Indigenous and Non Indigenous Trees

A.

Indigenous Trees

In biogeography, a species is defined as indigenous to a given region or

ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural process, with
no human intervention. The term is equivalent to "native" in less scientific usage.
An indigenous species is not necessarily endemic. In biology and ecology,
endemic means exclusively native to the biota of a specific place. An indigenous
species may occur in areas other than the one under consideration.
A.1. Meaning of Indigenous
1.

existing, growing, or produced naturally in a region or country;

native: indigenous plant, indigenous to Florida.

2.

Innate; inherent; inborn

A.2. Its Uses in General

They have high resistance to insect and disease attacks. They create different
layers of diverse, healthy and thriving vegetation underneath the canopy, which
reduce the tunnel effect of strong winds and double ability of trees in erosion
controls.
Most insect predators such as bats, birds, predatory insects and parasites build
their homes on native trees. They provide habitat for smaller animals and insect
predators, which are important in the control of crop and pasture damaging
pests, thereby reducing the use of pesticides.
By complementing the local landscape, they give an area a unique feel and
provide a beautiful landscape. They provide valuable resources for the survival of
fauna species. Some local animals are dependent on certain native tress to
survive and/or thrive.

A.3. Examples of Indigenous Trees

A.3.1 Guijo
Scientific Name: Shorea guiso
The Guijo Tree is an indigenous tree of the
Philippines. Its average height is 40-55 meters with a
diameter of 180 centimeters.
Guijo leaves
The leaves are lanceolate to oblong in shape. The base
can

be

rounded

or subcuneate,

apex caudate

or

acuminate. Secondary nerves are prominent underneath

and depressed in the upper surface.

Guijo fruit
The nut contains 3 long wings expanded at the base with
an obtuse apex. The base is dense, 3-4 cm long and 9-10
mm in diameter. Guijo trees have few flowered branches.
Flowers are short-stalked with petals that are 9-10 times
as long as thesepal, linear-oblong, obtuse, with slightly
irregular margins, pale outside, darker inside.
Guijo crown
The Guijos wood is beautifully grained, reddish
brown, and very durable; highly preferred material
for construction requiring strength and durability i.e.
for houses, bridges, wharves, furniture, carriage
wheels, for masts and keels of vessels, shipbuilding,
building construction (Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., 2016).

A.3.2. Yakal
Scientific Name: Shorea astylosa
Yakal is an indigenous tree of the Philippines that is
about 25 to 30 meters tall with hard and dark brownishyellow wood. Its has slender, blackish, and slightly hairy
branchlets. Yakal is commonly found in Luzon,
particularly Quezon and Camarines; Samar; Negros;
and Mindanao, particularly Zamboanga, Agusan, and
Davao. It can also be found in primary forests at low
altitudes. The Yakals contemporary use is for high-grade construction, bridges
and wharves, mine timber, and other installations requiring high strength and
durability (Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., 2016).
A.3.3. The Balete Tree
Balete trees are several species of the trees in the
Philippines from the genus Ficus that are broadly
referred to as balete in the local language. A number
of these are known as strangler figs wherein they
start upon other trees, later entrapping them entirely
and finally killing the host tree. Also called
hemiepiphytes, initially, they start as epiphytes or air
plants

and

grow

several

hanging

roots

that

eventually touch the ground and from then on,

encircling and suffocating the host tree. Some of the
baletes produce an inferior quality of rubber. The India rubber plant, F. elastica
were earlier cultivated to some extent for rubber. Some of the species like
tangisang-bayawak or Ficus variegata are large and could probably be utilized
for match woods. The woods of species of Ficus are soft, light, and of inferior
quality, and the trees usually have ill-formed, short boles.

The gnarled Balete tree can be found as wild or culture tree almost everywhere
in the tropics. It is told, that already Robinson Crusoe has allegedly lived in a
Balete tree. In the Philippines it grows in almost all regions pines. "Banyan-Tree"
and "Balete-Tree" are also common names. The Balete tree is belonging to the
family of fig trees (Ficus). About ten of 800 species are growing in the
Philippines. The tree is one of the epiphytes, i.e. fruits perhaps transported by
birds - can also develop on other host trees. It feeds on the substratum located
there. Later, the Balete tree can crush the host tree to death. The Balete tree has
a short trunk with a grey smooth bark, a broad tree top and usually grows to a
height of height of 10 -20 meters.
The branches are protruding and wide-ranging. From the side branches we see
the development of a network of tentacle-like, downward-growing and
increasingly widening aerial roots. If they have reached the ground, the tree gets
a growth push and the air roots are changing into supporting roots or buttresses.
Soon they integrate themselves into the main trunk and then they are hardly
distinguishing from it. The root system is broad and flat.
The oval-to heart-shaped leaves are as shoots reddish and then they are grow
growing to leathery, green shining, six to nine centimetres long leaves. The little
flowers and fruits have no special feature or use.
Economic Utilization and Health Benefits
The economic benefit is limited. The softwood of the Balete tree is not regarded
as of high quality. The latex juice also contains india rubber, however, is
apparently not used. From time to time ropes are manufactured from the young
aerial roots. In folk medicine, the brew of the barks is used to relieve skin
diseases and against worm disorders.
Due to its wide treetop the Balete tree is a relatively beautiful tree, suitable for
planting in avenues and parks. Older trees can be a tourist attraction.

Medicinal Uses

Chapped heels

Boils and painful joints

Bleeding piles

Diabetes

Eczema

Gum problems and pyorrhea

Bad breath and oral ulcers

Leucorrhea

Pimples or acne

Skin diseases and venereal diseases

Bruises, hemorrhoids, swellings, lumbago and rheumatism

Religious Significance of Ficus Trees Around the World

Several figs [ficus] have religious associations including the common fig (F.
carica), which presumably provided raiment for Adam and Eve The sycamore
figThe wood of this species was used by the ancient Egyptians for their
sarcophagi. Both the banyan (F. benghalensis) and the bo tree or peepul (F.
religiosa) are held sacred by the peoples of India. Hindus believe that Brahma,
the Creator, was transformed into a banyan tree. Both Hindus and Buddhists
venerate the bo tree. Under one Hindu deity Vishnu is believed to have been
born, under another Gautama Buddha meditated for six years and received
enlightenment.

Bo trees are planted in India near temples because of their

association with the Buddha and near homes to assure happiness and
prosperity. In New Delhi and elsewhere they are used as street trees. Believers
will not prune of cut down a banyan or a bo or a peepul tree. That work, when

necessary, is done by others. There is a saying in India it is better to die a leper

than pluck a leaf of a peepul.
Mythology and Folklore
Urban legends and mythical creatures have long been a part of Philippine
folklore. Stories about aswang, tikbalang, duwende, and other terrifying creatures
have scared the wit out of a lot of Pinoys in their childhood. Ghosts, especially
white ladies, were never out of the picture. The most famous among these ladies
is the one who allegedly resides in the vicinities of a place called Balete Drive.
Balete Drive is a street located between Aurora Boulevard and Rodriguez
Avenue in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a simple street lined with ancestral
mansions and commercial establishments. At present, you wouldnt think that this
place can make any person shudder in fear, since the area is well-lit with bright
street lights. But in the earlier days, the street was lined with massive balete
trees that darken the place and make it ghastly. In Pinoy culture, balete trees
(Ficus benjamina) are regarded as home for spirits and mysterious creatures.
This notion makes Balete Drive all the more frightening. Elders used to warn
children against playing near a balete tree due to certain beliefs such as:

Fairies and engkantadas live inside the balete tree. They invite children

inside their kingdom, and if a child eats something from there, she will remain
trapped inside the tree for the rest of her life.

