Detrimental land cover conversion has emerged as a pressing issue in the Quinali A Watershed, Albay, the Philippines. However, there has been a lack of monitoring regarding the change and its repercussions. Establishing baseline information is imperative to enable informed decisions and policies toward sustainable development. Landsat images were used to analyze the land cover changes in Quinali A Watershed from 1990–2020. Two-dimensional flood models and landscape metrics derived from FRAGSTATS were employed to assess the impacts of land cover change on flood exposure and landscape fragmentation. Results revealed that cropland, artificial surfaces, submerged vegetation, and inland water increased since 1990, but at the expense of forest, brushland, and barrenland. Generally, flooding occurs in areas of topographic lows of the watershed. The expansion of artificial surfaces took place in flood-prone areas, nearly doubling the flood exposure rates recorded in 1990. Despite cropland expansion, it decreased in the low-lying areas of the watershed, resulting in reduced exposure to flooding. The annual rate of change indicates substantial increases of 2.77 and 0.79% in NP for artificial surfaces and barren land, respectively, with ED increasing by 2.73 and 0.74%. AWM increased by 1.62% in non-forest areas, whereas forest areas showed an increase of 0.65%. Although the PAFRAC decreased by 0.02%, it maintained a high value of 1.53 in 1990 and 1.52 in 2020, indicating low stability of the land cover structure within the watershed landscape. Continuous monitoring of these changes is imperative to recommend science- based policies that can regulate resource utilization in Quinali A Watershed.
Mangroves are regarded as one of the most productive, biologically complex, and considered the most significant element of the coastal ecosystem. Assessment of mangroves is essential to have sufficient data on the diversity of species to ensure ongoing conservation efforts to support effective management of the environment and resources. This research examined the mangrove species in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, the Philippines, by establishing eight plots in four barangays and identifying environmental management practices through personal communications with the barangay officials of the respective covered barangays and the leaders of non-government organizations for mangrove conservation. The results of the assessment yielded 20 species from nine families, with the family Rhizophoraceae as the most represented with seven species. Two species, namely Avicennia rumphiana Hallier f. and Aegiceras floridum Roem. & Schult., were categorized as vulnerable and near threatened, respectively. The diversity indices of the four barangays in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, revealed that Brgy. Tuban has the highest evenness index (E = 0.810) and Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H’ = 1.913), with the lowest dominance value (D = 0.180) indicating a good distribution and very few species dominating the area. Conversely, Brgy. Astorga showed the lowest evenness index (E = 0.372) and lowest Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H’ = 1.201). It recorded the highest dominance value of (D = 0.486), which implies a poor and uneven distribution of species and some species dominating the area. Identified management practices and conservation efforts include ordinances passed for the protection of fish sanctuary and mangrove forests, designating personnel for monitoring, giving incentives to those who catch people who are illegally cutting mangroves, partnerships for tree planting, adopt-a-tree initiatives, and assigning areas to divide the ocean to conserve mangrove areas.
The significance of a marine biological station (MBS) was recognized worldwide in the mid-19th century. In the Philippines, the first MBS was established by the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1923 at Puerto Galera and led to significant scientific contributions. This foundational station began when UP conducted marine biological surveys at Puerto Galera together with the Bureau of Science in 1912. In stark contrast with this long-standing history, only two non-SCIE-indexed review papers are published with coverage until 1949. This study aims to provide updates on UP’s scientific contribution over a century, integrate our findings with the existing information, as well as present a newly constructed Center for Research and Awareness of Diverse Living Environments (UP CRADLE), the university research and extension facility at Puerto Galera. Early scientific studies involved the collection and identification (taxonomy and systematics) of marine fauna and flora, most of which were new to science and few were endemic species. Over time, research works progressed into biological and ecological studies, including hydrodynamics, chemical oceanography, fisheries, coastal resource management, and human impacts on the marine environment brought about by booming tourism. Given these scientific achievements, it becomes evident that the symbiotic partnership between UP and Puerto Galera played a vital role in fostering the progression and growth of marine science in the country. The creation of UP CRADLE will help to ensure the continuation and expansion of the scientific groundwork established by UPMBS. This is the torch to be carried on by the Center, from a mere marine station to a biodiversity field station, and enlarges its scope covering the terrestrial environment and human dimensions. In effect, we are ensuring a holistic ridge-to-reef-to-sociocultural perspective and integrating the science-based management of a UNESCO Man-and-Biosphere reserve, which serves as a “living laboratory.”
Cigarette smoking is associated with numerous respiratory diseases. To help mitigate the adverse effects of cigarette smoke on human health, different strategies have been introduced, with the most recent strategy being the introduction of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). However, there is a lack of information regarding the effect of e-cigarettes on humans, including its effect on oral health. While some studies have explored the effects of e-cigarettes on the oral cavity, little is known about their effects on the oral microbiota, especially those that cause dental caries. To determine the effects of e-cigarettes on the leading cause of dental caries, we evaluated its effect on the growth, biofilm formation, lactic acid production, induced autolysis, acid stress, and oxidative stress tolerance of Streptococcus mutans, the main causative agent of dental caries. Our results showed a decrease in S. mutans growth with increasing e-liquid concentration. E-liquid concentrations higher than or equal to 10% inhibited S. mutans growth. Furthermore, e-liquid nicotine content had no significant effect on S. mutans growth at sub-inhibitory e-liquid concentrations of 5% (p > 0.05). The results also revealed that S. mutans biofilm formation and lactic acid production did not significantly differ between treatments with and without 5% e-liquid (p > 0.05). Additionally, the rate of autolysis in S. mutans was not significantly affected by exposure to a sub-inhibitory concentration of e-liquid regardless of the nicotine content (p > 0.05). Finally, the acid stress tolerance with or without adaptive response and oxidative stress tolerance by hydrogen peroxide was not significantly different between S. mutans grown with or without the sub-inhibitory concentration of the e-liquid (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that e-cigarettes may not significantly impact the physiology of S. mutans. However, it is important to emphasize that e-cigarettes are not without health risks and that the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes are still under investigation.
Satellite-derived observations of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration reveal patterns of enhancement, particularly at the west side of Camiguin Island in Bohol Sea, the Philippines. Previous studies have linked basin-scale chlorophyll variability with interannual rainfall anomalies due to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. However, the role of other mesoscale processes such as upwelling, eddies, and island effects remains unexplored. Here, we analyzed ocean data to determine the related processes to the observed enhancement. We determined the spatiotemporal variability and distribution of Chl-a in the Bohol Sea. We found that Chl-a varies most on the seasonal scale following monsoon forcing. The west Camiguin enhancement is prominent during the northeast monsoon (NEM). We found that strong NEM winds drive mixing, upwelling, and particle entrainment (i.e. Chl-a as a proxy for phytoplankton). The monsoonal physical processes create favorable conditions for finer-scale enhancement through island wakes generated from the interaction of winds and currents with Camiguin Island.
