PSSN GOES INTERNATIONAL

(Excerpt from an Article Published at Ti Similla, Official Newsletter of the Academic Staff of UP Baguio in July 2011 Issue)

by Zenaida G. Baoanan

My attendance at the International Seminar on Natural Resources, Climate Change, and Food Security in Developing Countries held at Graha Pena, Surabaya, Indonesia on June 27-29  was a refreshing escape from the daily routine of doing administrative functions and teaching in the classroom.  Surabaya is the second biggest city in Indonesia, next to Jakarta, the capital city.  The name comes from a legendary battle between “Sura” (a shark) and “Baya” (a crocodile) to establish territoriality over the place and to declare who is stronger.  A symbol of the city are statues depicting these two animals circling each other.   The fight between these two animals might actually depict the battle of Surabaya native people to regain freedom against foreign invaders.

The seminar was very successful, with more than 200 participants from Asian countries including Japan, Thailand, China, Malaysia, India and of course Philippines.  It served as an opportunity to disseminate the output of our research and at the same time listen to experts, researchers, and practitioners addressing the impact of climate change on natural resources and food security, especially in developing countries.

The keynote speech of the Agriculture Minister of Indonesia presented the strategy and policy of Indonesian government in overcoming the effects of climate change on the natural resources for sustainable food security.  Dr. Hugo Alfried Volkaert of Kasetsart University, Thailand addressed the issues of food security through plant genetic resources. The plenary talk of Dr. Lin Qing of Fujian Normal University in China focused on how to optimally allocate land resources in response to the need for economic development.  Dr. Bustanul Arifin of Lampung University, Indonesia discussed the role of private sector in overcoming the impacts of climate change.

Plenary speakers: (from left) Dr. Hugo Alfried Volkaert of Kasetsart University in Thailand, Dr. Zenaida Baoanan, Dr. Lin Qing of Fujian of Normal University in China, and Dr. Takeshi Takayama of Kagawa University in Japan

My plenary topic and that of Dr. Takeshi Katayama of Kagawa University, Japan were more specific.  Dr Katayama discussed the chemistry and chemical utilization of woody biomass and introduction of a project of agroforestry of Falcata in Indonesia and the effective utilization of the wood wastes.  On the other hand, I addressed the issues on climate change effect on natural resources and ecology by giving a case study on the effect of climate change to molluscan population and ecological dynamics. Mollusks remain as an integral part of the web of life in forests as they consume organic material on the forest floor and recycle plant and animal wastes.  Native species of mollusks are considered habitat-specific and usually found on relatively undisturbed areas. The land snails and slugs can serve as indicator of forest health status since they are vulnerable to environmental changes such as changes in temperature, soil chemistry, and weather. The same is true for marine habitat.   The increasing temperature stress and a declining saturation state of seawater aragonite may be diminishing the ability of calcifying organisms such as mollusks to deposit calcium carbonate.  It is no wonder that in the 2002 IUCN Red list of threatened species, mollusks have the highest proportion of recorded extinctions among the major taxonomic groups of animals. 

Several papers were presented in the different parallel sessions, including a paper which I co-authored  with Steve Obanan of the University of the East.  The paper, entitled “Land Snail Diversity of Mt. Polis, Central Cordillera Range, Luzon Island, Philippines,” is part of the output of projects funded by the Creative and Research Scholarship Program, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of the Philippines.  Another highlight of the conference was the search for Best Oral Paper for professional and high school categories and the Best Poster Competition.  I was requested to join the panel of judges in the Best Paper Competition together with Dr. Hugo Volkaert (Thailand) and Dr. Sudarsono (Indonesia).  The delegates from the Philippines proudly bagged the Best Oral Paper in both categories while Indonesia won the Best Poster.

An International Conference will not be complete without a tour.  The organizers arranged a nature and city tour on June 29 as a post-conference activity.  We were brought to the Wonorejo Mangrove Forest. The participants watched the students of UPN Veterans East Java plant mangrove in the area. We passed by the Suramadu Bridge which connects the Surabaya to the Maduru Island. According to our tour guide, it took about six years to complete this 5.4 km longest bridge in Indonesia and was only opened to public in June 2009.

A friendly pose at the longest bridge in Indonesia, the Suramadu Bridge. (From left)  Dr. Hugo Alfried Volkaert, Dr.Baoanan, PSSN President Dr. Jesusa “Susan” Ortuoste and ISSNAT President and seminar head organizer, Dr. Sukendah

The scenery at the Sidoarjo Mud Flow took a new spin in the sight of the participants. It reminded us on how nature can take control of shaping the Earth’s landscape. Sidoarjo Mud Flow also known as Lapindo mud, is a mud volcano in the subdistrict of Porong, Sidoarjo in East Java.  The area was once occupied by a village but since the volcano started its eruption in May 2006, it continued spewing mud which turned the place into a barren land of hot mud.  Controversy turns on the contention that this  biggest mud volcano in the world was created by the blowout of a natural gas well drilled by PT Lapindo Brantas.  Company officials, however, contend that it was caused by a distant earthquake. While the eruption is considered as a major disaster, the new landscape created by the mud flow became an excellent site for scientists to conduct research to better understand the nature of mud volcano.