If you point your finger or laugh at a balete tree, the fairies will get insulted

and will curse you.

If you cut a balete tree, the engkantos living in the tree will punish you with

death.
The country started to dread and avoid Balete Drive since the 1950s when
stories about a white lady floating along its streets started to spread. It is said
that cab drivers are its favorite victims for she has been a victim by one of them.
The driver would drive along the place not knowing that the white lady is silently

sitting inside his cabs back seat. He will only know it upon giving a glimpse in the
rear view mirror and will then see that the white lady is intensely staring at him.
Various versions of stories about the identity of this notorious white lady have
arisen in the past. One famous story is that the white lady is a student of the
University of the Philippines. According to a certain barangay security officer who
resides in Balete Drive, the victim was allegedly molested by a taxi driver on her
way home from school. The abuser then threw her in a dark pit beside a balete
tree in Balete Drive after raping and killing her. Since then, the spirit of this young
girl have been haunting the streets of the drive, looking for her murderer. This
story was passed on to the present generation by the older residents of Balete.
Another story is that this white lady lives in a deserted ancestral mansion located
in Balete Drive. The ghost is said to be a victim of her own familys cruelty. At
3am, the white lady appears to lone drivers passing her house in order to seek
their help or to run away from home. Some taxi drivers claim that they have
experienced to drive for hours along the same street where the mansion was
located. They can only get out of the loop after saying several prayers and
wearing their shirt inside out. Because of this mystery, taxi drivers evade this
route during midnight to dawn. If ever they need to pass the said area, they will
blow their horns as a pasintabi (plea to pass) to the white lady. Rumors had it
that the white lady in Balete Drive was only fabricated by a reporter in the 1953 in
order to come up with an interesting story. Since then, other newspapers
followed and allotted columns for the controversial white lady in Balete Drive.
Pranksters also sprouted since the controversial stir began. One of such is a 15
year-old boy named Conrado de la Cruz who was a resident of Balete Drive at
that time. It happened one night in 1953, at the height of Balete Drive scare, that
the young boy pulled a trick on his neighbor, Lope Bautista (22 yrs. Old). He put
on a white robe, wore a skull mask and crept into the balcony of Bautista.
Terrified to death, Bautista jumped from his porch and got a sprain. The young
rascal was reprimanded by the local police. Whether she is true or not, one thing
is for sure: The white lady in Balete Drive remains as the most popular Filipino

urban legend. She will always haunt our curiosity for the identity of the white lady
in Balete Drive will forever be a mystery.
A.3.4. Kamagong
Native in the Philippines and in Taiwan, Kamagong is a
tropical tree which is well suited to grow in hot and
humid countries.
Kamagong can be used in the local wooden furniture
and decorative industry in the country because of its
unique qualities of being dense, and dark. It can also
be made to musical instruments and martial arts
equipment. Cultivating it here will provide jobs to
woodcraftsmen and wooden designers. If the number of trees eventually flourish,
we can then export the products to different countries.
Kamagong is easy to grow and can also be used as roadside trees which will
help produce oxygen in our populated cities. The trees can be planted through
seed and by grafting. It only takes a little effort on our part to start doing so.
Unfortunately, Kamagong is an endangered species is the Philippines and is
protected by Philippine Laws from exportation. To export, one must be first given
permission by the DENR and Bureau of Forestry.
A.3.5. Ipil Tree
Physical Characteristics
Ipil trees can grow as tall as 40 meters with a
diameter of 100 centimeters at breast height. Leaves
are simply compound, alternate and with usually 2
pairs of leaflets. They are about 8-12 cm long and 56 cm wide with glossy surfaces. Midribs are distinct
underneath.

Ipil fruit
The Ipil fruit pods are rigid and flat, about 10-25 cm long and 4-6 cm wide. The
pods are green when young, brown when mature. Pods contain about 2-6 seeds
each. Ipil seeds are about 2-3.5 cm long and wide and about 8 mm thick.
Smooth to slightly rough, the bark peels off regularly in thin flakes, about 5-8 mm
thick, usually light brown or gray in color with an orange tint.
Distribution
Ipil trees are widely distributed in the country from Luzon to Mindanao along
coastal areas, riverbanks and occasionally in low hills. Along the seashore, and
in some localities, in inland forests, from the Babuyan Islands and northern
Luzon to Mindanao and Palawan. Also occurs in Madagascar, across Malaya to
the Caroline and Fiji Islands.
Uses
Wood from the Ipil tree is a beautiful, shiny black-brown and is durable which
makes it good for furniture and house construction, bridge construction, naval
construction, church pillars, railroad ties, paving blocks, electric and telegraphic
poles, wood panels, tiles, cabinets, wharves, even for musical instruments and
other novelty items. Extracts obtained from the wood in khaki shades can also be
used as dye.
The fruit is edible fruit has laxative properties, while decoction of the bark
contains tannin, which is used to stop diarrhea. Tannin is also used in treating
persons suffering from urinary ailments and rheumatism.
Ecologicially, Ipil trees are suitable for conservation in eroded gullies and in buffer
strips along creeks, and also in water purification. They provide excellent shade
suitable for homes and parks. Ipil trees are also wind tolerant which makes them
ideal as windbreak.

Studies
Anti-trypanosomal - The ethanol extract showed good and specific activity
against Trypanosoma cruzi. However, it also exhibited high cytotoxicity which
might explain its observed activity. Study has also suggested immuno-modulatory
activity.
Phytochemicals / Radical Scavenging Activity - In a study of four Philippine
medicinal plants, phytochemical screening of Intsia bijuga revealed anthrones,
flavonoids, glycosidic flavonoids, phenolic compounds, steroids, tannins and
triterpenes. The tannins may justify its folkloric use for dysentery (leaves).
Results showed radical scavenging activity, but with the highest EC50 value.
Cytotoxicity: On brine shrimp lethality assay, I. bijuga leaves had an LC50 value
of 86.5 g/ml. All crude methanol extracts of the four Philippine medicinal plants
tested had 100% mortality to brine shrimp at 1000 g/mL.
Anti-Ulcer - Study evaluated methanol extracts of leaves of nine plants,
including Intsia bijuga, for anti-ulcer activity using HCl-ethanol as ulcerogen. All
extracts showed inhibitory activity with I. bijuga among those that showed more
than 50% inhibition.
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activity - Xanthine oxidase inhibitors is a urate
lowering agent, blocking the synthesis of uric acid, and used in the treatment of
hyperuricemia and gout. Study evaluated the xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity
of methanol leaf extracts of 10 plants, including Intsia bijuga. All the extracts
inhibited the action of xanthine oxidase.
Availability : Wildcrafted.
A.3.6. Maritima
The Maritima is an indigenous tree from the family of Euphorbiaceae. It is a small
to medium-sized tree reaching a diameter up to 50cm. Bole is regular,
remarkably straight, and short about 6m or less long. Leaves are ovate-elliptic to

ovate-lanceolate. This tree is found in Batan Islands, northern Luzon-Palawan,

Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago. The Maritima usually lives in Thickets and forest
near the seashore.
The Maritimas economic importance helps our local market in making guitars,
ukeleles, and other string instruments. It is also used to make furniture and
nonvelities. As an ornamental plant, the maritima is planted in parks, gardens,
and parking areas. This tree has moderate salt-tolerance, and high-durability to
typhoon damage.

