Prioritizing plants for conservation in forests over limestone in Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (GMRPLS), Samar Island, Philippines using a localized conservation priority index (LCPI)

Abstract

Philippine landscapes and seascapes have been undergoing massive degradation especially with the onset of the Anthropocene epoch. The unique forests over limestone in Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscapes and Seascapes in Eastern Samar have never been exempted from ongoing deteriorating conditions leading to the diminishing ecosystem services for the nearby villages. Conservation plan and action are urgent. The current paper determines top-priority plants for conservation using the localized conservation priority index (LCPI), which considers the contexts of the locality. LCPI follows a point scoring procedure recognizing holistic social, cultural, ecological and biophysical variables, such as cultural use, frequency value of occurrences in study plots, species distribution, harvesting risk, and economic use. Research findings indicated Caryota rumphiana Mart., Saribus rotundifolius (Lam.) Blume Artocarpus blancoi (Elmer) Merr., Shorea negrosensis Foxw., Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br., Calophyllum soulattri Burm.f., Artocarpus rubrovenius Warb., Nothaphoebe leytensis (Elmer) Merr., Shorea astylosa Foxw., Palaquium sp., Heterospathe intermedia (Becc.) Fernando, Hancea wenzeliana (Slik) S.E.C.Sierra, Kulju & Welzen, Aquilaria cumingiana (Decne.) Ridl., Wallaceodendron celebicum Koord., Palaquium luzoniense (Fern.-Vill.) Vidal, Mastixia sp., Wrightia sp., Lubi-lubi, Kuyakya and Neonauclea formicaria (Elmer) Merr. The leaves, stems, fruits, and flowers are the most-commonly harvested plant parts in high-priority level species, most of which are primarily used for housing and construction. The identified plants were geotagged to intensify onsite protection. The findings are of extreme relevance in providing guidance to protected area staff, local people organizations, and community residents in embarking on urgent conservation action in conserving locally vulnerable biodiversity in order to sustain ecosystem services.