FOREST COVER CHANGE IN MIMAROPA
From the years 2003, 2010, and 2020
ABSTRACT
Decades of relentless deforestation in the Philippines, driven by activities like commercial logging, illicit timber trade, slash-and-burn agriculture, rampant deforestation, and ever-growing demand for agricultural land and urban development, have cast a shadow over the country’s lush forest cover. Among the regions profoundly affected by this ecological crisis, MIMAROPA emerges as an area of paramount importance due to its extensive forested land. To shed light on the scale of this issue, a comprehensive study spanning more than 17 years employed by using QGIS mapping software, utilizing data sourced from esteemed institutions such as the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), and the Philippine Forestry Statistics of the Forest Management Bureau (FMB).
OBJECTIVES
This report aims to:
- Evaluate the changes in the forest cover of Region IV-B MIMAROPA in the years 2003, 2010, and 2020.
- Utilize QGIS tools and techniques for spatial analysis and mapping to accurately determine the extent of forest cover changes in the study area.
- Analyze the rates of forest loss and its implications for the region and the country as a whole.
- Promote awareness and emphasize the significance of preserving and conserving forests among the citizens of Region IV-B MIMAROPA.
DATA
- The ESRI Shapefile of MIMAROPA Provinces was obtained from the IGISMap.
- The information on the total area and total forest cover for every province of every year of concern was obtained from the Philippine Forestry Statistics by the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and are presented in the table below.
Table 1. MIMAROPA Provinces Total Area and Forest Cover in hectares
METHODOLOGY
The data above were used to visualize the forest cover change, which is presented step-by-step on the figure below.
Figure 1. Methods Involved in Achieving the Presented Map Layout
The calculated forest densities which were used as basis to symbolize the forest cover change are presented on the table and figure below. These densities were used to better represent changes in a smaller interval rather than using the total forest cover area.
Table 2. MIMAROPA Forest Density
Figure 2. MIMAROPA Forest Density
The provided figure presents the forest density trends in the MIMAROPA region over the span of 2003, 2010, 2020. Notably, Palawan consistently stood out as the province with the highest forest density during all those years. On the other hand, Marinduque consistently registered the lowest density among the provinces of MIMAROPA region. This observation concludes the need for increased attention and dedicated initiatives to address the environmental challenges faced by Marinduque.
RESULTS
The table and graph provided below illustrate the percentage change in forest cover in the MIMAROPA region, specifically focusing on the period from 2003 to 2020. The formula used to compute for this is:
Change = [ (Final Year - Initial Year) / Initial Year ] x 100
Table 3. MIMAROPA Forest Cover Change
Figure 3. MIMAROPA Forest Cover Change
Notably, Palawan consistently stood out as the province with the highest forest density during all those years, ranging from 0.465 to 0.486. On the other hand, Marinduque consistently registered the lowest density among the provinces of MIMAROPA region, ranging from 0.137 to 0.158. In terms of forest cover change, between 2003-2020, the most significant forest recovery was observed in the province of Romblon with 193.84%. On the other hand, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro had presented alarming numbers, with -45.01% and -55.22% respectively.
To further complement the information provided in the table, a map layout showing the forest cover change in the MIMAROPA provinces during the years 2003, 2010, and 2020 are presented. These maps serve to visually depict the alterations in forested areas over time, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the changes that occurred in the region's forest cover.
Figure 4. Mapped MIMAROPA Forest Cover Change
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The data and accompanying maps illustrate the significant changes in forest cover within the MIMAROPA region from 2003 to 2020. The table reveals that Mindoro Oriental experienced the highest deforestation, while Palawan has the lowest degradation rate. However, the province of Romblon stood out with substantial forest recovery between 2010 to 2020, demonstrating a significant increase of 49.66%.
These findings highlight both the challenges and potential for reforestation efforts in the MIMAROPA region. But a more thorough analysis may be done through the actual use of land cover shapefiles, if this data may be made available in the next few years.