Small to medium sized tree

Batan Islands, Northern Luzon- Palawan, Mindanao,

Sulu Archipelago.

Habitats: Thickets and forest near the seashore

Economic importance: local wooden instruments,

furniture, and novelties.

Advantage to community: Planted in parks, gardens, and public places.

High durability to typhoon damage.

A.3.7. Amugis
The Amugis is an indigenous tree from
the family of Anacardiaceae and its
scientific name is koordersiodendron
pinnatum. It is a tree that grows up to
25m and 120cm in diameter. Its leaves
are smooth and glossy green above,
yellowish-green below. Its flowers are
white-yellowish green.

The Amugis is widely distributed in the Philippines, Celebes, Moluccas, and

Papua New Guinea. The Amugis helps our economy by producing wood that is
used for wooden flooring, general constrtucion, and fine furniture. Its bark has
medicinal uses as well. Sadly, the Amugis has depleted due to kaingin and
logging.

Tree with a height of 25m and 120cm in diameter

Leaves are smooth and glossy

Flowers are white to yellowish green

Distributed widely in the country

Economic importance: wood is used for floorings, general construction

and furniture

Ecological status: Depleted due to logging

A.3.8. ANAHAW TREE

Scientific

Name:

Livistona

Rotundifolia
It is called the round-leaf fountain palm in
English and Serdang in other asian
countries.
It is endemic to the Philippines and most
commonly found in Luzon (Benguet, La
Union, Cagayan, Zambales, Pampanga, Laguna, Quezon, Camarines, Albay),
Negros, Cagayan de Oro and in the provinces of Mindanao.
Anahaw Tree is an erect palm reaching a height of 15 to 20 m and 25 cm in
diameter. The trunk is smooth, straight, and marked with close, rather shallow
obscure rings which are the leaf scars. The leaves are crowded at the top of the
trunk and ascending. The green, smooth, flattened petiole may have hard, black

spines. The circular, fan shaped, pleated leaf blades are 1 m in diameter and
divided into segments 2.5 to 4 cm wide. The green flowers are 2 mm long. The
fruit is 1.5 cm in diameter, fleshy and yellow with a hard, round, brown seed
inside.
Anahaw starts to flower from March to July. The palm stars to bear fruits at age
10 attaining a 20-cm diameter at breast height of 5-8 m height. Mature fruits are
ready for collection from August to September.
Benefits
Its straight durable trunk is highly in demand for house posts, flooring, pack
carriers, fishing rod bows, canes and spear shaft.
Its orbicular, fan shaped leaves or fronds and pleated leaf blades are good
roofing and fan-making materials while its trunks are preferred for constructing
low cost houses particularly in rural areas.
The leaf has been used as pambalot (food wrapper) for tikoy, or as a makeshift
lunchbox for children going to school since lunchboxes were very expensive
before.
It has been made into Abaniko (fan), which is very beautiful and a work of art. A
relief on a crowded place, or simply a refreshment from a hot, humid day, the
colorful abaniko is an indispensable item in a Pinoy's everyday life.
Ecologically, anahaw leaves can purify air, has a cooling effect, and improves
water supply, and its roots hold the soil.
A.3.9.Guayacan Tree
Scientific Name: Lignum Vitae
The trees are indigenous to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South
America and have been an important export crop to Europe since the beginning
of the 16th century. The wood was once very important for applications requiring

a material with its extraordinary combination of strength, toughness, and density.

It is also the national tree of the Bahamas and the Jamaican national flower.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Lignum Vitae are regarded by most to
be both the heaviest and hardest wood
in the world. Its durability in submerged
or ground-contact applications is also
exceptional. Lignum Vitae have been
used for propeller shaft bearings on
ships, and its natural oils provide self-lubrication that gives the wood excellent
wear resistance.
Note: No Disadvantages have been found, but the only problem in this tree is
that it is almost abused to the point that it is already at the brink of extinction.
"Lignum vitae" is Latin for "wood of life", and derives its name from its medicinal
uses; lignum vitae resin has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions
from coughs to arthritis, and chips of the wood can also be used to brew a tea.
Other names for lignum vitae includepalo santo (Spanish for "holy wood") and
"bastard greenheart" (not to be confused with true Greenheart Chlorocardium
rodiei, a popular wood in shipbuilding, cabinetry, and woodturning but a
completely different timber); lignum vitae is also one of the numerous hard,
dense woods loosely referred to as ironwood.
Benefits and Use
Lignum vitae resin has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions from
coughs to arthritis, and chips of the wood can also be used to brew a tea. Other
names for lignum vitae includepalo santo (Spanish for "holy wood") and "bastard
greenheart" (not to be confused with true Greenheart Chlorocardium rodiei, a
popular wood in shipbuilding, cabinetry, and woodturning but a completely

different timber); lignum vitae is also one of the numerous hard, dense woods
loosely referred to as ironwood.
Due to the density of the wood, cricket bails, in particular "heavy bails" used in
windy conditions, are sometimes made of lignum vitae. It is also sometimes used
to make lawn bowls, croquet mallets, and skittles balls. The wood also has seen
widespread historical usage in mortars and pestles and for wood carvers' mallets.
It was the traditional wood used for the British police truncheon until recently, due
to its density (and strength), combined with the relative softness of wood
compared to metal, thereby tending to bruise or stun rather than simply cut the
skin.
According to the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association website, the
shaft bearings on the WWII submarineUSS Pampanito (SS-383) were made of
this wood; also The aft main shaft strut bearings for USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the
world's first nuclear-powered submarine, were composed of this wood.
The United Railroads of San Francisco (an ancestor of the San Francisco
Municipal Railway) began installing lignum vitae insulators to support heavy
feeder wires for their trolley system in 1904. The reason for the adoption of
lignum vitae was its ability to withstand the high stress at high temperature, a
problem posed by heavy cables turning corners heated by high current
overloads. Many of these insulators survived the 1906 earthquake and fires,
despite temperatures high enough to soften the iron poles and melt the copper
cables. Many of these lasted into the 1970s with a small number remaining in
service into the late 2000s (most of these came down when the overhead 600 V
DC feeders were replaced with a new system of underground feeders, the rest
coming out of service as aging crossarms supporting the remaining overhead
feeders were replaced).

