Natural Ecosystems in The Philippines

Site: The Mossy Forest

Location: Mt. Piagayungan Peak, Mindanao

Characteristics: Forest stand found principally on high elevations and very rough mountainous regions
characterized by steep ridges. The trees are mostly dwarf with stems and branches usually covered by
epiphytes (moss) and dominated by Podocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, and Fagaceae. Persistent low‐level
cloud cover often has an abundance of mosses that cover the ground and vegetation.

Observation: The Mossy Forest has short trees, often with gnarled trunks and branches, that reach 8 m
in protected spots but only 2-3 m on ridgetops. In very exposed, steep, windy places, only shrubs 1 m
high may be present. Moss covers most tree trunks and branches, often hanging in sheets, and most
ground surfaces are covered by moss and leaf litter over a thick layer of humus. It typically occurs from
about 1700 m elevation up to the highest peaks.

Environmental Assessment:

Use of the place: It is home for varied set of montane creatures, encompassing insects, snakes, frogs,
birds and mammals unique to this chilly atmosphere. It also produces medicine, bio-pesticides, water
supply and many others.

Problem: The forest can only be found in high mountains that is often on steep slopes and rocky areas.

Cause: The fog and clouds are the one that produces constant mist that causes the forest to be mossy
that is why this type of forest is scarce to be found, delicate and hard to go to.

Solutions: The government, authorized and professionals should maintain the trails, do proper research
that will not harm the forest but would help it grow and be more useful for the society. Strengthen the
security and make many through tourism and other possible resources that we can get from the forest.

It is rich repository for a varied set of montane creatures, encompassing insects, snakes, frogs, birds and
mammals unique to this chilly atmosphere. Because this forest occurs high in the mountains, it is often
on steep slopes, and many areas are rocky. Mossy Forest produces medicine. The utilization benefits of
the community from the mossy forest include medicine, bio-pesticides, household use, water supply and
many others. Rainfall typically exceeds three meters per year and may reach five to eight meters in
some years; heavy fog is common. Daily high temperatures typically range from 15 to 20° C but may be
lower on the highest peaks.  Frost is sometimes present on the highest peaks on Luzon during January
and February.

Reference:

https://steemit.com/nature/@lapilipinas/natural-ecosystems-in-the-philippines

http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-piagayungan-iba-philippines

https://psa.gov.ph/content/mossy-forest-1

https://philippines.fieldmuseum.org/natural-history/narrative/4091#:~:text=Mossy%20forest
%20(sometimes%20called%20%E2%80%9Cupper,m%20high%20may%20be%20present.
https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH2005000036

Photos:

Video from News:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls3IcwtC5P0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6CoBC0wZss
Explanations:

Mossy Forest is an evergreen forest with a high pedestrian boardwalk through ferns, moss, orchids &
other plant life.

Podocarpaceae, family of 17 or more genera and 125–165 species of conifers (division Pinophyta, order
Pinales), ornamental and timber evergreen trees and shrubs distributed mainly in the Southern
Hemisphere. The seven main genera are Pherosphaera, Microcachrys, Saxegothaea, Dacrydium,
Acmopyle, Podocarpus, and Phyllocladus. All occur in the Australasian region, except Saxegothaea and
its relatives (South America); another genus, Afrocarpus, is native to Africa and Madagascar. The
Podocarpaceae are usually dioecious (having separate male and female plants) and have leaves
variously awl-shaped, needlelike, or broad, with many parallel veins. In the genus Phyllocladus, the foliar
leaves are replaced by flattened branchlets (phylloclades) resembling leaves. The staminate, or pollen-
bearing, cones are borne in a terminal or axillary position on leafy twigs; the ovulate, or seed-bearing,
cones at maturity become fleshy and sometimes brightly coloured and surmount the fleshy cone axis.

Myrtaceae, the myrtle family of shrubs and trees, in the order Myrtales, containing about 150 genera
and 3,300 species that are widely distributed in the tropics. They have rather leathery evergreen leaves
with oil glands. Some members of economic importance are the Eucalyptus, guava, rose apple, Surinam
cherry, and feijoa. Allspice, clove, and oil of bay rum are spices derived from plants of this family. Other
members of the family include Brisbane box, Callistemon, Eugenia, Leptospermum, myrtle,
and jaboticaba.

Ang Mossy Forest o kilala din sa tawag na ‘upper montane forest’ o ‘clouud forest’ ay isang natural
environment na karaniwan ng makikita lamang sa tuktok ng bundok na naaabot ng mga ulap na
nagpoproduce ng constant mist kaya naman minsan lang ito makita at mapuntahan, ito ay isang gubat
kung saan nababalot ng mga lumot ang mga maliliit na puno, sanga at malalaking ugat ng puno at lahat
ng napapaligiran nito. Marami ditong makikitang kakaibang species at mga natural na yaman at malinis
na tubig. Ang mga ito ay maaaring abutin ng isang daang taon bago lumago.