accompanied by limited initiatives and directive guidelines.
Many species are already threatened in this island from smaller siganid fish to large fishes and birds. The case of marine gastropod for example is biodiversity declining from the last 10 years. Although some gastropod studies in the past have shown a high species richness, a decline is noted in 2013 gastropod diversity at H’= 2.969, a 0.453 lower than 2003 study at H’= 3.422 while it is becoming uneven at J’= 0.88 compared from 2003 study at J’= 0.93. Conservation efforts have started in the island which includes establishments of marine protected areas and forests management plan. More wildlife protection program may be established in the island and rehabilitations of the degraded areas
may be closely monitored. Fishing ordinance and regulations in over collection/overfishing is likewise recommended.
Keywords: Upstream, Catanduanes Island, biodiversity, exploitation, biodiversity hotspot,
endemism
Kuroshio Science 9-1, 45-56, 2015
e-mail: kristianaldeabiology@gmail.com mismorales@yahoo.com araojo-aurora@yahoo.com jtibarmasagca@yahoo.com
1. Introduction
Several geographical areas are known to harbor complexnumber of wildlife and higher degree of endemism. Recently,ecologists have identified these places as mega diverse(countries/regions) where most of the earth’s species are moreconcentrated if combined altogether. However, many of these
species centers are becoming widely known as biodiversityhotspot. This means that many of its organisms are on theirways to being endangered and many more are becomingsusceptible to brink of extinction while some people acrosstheir surroundings unaware of their battling existence.Biodiversity as described by Khrone (2012) which includesspecies diversity, genetic variation and diversity of ecologicalinteractions is not a constant figure which may immediatelyfluctuate as more disruptions dominate in a certain time and space.
The Philippines which is also known as a mega diversecountry radiated its species richness in the Kuroshio Region, acoastal region which is fed by the Kuroshio Current that startsfrom tropical Philippines, to subtropical Taiwan and finally totemperate Japan. That Philippine geographical location
contributed variety and abundance to Kuroshio’ s speciesstocks. Its tropical setting is an advantage to the region’ sbiodiversity establishment as most ranges of species arescattered in warm climate and just secondarily disperse totemperate zone through migration. But these bounties havechanged and still bound to continue as this Kuroshio’s frontliner is labeled a biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al., 2000).
Human induced activities such as overfishing and coastalforests clearings continue which may have been renderingpoor reproduction and development of marine life.An organism never lives alone nor an ecological processexecuted isolated from other environmental phenomena. Thisgenerally accepted norm scaffolds the fact that Biodiversity inthe Kuroshio Region is a shared responsibility among thestates on its borders. Now, many would ask why a termupstream is given in one of its portions. What could be itssignificance? Well, as Kazuo Okuda (2009) remarked, “The...continued...JTM Google Scholar
Island Ecology / Biogeography
For decades, botanists have recognized that rare plants are clustered into ecological “islands”: small and isolated habitat patches produced by landscape features such as sinkholes and bedrock outcrops. Insular ecosystems often provide unusually stressful microhabitats for plant growth
Abstract
For decades, botanists have recognized that rare plants are clustered into ecological “islands”: small and isolated habitat patches produced by landscape features such as sinkholes and bedrock outcrops. Insular ecosystems often provide unusually stressful microhabitats for plant growth (due, for example, to their characteristically thin soils, high temperatures, extreme pH, or limited nutrients) to which rare species are specially adapted. Climate‐driven changes to these stressors may undermine the competitive advantage of stress‐adapted species, allowing them to be displaced by competitors, or may overwhelm their coping strategies altogether. Special features of insular ecosystems – such as extreme habitat fragmentation and association with unusual landscape features – could also affect their climate sensitivity and adaptive capacity. To help predict and manage climate‐change impacts, I present a simple conceptual framework based on a synthesis of over 300 site‐level studies. Using this framework, conservation efforts can leverage existing ecological knowledge to anticipate habitat changes and design targeted strategies for conserving rare species.
In a nutshell:
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Insular ecosystems are produced by distinctive landscape features such as rock outcrops, sinkholes, cliffs, and springs
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These ecosystems are small, naturally fragmented, and geographically “anchored” within the landscape
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Many insular ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots for rare plants but the impacts of climate change on these systems are still poorly understood
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Habitat suitability for rare, specially adapted plants is maintained by physical stressors that inhibit competitors from the surrounding landscape
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Climate‐driven shifts to physical stress regimes are therefore a promising framework in which to anticipate climate‐change effects on biodiversity in insular ecosystems, including identification of potential climate microrefugia
Climate Studies
Anthropogenic climate change is causing unprecedented rapid response in marine communities, with species across many different taxonomic groups showing faster shifts in biogeographic ranges than in any other ecosystem (Mieskowska & Sugden 2016).
Anthropogenic climate change is causing unprecedented rapid response in marine communities, with species across many different taxonomic groups showing faster shifts in biogeographic ranges than in any other ecosystem (Mieskowska & Sugden 2016). Although developing countries have little historical responsibility for climate change, they are likely to be most affected by it since they lack the resources to cope with or to adapt to its effects (Simoes et al. 2010). This capacity centers on the ability of a system to evolve, and in coastal communities, this is how the local people cope with the effects of severe climate impacts (IPCC Summary Chapter 6 & 17). It was revealed that adaptation projects that work through village or community institutions and promote the participation of local people are few but growing (Dumaru 2010). In the Philippines, the unfavorable climatic conditions, strong winds, frequent floods, landslides with storm waters and runoffs, tidal surges, poor water and quality, lack of expertise and technical knowhow of researchers (personal observation),. and the lack of projects to promote the use of community-based approach (CBA) contribute in justifying the SURMABIOCON project.
In the light of hazard awareness education together with the policies that enhance social and economic equity, reduce poverty, decrease the discharge of wastes, improve environmental management (see IPCC Summary Chapter 6, p.6), and improve quality of life in isolated coastal communities of the island provinces in the "typhoon highway" of the Philippines, SURMABIOCON are much needed now that are related to the various gaps on adaptive capacity strengthening. These are intended to improve programs on water-based food extraction livelihoods and the aquaculture of fish, mollusks and crustacean in coastal dwelling areas highly vulnerable to climate variability.
Moreover, the management of coastal resources in Catanduanes, becomes problematic wherein mangrove rehabilitation programs for biosheltering are currently experiencing community related (see Masagca and Masagca 2009) and other issues on effectiveness of MPAs on achieving the biodiversity conservation objectives (see Vargas & Asetre 2010, Weeks et al. 2009). As a result, food and human security and/or biosecurity/environmental security and the total wellbeing of the rural population of coastal areas in the island have been threatened. Responding to this which is a consequence of climate change, the academe together with the coastal dwelling population and the local government units have to establish various adaptive capacity initiatives to have better results. Project SURMABIOCON, a two-year project with research and capability building components in this island will strive to find ways to improve utilization, governance and management of water resources in coastal zones for food, human and environmental security.