A.3.10. Yew Tree

Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe,
northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known
as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may now be known
as English yew, or European yew. (Their survivability depends on the condition,
such as the climate present in a country.)
The word yew as it was originally used seems to refer to the color brown;
Baccata is Latin for bearing red berries.
It is a small to medium-sized evergreen
tree, growing 1020 metres (3366 ft)
(exceptionally up to 28 metres (92 ft)) tall,
with a trunk up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in)
(exceptionally 4 metres (13 ft)) diameter.
The bark is thin, scaly brown, coming off in
small flakes aligned with the stem. The leaves are flat, dark green, 14
centimetres (0.391.57 in) long and 23 millimetres (0.0790.118 in) broad,
arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves
in two flat rows either side of the stem, except on erect leading shoots where the
spiral arrangement is more obvious. The leaves are poisonous.
Benefits
Trivia: In the ancient Celtic world, the yew tree (*eburos) had extraordinary
importance; a passage by Caesar narrates that Catuvolcus, chief of the
Eburones poisoned himself with yew rather than submit to Rome. (In short: the
berries produced by this tree is mostly taken to commit suicide)
Medicinal
In 1021, Avicenna introduced the medicinal use of T. baccata for phytotherapy in
The Canon of Medicine. He named this herbal drug "Zarnab" and used it as a

cardiac remedy. This was the first known use of a calcium channel blocker drug,
which were not in wide use in the Western world until the 1960s.
Certain compounds found in the bark of yew trees were discovered by Wall and
Wani in 1967 to have efficacy as anti-cancer agents. The precursors of the
chemotherapy drugpaclitaxel (taxol) can be synthesized easily from the extracts
of the leaves of European yew, which is a more renewable source than the bark
of the Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia). This ended a point of conflict in the early
1990s; many environmentalists, including Al Gore, had opposed the harvesting of
yew for paclitaxel cancer treatments.Docetaxel can then be obtained by semisynthetic conversion from the precursors.
In the Central Himalayas, the plant is used as a treatment for breast and ovarian
cancer.
Similar to Guayacan, but they differ in such that this tree is that the Wood from
the yew is classified as a closed-pore softwood, similar to cedar and pine. Easy
to work, yew is among the hardest of the softwoods; yet it possesses a
remarkable elasticity, making it ideal for products that require springiness, such
as bows.
In Asturian tradition and culture the yew tree has had a real link with the land, the
people, the ancestors and the ancient religion. It was tradition on All Saints Day
to bring a branch of a yew tree to the tombs of those who had died recently so
they will find the guide in their return to the Land of Shadows. The yew tree has
been found near chapels, churches and cemeteries since ancient times as a
symbol of the transcendence of death, and is usually found in the main squares
of the villages where people celebrated the open councils that served as a way of
general assembly to rule the village affairs.
It has been suggested that the Sacred Tree at the Temple at Uppsala was an
ancient yew tree. The Christian church commonly found it expedient to take over
existing pre-Christian sacred sites for churches. It has also been suggested that

yews were planted at religious sites as their long life was suggestive of eternity,
or because being toxic they were seen as trees of death.
Clippings from ancient specimens in the UK, including the Fortingall Yew, were
taken to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to form a mile-long hedge. The
purpose of this "Yew Conservation Hedge Project" is to maintain the DNA of
Taxus baccata. The species is threatened by felling, partly due to rising demand
from pharmaceutical companies, and disease.
B. Non-Indigenous Trees
Non-indigenous species have, by definition, evolved separately from the
ecosystem into which they arrive, so the native plants and animals are vulnerable
to the effects of competition, predation or parasitism which the newcomers may
bring.
However, other introduced species are able to reproduce and proliferate rapidly,
due either to taking over an empty ecological niche, a lack of competing native
species or an absence of predators in their new environment. It is these invasive
alien species which are of most extreme concern in the world today. Because of
the lack of natural controls on their expansion, they can take over entire areas or
regions, eliminating native species in the process, and completely altering or
degrading the quality and diversity of the ecosystems into which they are
introduced.
B.2. Its General Uses
Some non-native trees provide habitat for native plants and animals and can
promote diversity. Introduced species can also help restore native ecosystems on
degraded land. In Puerto Rico, for example, much of the native forest was
destroyed for farming, and in recent decades conservation biologists have been
trying to nurture them back on abandoned farmland. Native trees do a poor job of
pioneering this degraded landscape. Alien trees, such as African tulip trees and
rose apple, have colonized them instead. These new forests remain dominated

by alien trees for their first three or four decades. But the forests are also a
habitat in which native trees can begin to thrive again.
B.3. Examples of Non Indigenous Trees
B.3.1. Acacia Trees
They are trees or shrubs, sometimes
climbing, and are always armed. Younger
plants, especially, are armed with spines
which are modified stipules, situated near
the leaf bases. Some (cf. A. tortilis, A.
hebeclada, A. luederitzii and A. reficiens)
are also armed with paired, recurved
prickles (in addition to the spines). The leaves are alternate and bipinnately
arranged, and their pinnae are usually opposite. The racemose inflorescences
usually grow from the leaf axils. The yellow or creamy white flowers are produced
in spherical heads, or seldom in elongate spikes, which is the general rule in the
related genus Senegalia. The flowers are typically bisexual with numerous
stamens, but unisexual flowers have been noted in A. nilotica (cf. Sinha, 1971).
The wide-ranging genus occurs in a variety of open, tropical to subtropical
habitats, and is locally dominant. In parts of Africa, Acacias are shaped
progressively by grazing animals of increasing size and height, such as gazelle,
gerenuk and giraffe. The genus in Africa has thus developed thorns in defence
against such herbivory.
The Acacia's distinctive leaves make the tree highly distinguishable. While there
are more than 800 species of the Acacia trees around the world, most feature
small, finely divided green leaflets that give the stalk a fernlike appearance.
Meanwhile, in other species, which grow in the desert and see very little rain,
leaves are absent all together. Instead, the stalks perform the functions of leaves
and can appear as sharp spines or large thorns.

Another distinguishing appearance of the Acacia tree is its blossoms. The small,
fragrant flowers are:

Pea-shaped

Arranged in compact cylindrical clusters

Yellow in color, though some species produce white blooms

Fuzzy with multiple stamens per flower

Positioned on the edge of airy branches

Most Acacia trees have short lifespans of 15 to 30 years. Consequently, they

tend to grow quickly and can reach heights in excess of 40 feet. In addition to the
stunning yellow and white blooms, the Acacia produces a dry seedpod as its fruit.
Each pod is about three inches long and contains five to six brownish black
seeds. The combination of its feathery leaves, globular flowers and dry seedpods
creates a dramatic appearance during the tree's peak growing years.
Popular Uses of the Acacia Tree
The Acacia tree's sturdy branches and durable trunk made the species an
invaluable resource for shipbuilder's in the 1700s. These days, a number of
Acacia species have become important economic boosters in third world
countries, such as India, Africa and parts of Asia where nearly the entire tree is
cultivated and used to make vital products.
Some of the most popular uses for the tree include:

Wood: Used to make flooring, furniture, jewelry, weapons and toys.

Gum Arabic: A substance used in adhesives, some medicines, and as a

thickening agent in frozen desserts.

Tannin: Found in the bark of the tree, tannin is used to dye ink.

Blossoms: Added as a flavoring to desserts and liqueur. The flower's

essential oils are also used in perfumes.

Seeds: Some can be eaten raw or ground and added to sauces.

