Dynamics of Ecosystems

Name: May Joy G. Vasquez Date: June 12,

2021

Module 4
Palawan Ecosystems

4.1 Initial Activity

I will play the following videos on the St. Paul Subterranean River National Park and a privately-
protected reef area in the City of Puerto Princesa (20 minutes).

After viewing the video, what did you learn about the cave and coral reef ecosystem? What is the
significance of these ecosystems to the life of the communities? What research areas can you identify
particularly opportunities for management?

As a palaweña I am proud that this beautiful creation of God is located to our province. And we
must protect it at all cost. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP) is one of the
most important protected areas not just only in our city but in also in Philippines. From summit to sea,
as you watch the video, you’ll realized how connected this to each other. Starting from the local
community found in the area to the fauna and flora found around it. It features a remarkable limestone
or karst landscape with one of the most complex cave systems. It served as home to animals and other
wildlife. As the river flows directly to the sea, the lower half of the river is brackish and is affected by the
ocean’s tide. It is surrounded by the beautiful mangrove forest where it served as a breeding ground and
nursery to the marine life there.
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park contains a full mountain to the sea ecosystem
and protect forests. It represents significant habitat that are important for biodiversity conservation.
Because of its rich biodiversity, it became one of the main sources of income for the locals living there.
Many households depend on fishing and tourism while indigenous people are traditionally engaged in
gathering of minor forest products such as rattan poles, almaciga resin, and wild honey as the main
source of income. They are also involved in upland farming and resort to hunting game to add to their
food requirements. It is important for the locals to engaged on sustainable practices that helps protects
and conserve their home.

For the past years, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park has been one the most
visited tourist spot in Palawan. Due to the increasing number of tourist (pre-covid time) means
increased of number of infrastructure and waste. Inefficient implementation of solid waste
management, lack of cooperation from the concerned communities and the absence of Comprehensive
Land Use Plan may lead to a huge problem, especially to the sewage part. If we will not take action on
this as much as early, it will not take long for it to become like El Nido’s problem on their sewage due to
lack of strict implementation and monitoring. I would like to recommend that the local government,
local community and other people, organizations involved on this conservation should take a look on
these possibilities and come up with a research plan.
4.2 Activity

Compare the different characteristics of Palawan ecosystems according to their unique habitat
characteristics, dominant wildlife, and threats to their sustainability using materials that you can find
online and your personal experience. Write your answers on Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1: Comparison of the different Palawan ecosystems (terrestrial)

Terrestrial
Ecosystem Habitat Characteristics Dominant Life Threat
Lowland Forest -Warm temperatures, and wet -Damage caused by
climate. Birds, frogs, forest turtle, wild invasive species
-Has a greater diversity of fruiting pigs, squirrel - The fragmentation of
trees; hence more animals forest habitats
specially adapted to feed on their -Forest clearance.
fruits and more large mammals.
Grassland -Poor agricultural
-Moist Semi-deciduous Forest. Snakes, grasshoppers, practices
- Dominated by grasses. leafhoppers, and spiders, cow, -Monocropping, or
- Huge trees and shrubs are very goats, birds, quails. growing only one crop
rarely found here. at a time
-Grazing livestock can
consume, trample, and
destroy grasses.
-Infrastructure
development
Cultivated Lands - Land degradation
-Used to grow crops (rice, corns Snail, birds, snakes, and other - Decreasing amount,
coffee, oil palm and rubber) mammals. quality, and
deterioration
of land ecosystems.
Caves - Unregulated building
- Inner caves are completely dark, Bats, snakes, birds, arthropods, – Harvesting of Bird
and the temperature and humidity including insects, millipedes, Nest
range far less than outside. harvestmen, crayfish, -Tourism development
- Include karst systems (ex. springtails, spiders. - Disorganized forest
Underground River) clearance for
- lack of light, with the exception agriculture and other
of cave entrances, relatively small uses.
amount of food, which all comes -Erosion and
from outside of the caves and is consequent siltation
brought in by sinking rivers and - Pollution from
percolating water, by different various sources
animals including agro-
chemicals and sewage
Beaches - Tourism
-Crystal clear water development
- Fine sand beaches - Coastal beach
-Rich in biodiversity erosion
 -Typically made from rock, such
as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles.
- Local wave action and weather,
creates different textures, colors
and gradients or layers of
materials.
Table 2: Comparison of the Palawan ecosystems (aquatic)
Ecosystem Habitat Characteristics
Freshwater
Swamps - Rain and seasonal flooding
change water levels.
- always inundated by fresh water
on its soil.
-Source of oxygen
- Usually, a lot overgrown by
plants or vegetation
Tidal pools
- Found in intertidal zones
- Very salty area
- During the storms or high tides,
it will be submerged with water.
- Unique and brutal habitat where
the ocean meets the land.
Mangroves
- Very warm, wet conditions, they
are restricted to tropical and
warm temperate.
- Salty, coastal waters, and the
interminable ebb and flow of the
tide.
- Breeding grounds.
Dominant Life
Fishes, crocodiles, crabs,
turtle, snakes, and other
amphibians, and reptiles.
Barnacles, shellfish, mollusk
fishes, starfish, crabs, and
other types of echinoderms.
Crustaceans (ex. Crab,
Hermit crab, Krill, Barnacle),
fishes, birds, shrimp.
- Natural Disasters
(storm surges)
-Improper
development of
infrastructure
-Poor conservation.
-Coastal development
-Sea level rise
(Palawan is prone to
this)
-Pollution, especially
to tourist area it is
highly susceptible to
pollution.
Threat
-Using swamp as water
irrigation
-Overexploitation and
pollution threaten
groundwater supplies.
- Creation of dams and
water-diversion systems
blocks migration routes
for fish and disrupts
habitats.
-Invasion of exotic
species can harm native
animals and plants.
-Coastal pollution
(discarded trash, oil spill
from boats/ship, sewage
spills, toxic chemical
runoff)
-Harvesting seaweed &
intertidal animals
-Shell collecting
-Human especially the
tourist.
-Coastal development
(man-made structure)
-Conversion to
aquaculture
-Deforestation (used as
charcoal, for housing)
-Logging
-Habitat destruction
-Poor implementation of

Seagrass Beds
- Found in shallow salty and
brackish waters
- Nursery habitat for several
species of fishes and invertebrates
that move to coral reefs and other
ecosystems as they mature.
Coral Beds
- Served as home to several
marine life.
- Composed of colonies. Colonies
are composed of hundreds of
thousands of individual living
polyps.
- Most diverse habitat
policies
- Coastal infrastructure
Dugong, fishes, turtle and development.
rays, sharks, dolphins. - Industrial and
agricultural runoff.
-Conversion to
aquaculture
-Boat/ship damage
-Dynamite and cyanide
Fishes (ex. Parrot fish), crabs, fishing
starfish, shrimp, jellyfish, sea -Poor conservation and
anemones, mollusk, preservation
crustaceans and other marine management.
animals. -Increased sedimentation
due to mining, building
projects.
-Pollution, especially the
increasing number of
plastics and
microplastics in the
ocean.
-Coral mining used to
make bricks, cement and
road fillers.