Beach forest species and mangrove associates in the Philippines

This new publication supported by UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme introduces researchers and the general public to beach forest species and mangroves associates and describes their medicinal, traditional and commercial uses based on recent research and the older, hard-to-access literature. The shorelines and riverbanks of the Philippines were among the first sites opened for human settlement. Not surprisingly, vegetation in the coastal forest was the first to disappear, followed by mangroves and other forest types. Due to their early loss, beach forests are not well studied as other flora and therefore not familiar to the average Filipino. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and sea-level rise associated with global warming, have highlighted the role of beach forest-mangrove greenbelts in conferring protection on coastal communities. The publication is a collection of 140 species both familiar and poorly known, with around 100 treated exhaustively including scientific names, English names, local/regional names, botanical descriptions and folk uses

Fungal diversity of mangrove-associated sponges from New Washington, Aklan, Philippines

Sponge-associated fungi are the least explored marine fungal groups. It is only in recent years that fungal symbionts of marine sponges have received attention mainly due to the isolation of bioactive metabolites while not much attention was given to their specificity, biogeography and exact roles in marine sponges. The diversity of fungi associated with mangrove sponges (Axinella sp., Halichondria cf. panicea, Haliclona sp., Tedania sp.) collected from New Washington, Aklan, Philippines were investigated using morphological observation. A total of 110 species of sponge-associated fungi belonging to 22 genera of ascomycetes with 18 genera of asexual morphs whose sexual stage is unknown, 2 genera of basidiomycetes, 21 morphospecies of Mycelia sterilia, 1 unidentified yeast species and 11 unidentified hyphomycetes were isolated from four species of mangrove sponges. This is the first study that explored the diversity and ecology of sponge-associated fungi in mangrove habitats from the Philippines. The results of the study suggest host-preference by various fungal taxa and the development of fungi on these hosts appeared to be strongly influenced by the characteristics or nature of the immediate environment

Reversion of disused fishpond lease agreement areas to mangrove forests in Region VI, Philippines

This paper focuses on evaluating the reversion to mangrove forests of disused Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) areas in Region VI (Western Visayas), Philippines. FLAs found suitable for reforestation were subjected to a cost-benefit analysis, with potential policy options for financing the reforestation. The benefits of reforesting disused FLA areas far outweigh the cost of doing so. Options where the responsibility for paying for reforestation rests on lessees (performance bond, green tax/fine, fees reflective of economic rent, and beneficial use tax) will generate high amounts of funds. The study recommends an inventory and suitability assessments of all FLA areas

The amazing potential of fungi: 50 ways we can exploit fungi industrially

International audienceFungi are an understudied, biotechnologically valuable group of organisms. Due to the immense range of habitats thatfungi inhabit, and the consequent need to compete against a diverse array of other fungi, bacteria, and animals, fungi havedeveloped numerous survival mechanisms. The unique attributes of fungi thus herald great promise for their application inbiotechnology and industry. Moreover, fungi can be grown with relative ease, making production at scale viable. Thesearch for fungal biodiversity, and the construction of a living fungi collection, both have incredible economic potential inlocating organisms with novel industrial uses that will lead to novel products. This manuscript reviews fifty ways in whichfungi can potentially be utilized as biotechnology. We provide notes and examples for each potential exploitation and giveexamples from our own work and the work of other notable researchers. We also provide a flow chart that can be used toconvince funding bodies of the importance of fungi for biotechnological research and as potential products. Fungi haveprovided the world with penicillin, lovastatin, and other globally significant medicines, and they remain an untappedresource with enormous industrial potentia