Once used by ancient Egyptian and Arabic civilizations to treat a variety of

medical conditions, from colds to leprosy, the acacia plant still plays a role in
modern food and medicine.
Native to tropical regions of Africa and Australia, the acacia is a shrub-like tree
that has sharp thorns and can grow up to 15 feet tall. Sap from the acacia tree,
often called acacia gum, is used for medicinal purposes.
You can find acacia at most health food stores in powder, capsule, or gum form.
Its also an ingredient in many snack foods and candies like gum drops and
marshmallows, as well as in some traditional Arabic desserts.
Historically, it was used to treat:

Skin wounds such as burns, cuts, or leprosy

Digestive issues

Gonorrhea

coughs

Dysentery

Colds

Some of these uses still apply today. Here are six ways acacia can be beneficial
to your health.
1. its a good source of fiber.
Acacia is known as a good source of dietary fiber because it contains about 90
percent soluble fiber. This type of fiber, which dissolves in water, is an important

part of your diet. It helps the digestive system run smoothly and reduces the risk
of heart disease and diabetes.
2. It can help with digestive issues.
Fiber can help alleviate constipation and discomfort associated with digestive
disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, fiber content may not
be the only reason acacia is good for the digestive system. The sap may also be
a prebiotic, which means it can help to feed the good bacteria in the intestines.
One study found that yogurt with added acacia fiber was more effective in
reducing IBS symptoms than regular yogurt.
3. It might have a future in diabetes management.
Some claim that acacia supplements can help control your blood sugar. While
theres little clinical evidence to support that, its known that dietary fiber plays an
important role in regulating blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes. Foods with
added acacia may help boost your daily fiber.
4. Can it lower cholesterol
Like other dietary fibers, acacia may have a role in lowering cholesterol. While a
study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) couldnt establish a direct
link between acacia gum and cholesterol, research has shown that adding
soluble fiber to your diet can lower cholesterol levels significantly.
5. No more sore throat.
Acacia is a demulcent, a substance that relieves irritation in the mucus
membranes of the mouth by creating a protective film. Historically, this is why it
was used to heal wounds, mouth sores, and cold symptoms. Today its an
ingredient in many cold medications such as throat lozenges and cough
medicines.

6. Your dentist would approve.

Early research suggests that acacia gum may have antibacterial properties that
help control harmful bacteria in the mouth that cause gum disease. One study
found that chewing gum made with acacia was more helpful in reducing plaque
for seven days when compared with regular gum.
In the United States, Acacia can be found listed as an ingredient in popular
beverages, such as:

Sun Drop

Fresca

RC Cola

Barq's Root Beer

Strawberry-Lemonade Powerade

In addition, the gum Arabic cultivated from some Acacia trees is used in Altoids
mints, Wrigley's Eclipse chewing gum and M&Ms pretzels.
Acacia Tree and Ants Interestingly, stinging ants and acacia trees have a
mutually beneficial relationship. Ants create cozy living quarters by hollowing out
the thorns, then survive by eating the sweet nectar produced by the tree. In turn,
the ants protect the tree by stinging any animals that attempt to munch on the
leaves.
The Ark of the Covenant is said to be made out of acacia wood.
Earth's most isolated tree, the only one around for 250 miles, was knocked down
by alleged drunk driver
For centuries, until one fateful day in 1973, a lone acacia tree grew in the sea of
sand that is the Nigerian Sahara desert. For generations of weary travellers, the
solitary tree offered a bit of shade, and so much more. As the only tree around

for 250 miles, it served as an important landmark along a long-established

caravan route through the barren terrain, but also as a monument to the
resiliency of life.
Though the improbability of its survival still comes as a heartening testament that
life can indeed thrive in the harshest of places -- the story of its sad demise is a
bitter reminder of how even a single moment of human recklessness can destroy
a wonder so long wrought.
The Tuareg people, a nomadic tribe in the region of Tnr, had already come to
cherish the tree, but by the late 1930s, it caught the attention of outsiders too.
European military campaigners marveled at the lonely acacia in the desert,
calling it L'Arbre du Tnr (The Tree of Tenere), and its inclusion on
cartographers' maps made clear the tree's rather remarkable distinction as the
earth's most isolated tree.
France's Commander of Allied Forces described L'Arbre du Tnr as something
truly special -- not only for its ability to survive in the stark desert, but also for the
restraint countless passersby had shown in letting it be.
"One must see the Tree to believe its existence," wrote Michel Lesourd in 1939.
"What is its secret? How can it still be living in spite of the multitudes of camels
which trample at its sides?
"How at each azalai [caravan] does not a lost camel eat its leaves and thorns?
Why don't the numerous Touareg leading the salt caravans cut its branches to
make fires to brew their tea? The only answer is that the tree is taboo and
considered as such by the caravaniers."
That year, a well was dug near the tree, offering a hint to how it had managed to
survive in the sand. The tree, only around 10 feet tall, had roots that stretched
down more than 100 feet to the water table. It was estimated to be around 300
years old, the sole survivor from an ancient grove that existed when the region
was less arid than it is today.

Like all things, this living wonder which had managed to thrive despite the odds
stacked against it, was destined to one day die -- but how it met its end perhaps
speaks more of human nature than of Nature itself.
According to a contemporaneous report, in 1973 a truck driver, following a
roadway that traced the old caravan route, collided with the tree, snapping its
trunk. In an instant, one single act of carelessness severed a link to history, so
deeply rooted in the desert sand and in the ethos of generations that had come
to cherish it.
The driver, who remains unidentified to this day, is alleged to have been drunk at
the time of the accident. (Stephen Messenger)
B.3.2. Para Rubber Tree
Originated in the Amazon Rainforest of
South America, the tree itself cannot be
cultivated in the region because of leaf
blight, which is a fungal pathogenic
infection which will eventually kill the
trees. The tree was propagated and
cultivated to tropical countries by the
British where leaf blight was not present.
The Para Rubber Tree is the primary source of rubber around the world. One tree
is capable of producing large quantities of rubber for 25-30 years after which the
trees are felled due to decrease productions but are then made to wooden
furniture.
The rubber industry can help the agricultural farmers in the country since the
rubber tree grows well in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia. The process is
easily understandable for the collection of rubber, a small incision will be made
along the bark of the tree where a slide will be connected to it leading to a bucket
which will collect the sap which the tree produces. Once the bucket is full of the

latex like substance, it will then be collected by the farmers. This will provide jobs
to our fellow citizens which will provide for the families and this will also help the
environment through the planting of trees.
B.3.3. Pine Tree
Pine trees (the genus Pinus) are distinguished from all other trees by: (a) having
uncovered seeds borne in pairs on the bracts of (female) cones (as do other
genera of the Pinaceae family) and (b) narrow leaves ("needles") arranged in
bundles of 2 to 5 and with a permanent or deciduous sheath at their bases. Such
bundles of needles are called fascicles (after the bundle of sticks around the axe
which represented the power of the Roman senate). There are usually 2 to 5
leaves per fascicle (very rarely 1, or 6 to 8). The individual needles in one
fascicle, when viewed in cross section, are like pie-shaped segments which fit
together form a complete circle. Therefor each needle has a hemispherical cross
section (if there are 2 needles per fascicle) or triangular cross section (if there are
3 or more needles per fascicle).
A

third

subgenus,

Ducampopinus,

intermediate

between these two, has been proposed. The Strobus

subgenus (and also subgenus Ducampopinus) has
one fibrovascular bundle per leaf, ie., they are
haploxylon. The subgenus Pinus has two fibrovascular
bundles per leaf, i.e. they are diploxylon. As a rule (not
always), they have the following arrangement of
leaves and leaf sheaths.
Pines are mostly large trees with a straight trunk with whorls of smaller lateral
branches, but they have a wide range of habits varying from tall narrow trees to
small bushy trees to prostrate shrubs. They are generally long-lived, usually over
100 years in suitable environments. The longest living individuals of any kind are
the fabled intermountain bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) which currently has
living trees at least 4,800 years old. (The root systems of the creosote bush

