Unfortunately, both the Philippines rainforest and coral reefs are faced with growing problems that continue to put both biomes in a threatened state. Despite the fact that it is home to hundreds of native plants and animals and is the source for many of their main foods, the Philippines rainforests beginning to rapidly decrease in size. According to varies studies, a total of 8000km2 of rainforest area has been lost between 1990 and 2000 and the area of which the Philippines is covered in rainforests has dropped from 70% in the 20th century to a measly 8% in this century. As well as this, the coral reefs are faced with multiple threats and like the rainforests, have been dramatically impacted because of them, with 70% of all coral reefs being destroyed and only 5% said to be in a ‘good’ condition.
One of the biggest threats to the rainforests in the Philippines is deforestation, which in turn sets a trigger for many other hazards. Although awareness from locals and conservation has slowed down the rate at which deforestation occurs, it has not stopped it completely. Due to the immense number of people living in the Philippines, logging has become a necessity to provide timber and a source of wood for many different businesses and factories. As well as this, forests are cleared to make way for agricultural needs, houses, factories and even mining companies. Not only does the loss of the rainforests affect the endemic flora and fauna that can be found nowhere else in the world, but it also causes water cycle changes and also soil erosion, which makes the once arable soil unusable and also makes soil run into the coral reefs. In addition to this, soil erosion leads to floods and landslides as the soil is no longer able to soak in water and in turn, builds on the surface and washes away with rain. Pollution from various sources are also harmful to the Philippines rainforests. Agriculture is a large contributor to pollution. Not only do farmers emit ammonia emissions into the air from livestock waste, but also chemicals into soil and water through the use of pesticides on their crops. Carbon dioxide is also released into the air through the burning down of rainforest to make way for new land and also because trees are cut down to make way for this space. Oil pollution from large companies and machines from industrial factories also contribute to pollution in the rainforests. As the ever-growing population of the Philippines demands more living space and construction materials, the coral reefs of the Philippines have been heavily affected. Sadly, 40% of all Philippine coral reefs are affected by coastal developments. Dredging to make deep water-channels and marinas, excavation, and coastal conversion that take place whilst infrastructure is developed on the coast all has a negative impact on coral reefs. In addition, coastal development also leads to mass pollution by the dumping of waste materials and sedimentation, which all act as pollutants to coral reefs and its biodiversity. Another major threat to coral reefs is the exploitation of fishing and dangerous methods to do so in the Philippines. Overfishing not only leads to a loss of the particular fish species, but it also impacts the food cycle which, in turn, can have very bad affects. Studies have shown that if the Government of the Philippines continues to ignore this fast growing problem, than it will run out of fish in the next decade, which is not good considering it is one of their staple foods. Furthermore, Filipinos use very hazardous approaches to catch fish that lead to the destruction of coral reefs. Using dynamite and cyanide to stun the fish also leads to killing juvenile fish and the demolition of the coral reef. |