The Philippine Owl Conservation Programme: Why is it Needed?

摘要

ThePhilippineArchipelagoiswidelyacknowledgedasoneoftheworld'smajorbiodiversityandendemisma€?hot-spotsa€?.However,asaresultofaburgeoninghumanpopulationincreaseandresultantdestructionandexploitationofthenativeforestsoverthepasthalfcentury,thePhilippineshasgonefrombeingoneofthemostbiologicallyrichareasonearth,tooneofthemostendangered.Nowhereelseintheworldhasthisdeclinetakenplacesorapidly.Once,thePhilippineshadvirtuallya100%forestcover,nowthisfigureisdowntolessthan10%.ThesignificanceofthistoPhilippineowlscannotbeoverstated.Thiscountryhasmorethreatenedowlsthananyotherpartoftheworld,andofthe16speciesrecordedfromthisarchipelago,14arealmosttotallydependentuponthishabitat.Unlesssomethingisdonequicklytoprotectthelastfewremainingforestremnantsandreplantthoselost,virtuallyallofthePhilippineowls,andcertainlytheendemicspecies,willsoonjointheNewZealandLaughingOwlSceloglauxalbifaciesintheranksofextinctbirds.InanattempttorectifythissituationtheWorldOwlTrustsignedaMemorandumofAgreementwiththePhilippineGovernmenttomanagethea€?PhilippineOwlConservationProgrammea€?aspartoftheoveralla€?PhilippineBiodiversityConservationProgrammea€?overseenbyFaunaamp;FloraInternational.Thishasbeenverysuccessfulincarryingoutfieldresearch,educationandconservation-breedingprogrammesfocusedonsomeofthethreatenedtaxa.Anothermajorobjectiveistoinvolvethelocalpeopleinconservationinitiativesbymeansofeducation,providingemploymentandalternativelife-styles.