(Larrea tridentata) may be even older). All pine species are evergreen, i.e., they
keep their leaves for at least two growing seasons (and up to about 30 years in
the case of P. longaeva)
They are monoecious, i.e., individual trees have both female (megasporangiate)
cones which bear the ovules and male (microsporangiate) cones which shed the
pollen. The pollen is carried by wind and gravity; none of the pines is pollinated
by insects or birds. All pines have 12 pairs of chromosomes, as do other genera
of the Pinaceae family except two (Douglas firs have 13 and false larches have
11).
About three-fifths of the pine species are currently classified in the subgenus
Pinus (Diploxylon) pines, commonly called hard pines or yellow pines. The other
two-fifths is comprised of the subgenus Strobus (Haploxylon) pines which are
also called soft pines or white pines. (The new subgenus Ducampopinus would
account for about one-fifth of the species, leaving approximately one-fifth in the
genus Strobus). The subgenus Pinus has two fibrovascular bundles running the
length of the needle (hence diploxylon) and the Strobus subgenus (and also
Ducampopinus) has one (haploxylon) fibrovascular bundle. Diploxylon pines
generally differ from the Haploxylon pines by having harder yellower wood, cones
that are often armed with a prickle, stiffer needles with permanent needle
sheaths and the development of rough scaly bark at a younger age.
The pine genus is generally sun-loving and relatively shade-intolerant. They are
less likely than shade-tolerant genera (e.g. spruces and firs) to grow up from
seedlings in an already established shady forest, so pine trees are less favored
in mixed conifer and uneven-aged forests and often are not the "climax" trees in
densely vegetated forests. But they are usually among the first trees to establish
on open ground that is being revegetated after fire or other disturbance and are
often found in pure even-age stands or in savanna (more open) settings where
drought and fires control tree density. In the huge Longleaf pine forests along the
Gulf and southeast Altlantic Coasts from east Texas to Virginia and Delaware, fire
was just as essential as rain in preserving the pine's dominance.

The family Pinaceae evolved in the northern hemisphere during the early
Cretaceous or Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era, 130 to 200 million years ago
and by the late Cretaceous the genus Pinus had already differentiated into
haploxylon and diploxylon subgenera. They have flourished and evolved into
about 120 species and subspecies world-wide, still almost all in the northern
hemisphere. Only one species (P. merkusii) extends about one degree south of
the equator in Sumatra. They grow from desert edge to rain forests and from sea
level to mountain treeline. The country with the most species of pines is Mexico,
which has approximately 60 species and subspecies, followed by the United
States (about 45) and China (about 21). The Mexican highlands have been an
evolutionary center for new pine species.
Benguet Pine
Pinus kesiya (Khasi pine, Benguet pine
or three-needled pine) is one of the most
widely distributed pines in Asia. Its range
extends south and east from the Khasi
Hills in the northeast Indian state of
Meghalaya,

to

northern

Thailand,

Philippines, Burma, Cambodia, Laos,

southernmost China, and Vietnam. It is
an important plantation species elsewhere in the world, including in southern
Africa and South America.
The common name "Khasi pine" is from the Khasi hills in India, and "Benguet
pine" is from the landlocked province of Benguet in Luzon, Philippines, where it is
the dominant species of the Luzon tropical pine forests. The Benguet pine is
sometimes treated as a separate species, Pinus insularis; however, the current
opinion is to treat these as conspecific with P. kesiya. The city of Baguio is
nicknamed "The City of Pines", as it is noted for large stands of this tree.

Bark of Benguet Pine

Pinus kesiya is a tree reaching up to 3035 m tall with a straight, cylindrical trunk.
The bark is thick and dark brown, with deep longitudinal fissures. The branches
are robust, red brown from the second year, the branchlets horizontal to
drooping. The leaves are needle-like, dark green, usually 3 per fascicle, 1520
cm long, the fascicle sheath 12 cm long and persistent. The cones are ovoid, 5
9 cm long, often curved downwards, sometimes slightly distorted; the scales of
second-year cones are dense, the umbo a little convex, sometimes acutely
spinous. The scales have transverse and longitudinal ridges across the middle of
the scale surface. The seeds are winged, 67 mm long with a 1.5-2.5 cm wing.
Pollination is in mid spring, with the cones maturing 1820 months after.
Khasi pine usually grows in pure stands or mixed with broad-leaved trees, but
does not form open pine forests.
Commercial Use
The soft and light timber of Pinus kesiya can be used for a wide range of
applications, including boxes, paper pulp, and temporary electric poles. It is
intensely used for timber, both sourced in natural forests and plantations.
The good-quality resin is not abundant and has not been much used except
during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines for the production of
turpentine.
B.3.3. LEAD TREE (IPIL IPIL)
Scientific Name: Leucaena Galicia
It is originated from Mexico and Central America and
introduced to the Philippines by the Spanish. It is widely
distributed in the country from Luzon to Mindanao along
coastal areas, riverbanks and occasionally in low hills. It

has adapted to the Philippines very well and can be found easily, as it is a type of
a tropical rainforest plant.
Ipil-ipil is a tree growing up 8 meters high. Leaves are compound, 15 to 25
centimeters long, with hairy rachis. Pinnae are 8 to 16, and 5 to 8 centimeters
long. Leaflets are 20 to 30, linear oblong, and 7 to 12 millimeters long. Heads are
solitary, at the axils of the leaves, long-peduncled, globose, and 2 to 5
centimeters in diameter, with many flowers. Flowers are whitish, in dense globule
heads, 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter. Fruit is an oblong or linear pod, strapshaped, 12 to 18 centimeters long, 1.4 to 2 centimeters wide, papery, green
turning to brown and splitting open along two edges when mature, and several
fruits developing from each flower head. Each pod contains 15 to 25 elliptic,
compressed, shining, brown seeds, each 5 to 8 millimeters long, 3 to 5
millimeters wide.
Most of the time, ipil-ipil plants are used for agriculture and animal feed. The ipilipil plants can be planted as hedgerows to prevent erosion in the soil and act as
mulch or other things as well. Meanwhile, it can also be used to feed animals
raised on the farm, such as goats, sheep, and other animals.
BENEFITS
Wood from the Ipil tree is a beautiful, shiny black-brown and is durable which
makes it good for furniture and house construction, bridge construction, naval
construction, church pillars, railroad ties, paving blocks, electric and telegraphic
poles, wood panels, tiles, cabinets, wharves, even for musical instruments and
other novelty items. Extracts obtained from the wood in khaki shades can also be
used as dye.
The fruit is edible fruit has laxative properties, while decoction of the bark
contains tannin, which is used to stop diarrhea. Tannin is also used in treating
persons suffering from urinary ailments and rheumatism.

