PHILIPPINE MACROFLORAL DIVERSITY

Science of Names: The World of Plant Taxonomy

The Philippines is recognized and highly regarded as one of the world’s 25 megabiodiversity hotspot areas that collectively claim within their boundaries two-thirds of the Earth's biological diversity (Alvarez, 2002) in terms of species, habitat, and other ecosystems as well as in terms of area in acre per acre basis (Malabrigo, 2016). However, biodiversity is under constant threat from over-harvesting, pollution, overpopulation, and poverty. The commercial and social demand for the terrestrial resources of the Philippines has resulted in high rates of biodiversity loss (Alvarez, 2002).

Biodiversity refers to the full range of variety and variability within and among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur. The full range of biological diversity corresponds to the biological variation either at the levels of species richness, density, frequency, and abundance, which plays a key element in sustaining life on Earth providing a wide array of resources to mankind far beyond mere raw material sources (Selliers, 2005) but products or resources of immense economic value. Significantly, it reduces an environmental threat change protecting the ecosystems more invulnerable to alterations. Hence, documenting the Philippine macrofloral diversity will promote conservation coupled with strategic protection as one of the practical remedies for mitigating the impact of climate change.

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