16 Dipterocarp Species Found In Bohol

As of July, 2009, the SWCF’s Dipterocarp Tree Domestication Project reported a total of 16 species of Dipterocarps identified in the province of Bohol. These species are, so far, found in 24 towns of the province. Batuan tops the rest of the towns as having the most species (12) followed by Sierra Bullones (11) and Danao (9). These towns also boast of some species not found in the rest of the towns. The apitong and yakal malibato trees are located only in Danao, tanguile is found only Batuan while yakal saplungan is found only in Sierra Bullones.

Dipterocarp species belong to an important Philippine forest tree family that has played a major role in the economy of the country since before the Spanish era. It is the skeletal backbone which provides the structure of the tropical rainforests. Many of its member species have good timber, have a wide range of quality and are the most dominant species especially in the lowland forests. They are extremely important as wildlife habitats.

There are presently 45 recognized species and 4 subspecies in the Philippines ranging from very common to very rare. Thirty-three percent of the total species in the Philippines are found in Bohol. These tree species have become severely reduced in numbers due to over logging and forest loss due to expansion of agricultural lands, kaingin and urbanization.

The SWCF Dipterocarp Tree Domestication Project is a major collaboration between Philippine Tropical Forestry Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) and Soil and Water Conservation Foundation (SWCF) in partnership with the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO), Dept. Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) and an academic institution of Bohol (CVSCAFT).

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