Ecologicially, Ipil trees are suitable for conservation in eroded gullies and in buffer
strips along creeks, and also in water purification. They provide excellent shade
suitable for homes and parks. Ipil trees are also wind tolerant which makes them
ideal as windbreak.
The ipil-ipil leaves can be dried for use in concentrate feeds. Ipil-ipil is also well
known for its high nutritional value and for the similarity of its chemical
composition with that of the alfalfa. Basically, its use can be effective in
agriculture as mulch, hedgerows that prevent erosion, legumes for fertilization,
and others. It can also be used to feed animals and even be helpful to peoples
daily lives as firewood or building materials.
Erosion Control
As for erosion control, ipil-ipil trees are great for preventing erosion. That is why
most ipil-ipil trees are grown in hedgerows and trimmed to prevent the soil from
being eroded.
Advantages: By planting many ipil-ipil trees, which are well adapted to this
country, it will lead to the plant absorbing excess water from rain, cover the soil
from some heavy water, and protect the soil from flowing away. Thus, it has all
the basic components for preventing erosion. In addition, the tree has a high
survival rate, it is easy to obtain ipil-ipil seeds, and the fact that it can absorb
enough amount of water qualifies it to be a plant fit for erosion control.
Disadvantages:

However, there are also some possible problems that may

occur. Because of pests and diseases, by planting only the ipil-ipil trees, it may
kill all the plants in that area. If there is no biodiversity in an area, it will be easier
for that one plant to be attacked by specific pests and diseases. That is why, to
solve this problem, it is advisable to plant other plants that will help prevent
erosion along with the ipil-ipil trees to create more biodiversity. Besides, by only
planting one specific plant, specific nutrients in the soil cannot support all the
same plants in that area. By creating biodiversity, the nutrients in the soil will be
used and added equally, creating a harmonious balance.

Reforestation
Mentioned above, ipil-ipil trees are well adapted to tropical climate, such as the
Philippines. That is why they are a good choice of plants to plant for
reforestation.
Advantages: In addition to the ipil-ipil plant being well adapted to the climates in
the Philippines, ipil-ipil trees have legumes in their roots, which help fertilize the
soil. It seems that ipil-ipil plants are a great choice to plant for reforestation since
ipil-ipil trees are well adapted to the Philippines climate, have legumes to fertilize
the soil, and are easy to find and access. Because the ipil-ipil trees in the
Philippines are well adapted and abundant, it seems to indicate that it will survive
and be able to reforest an area. Through reforestation, not only will it help the
environment, but it can also help people by using them as tools mentioned above
in the overview or the first paragraph.
Disadvantages: Once again, mentioned above, only planting ipil-ipil plants is
dangerous. Because of the lack of biodiversity, the ipil-ipil plants face danger of
pests, diseases, and lack of nutrients. Besides, if there is only one biodiversity, it
cannot really be considered as a reforestation. The main reason for reforestation
is to restore an area that once was a natural habitat. By only planting ipil-ipil
trees, it cannot be considered a tropical rainforest. To overcome this conflict, it is
best to plant the ipil-ipil plants first as a pioneer plant, and add other plants that
will help reforest a specific area.
Green Manure
Ipil-ipil plants are known to be good food for animals and plants as well. For
animals, ipil-ipil plants contain good nutrients that helps feed the animals. For
plants, ipil-ipil helps plants by providing mulch, returning some nutrients to the
soil, preventing erosion, and acting as hedgerows.

Advantages: One of the main advantages of using ipil-ipil plants is the low cost.
Rather than all the other expensive fertilizers for plants and food for animals, ipilipil can be easily substituted for them. Sometimes, ipil-ipil animal feeds are even
better than other products for the animals. Ipil-ipil plants have rare and natural
nutrients that are essential for animals. Also, ipil-ipil plants have legumes in their
roots that help fertilize the soil, and act as hedgerows and erosion control as an
added bonus. In addition, toxin and chemicals that are mixed in the fertilizers and
animal feeds are harmful for the plants and animal, but ipil-ipil plants are naturally
non-hazardous. Overall, ipil-ipil plants are clean, safe, and environmentally
friendly fertilizers and animal feeds.
Disadvantages: Similar to the disadvantages above, by only feeding animals with
ipil-ipil is not necessarily good for the animals. Too much ipil-ipil feed to the
animals can have a negative effect instead. Likewise, fertilizing the soil with only
ipil-ipil legumes could cause negative effect on plant growth, as ipil-ipil legumes
does not necessarily create nutrients for every specific plants. Overall, just using
too much of one thing, is not always a good thing.
B.3.5. Gingko Biloba Tree
Native to China, the tree is widely
cultivated and was introduced early
tohuman history. It has various uses
in traditional medicine and as a
source of food. The species was
initially described by Carl Linnaeus
in 1771, the specific epithet biloba
derived from the Latin bis, "two" and
loba, "lobed", referring to the shape
of the leaves.
Ginkgos are large trees, normally reaching a height of 2035 m (66115 ft), with
some specimens in China being over 50 m (160 ft). The tree has an angular

crown and long, somewhat erratic branches, and is usually deep rooted and
resistant to wind and snow damage. Young trees are often tall and slender, and
sparsely branched; the crown becomes broader as the tree ages. During autumn,
the leaves turn a bright yellow, then fall, sometimes within a short space of time
(one to 15 days). A combination of resistance to disease, insect-resistant wood
and the ability to form aerial roots and sprouts makes ginkgos long-lived, with
some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old.
The tree is the official tree of the Japanese capital of Tokyo, and the symbol of
Tokyo is a ginkgo leaf.
Benefits
An extract of Ginkgo biloba leaf (GBE) is marketed in dietary
supplement form with claims it can enhance cognitive function in
without known cognitive problems. Studies have failed to find such

people
effects

on memory or attention in healthy people.

The nut-like gametophytes inside the seeds are particularly esteemed in Asia,
and are a traditional Chinese food. Ginkgo nuts are used incongee, and are often
served at special occasions such as weddings and the Chinese New Year (as
part of the vegetarian dish calledBuddha's delight). In Chinese culture, they are
believed to have health benefits; some also consider them to have aphrodisiac
qualities. Japanese cooks add ginkgo seeds (called ginnan) to dishes such as
chawanmushi, and cooked seeds are often eaten along with other dishes.
Disadvantage
Ginkgo may have undesirable effects, especially for individuals with blood
circulation disorders and those taking anticoagulants such asaspirin or warfarin,
although recent studies have found ginkgo has little or no effect on the
anticoagulant properties or pharmacodynamics of warfarin in healthy subjects.
Additional side effects include increased risk of bleeding, gastrointestinal
discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations,

and restlessness. Ginkgo should be used with caution when combined with other
herbs known to increase bleeding (e.g. garlic, ginseng, ginger).
According to a systemic review, the effects of ginkgo on pregnant women may
include increased bleeding time, and it should be avoided during lactation
because of inadequate safety evidence.
C. Laws
C.1 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3571
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE CUTTING, DESTROYING OR INJURING OF
PLANTED OR GROWING TREES, FLOWERING PLANTS AND SHRUBS OR
PKANTS OF SCENIC VALUE ALONG PUBLIC ROADS, IN PLAZAS, PARKS,
SCHOOL, PREMISES OR IN ANY OTHER PUBLIC GROUND
In order to promote and conserve the beauty of objects of scenic and ornamental
value along public places and help preserve cool,fresh and healthful climate, it is
the policy of the Government to cherish, protect and conserve planted or growing
trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of ornamental value along public
roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any public ground.
C.2. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10176
AN ACT REVIVING THE OBSERVANCE OF ARBOR DAY BY AUTHORIZING
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR
CELEBRATING THE DAY FOR TREE PLANTING AS AN ANNUAL EVENT
It is hereby mandated that all provinces, cities and municipalities with their
component barangays shall be required to revive, by appropriate proclamation of
their respective local chief executives, an Arbor Day at an appropriate fixed date
every calendar year as shall be deemed suitable according to the proper time
and season for planting trees in the respective provinces and their respective
component municipalities or cities concerned. Although adoption of uniform dates
for every province and its component municipalities and cities shall be

encouraged, varying dates for Arbor Day celebrations may be permitted in order
to afford flexibility in planning and in implementing tree planting programs to
adjust to the proper time and period of the year most suited to the trees selected
to be planted, and as local budgetary allotments shall allow.
C.3. Republic Act No. 9168
AN ACT TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO NEW PLANT VARIETIES,
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION BOARD AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
The State recognizes that an effective intellectual property system in general and
the development of new plant variety in particular is vital in attaining food security
for the country. To this end, it shall protect and secure the exclusive rights of
breeders with respect to their new plant variety particularly when beneficial to the
people for such periods as provided for in this Act.
C.4. P.D No. 1152
Philippine Environmental Code
Chapter III Forestry and Soil Conservation
The national government, through the Department of Natural Resources, shall
undertake a system of rational exploitation of forest resources and shall
encourage citizen participation therein to keep the country's forest resources at
maximum productivity at all time.
C.5. Tree-Cutting Permit
The Department of Natural Resources and Community Environment and Natural
Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) issues tree-cutting permits for (public places,
private lands, infrastructure projects, government projects).

Requirements

Letter application
LGU Endorsement/Certification of No Objection (Municipality and

Barangay)
Copy of Land Title (OCT/TCT) for Private Property
Photographs of trees to be removed
Site Development Plan and ECC for big projects

Procedure

Submit application letter addressed to the CENRO with the required

documents (see previous tab). The request order will then be assigned an

Inspection Officer to conduct inventory/inspection

Receive Payment Order
Pay inventory fee (P1,200/hectare) for planted and naturally growing trees
but no payment required for less than 20 trees or if inventory will be
conducted by the customer
o If Inventory undertaken by customer:
o Timber
o Inventory/Inspection Report with Tally Sheet/Stand and Stock Table,
and Pictures
o Tree Charting Map
o Receive tree cutting permit

C.6. Children's Environmental Protection Act

It is the policy of the State, concordant with the Constitution, to protect and
advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord
with the rhythm and harmony of nature and to promote and protect the children's
physical well-being in recognition of the youth's vital role in nation-building.

D. International Organizations and Laws for Tree Protection

D.1.The Billion Tree Campaign

It was launched in 2006, by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

as a response to the challenges of global warming, as well as to a wider array of
sustainability challenges, from water supply to biodiversity loss. Its initial target
was the planting of one billion trees in 2007 (achieved by November). One year
later, in 2008, the campaign's objective was raised to 7 billion trees a target to
be met by the climate change conference that was held in Copenhagen,
Denmark in December 2009. Three months before the conference, the 7 billion
planted trees mark had been surpassed. In December 2011, after more than 12
billion trees had been planted, UNEP formally handed management of the
program over to the youth-led not-for-profit Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation,
based in Munich, Germany. Over 14.2 billion trees have been planted as of 2016.
[4] The Billion Tree Campaign calls upon all individuals, countries and companies
to participate, and accepts all contributions.
The Billion Tree Campaign was inspired by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari
Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement. When an executive in the United
States told Professor Maathai their corporation was planning to plant a million
trees, her response was: "Thats great, but what we really need is to plant a
billion trees. The campaign was carried out under the patronage of Prince Albert
II of Monaco.
"It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing
is planting trees." Wangari Maathai
D.2. Forestry Law
A subcategory of environmental law, Forestry Law relates to all statutes and
regulations that deal with the preservation of forests and parks, reforestation
activities to ensure the sustainability of the nation's lands, and the prevention of
illegal logging activities. These laws derive from both federal and state sources.
Preservation

A major focus of forestry law is preservation. Many forests take decades or

centuries to regenerate. Indeed, some species of tree, such as the California
Redwood, can take thousands of years to reach their enormous size. As a result,
preservation of such resources must be a primary focus of any conservation law,
as these resources are not readily replaced once they are lost. Preservation laws
include limitations on logging, anti-forest fire campaigns, and other environmental
protections. These laws also affect those in more urban settings, by regulating,
for example, the removal of trees from personal property, or requiring special
permits to trim or cut down trees over a certain diameter or age.
Reforestation
In cases where forests are lost through natural disaster, forest fire, or man's
activities, often the only means of replacing what has been lost is through
reforestation efforts. A number of state and federal initiatives support such efforts
by providing incentives to land owners who replace trees on their property. In the
logging industry it is now often mandated that after an area has been cleared,
new trees must be replanted in the place of those that have been removed. This
not only protects the environment, but promotes the sustainability of the logging
industry as a whole.
E. Frequently Asked Questions
E.1. what is tree planting?
Tree planting is an area of the reforestation activity that involves planting
seedlings.
E.2. Why is tree planting important?
Because of the benefits that our planet and ourselves get from trees, such as
trees being oxygen filters, providing shelter and food for humans as well as other
animals and their influence on the climate (to mention a few); it is essential that
we make sure we make up for all the trees we loose or use. If performed properly

tree planting can ensure the successful restoration of a deforested area, hence
creating ecologically sustainable resource use.
E.3. Who can be a tree planter?
Anyone can be; all you have to do is plant a tree and watch over it as it grows
and you will have become a tree planter.
E.4. When to plant a tree?
Despite the fact that planting a tree does not necessarily need a special occasion
for it to
be done, you can nonetheless make the act an unforgettable one by picking an
important date (your birthday, special event day etc.) for you to plant it and share
the experience with loved ones around you. But of course, you must look to the
weather and because the climate plays an important role for deciding on the right
planting time. Newly planted trees do best when exposed to moderate
temperature and rainfall
E.5. Where to plant a tree?
Different people have different ideas for planting sites: personal gardens,
schools, parks and work are one of the locations you can choose from. Once you
have chosen the location on which you would like to plant a tree, you need to
speak to the owner or the manager of the property in order to get the permission
to go ahead and plant. This person can either be a park ranger, the principal at
your school or your employer.

Sources:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/indigenous#gLM83bbqYB2XDlO2.99
Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. 2016. GREENIN Philippines. Retrieved on April 6,
2016 from http://rafi.org.ph/greenin-philippines/green-almanac/yakal/.
Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. 2016. GREENIN Philippines. Retrieved on April 6,
2016 from http://rafi.org.ph/greenin-philippines/green-almanac/guijo/.
http://www.unep.org/documents.multilingual/default.asp?
DocumentID=445&ArticleID=4867&l=en
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/alien_species_reconsidered_finding_a_value_in_non
-natives/2373/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion_Tree_Campaign