Scenery of the Sidoarjo Mud Flow.  Who would have imagined that this area was once a village?

Becoming a UP traveling scholar not only opens windows for professional growth and international linkages but turns into a chance to meet new friends and learn the culture of other countries.  The language barrier was compensated by the warm friendship and hospitality of the host institution and the people I met in the conference.  The mayor of Surabaya even hosted a dinner for all the participants, showcasing the cultural dances and songs in Indonesia.

This international seminar signaled the start of collaboration with the Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, Kasetsart University in Thailand, the Agriculture Faculty of the University of Pembangunan Nasional (UPN) “Veteran” East Java and the Philippine Society for the Study of Nature.  The 25 delegates from the Philippines headed by the National President Jesusa “Susan” Ortuoste, joined the rest of the participants in witnessing the inauguration of the Indonesian Society for the Study of Nature (ISSNAT) with its main office temporarily set at UPN. 

Philippine delegate to the conference with Dr. Sukendah

According to Dr. Sukendah, the founding President of ISSNAT, the cooperation between the two societies can be realized because they both advocate developing strategies towards wise and sustainable use of nature. We are hoping that this collaboration can inspire other participating countries in establishing new Societies for the Study of Nature in the near future.  In the inspirational message of Dr. Ortuoste at the opening program, she challenged the ISSNAT to double the number of delegates who will attend the Annual Convention of PSSN to be held next year at General Santos City. With the plan of inviting foreign participants, PSSN might stage its Second International Convention. This is surely an event worth waiting for.

College of Science Students Awarded Best Research Paper in National Science Confab

Paper presentors (from left): Kristine Doringo, Julie Ann Valdez,
Abigail Peralta (finalists for Best Undergraduate paper) and Aris
Reginaldo (finalist for Best Environmental Science paper)

A research on the impact of rising ocean temperature on the larval development of sea urchins won for Abigail  Joyce Peralta and Kristine Rose Doringo, BS Biology graduates of UP Baguio, the Best  Undergraduate Paper Award at the 11th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Philippine Society for the Study of  Nature (PSSN), held on 24-28 May 2011 at the UP Open University in Los Baños, Laguna. Entitled “The Impact of Predicted Ocean Temperature and pH Levels on the Development of Sea Urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) Larvae,” the work was among five (5) finalists that were pre-selected by a panel of distinguished scientists. Undergraduate theses submissions came from different academic institutions all over the country.

After the initial screening, the chosen finalists were delivered by the authors at the scientific meeting and were judged on the strengths of the presentation by a three-member panel of scientists from UP Los Baños, Palawan State University and Silliman University. The students’ research looked at the effects of elevated temperature and reduced pH on the larval development of the sea urchin found in Bolinao, Pangasinan. Global warming due to climate change is expected to cause increase in average ocean temperature by about 4°C, as well as a corresponding decrease in ocean pH by about 0.3-0.5 units, by the end of the century. As a consequence, various processes governing marine life may be potentially affected including fertilization success, development and calcification. Their study showed that rise in sea temperature, more than acidification, considerably hampered the developmental success of sea urchin larvae.

The students did their experiments at the Bolinao Marine Laboratory of the Marine Science Institute of UP Diliman. Dr. Wilfredo Alangui, Dean of the College of Science of UP Baguio, expressed elation over the award and the fact that three of the five finalists were from his college, even though only two of the UP Baguio entries were presented at the conference. “Since the first batch of BS Biology theses came out in 2006, our students have produced scholarly researches that have been presented in various national and international conferences.

Some of these have also gained recognition, while some are benefitting communities and agencies,” Dr. Alangui said. He added that the high quality of these undergraduate theses is a product of commitment to scientific rigor, dedication and hard work of the students under the meticulous guidance of their professors and advisers.

Dr. Romeo Dizon of the Department of Biology, a marine biologist who specializes on coral reef restoration, served as the adviser of Ms. Peralta and Ms. Doringo. Dr. Alangui also expressed gratitude to the Marine Science Institute for allowing their students to do their laboratory work in Bolinao, and to the Dativa Roque Cristobal Foundation for the Dr. and Mrs. Adorable Grant to the College of Science which helped subsidize the participation of the UPB students. With a recent Master of Science in Zoology degree from UP Los Baños, Biology faculty Aris Reginaldo was also a presenter at the conference. His paper, “Habitat Disturbance and Patterns of Occurrence of Small Non-volant Mammals and their Ectoparasites,” presented results on ectoparasites that included many new species records and new host-ectoparasite relationships, shedding light on ectoparasite diversity in the country. Reginaldo was also a finalist in the Best Paper presentation (professional category).

(This article is originally published in Ti Similla, the official newsletter of the academic staff, UP Baguio, Baguio City in June 2011).

PSSN Confab Pushes Through

(also published in Ti Similla, the official newsletter of the academic staff, UP Baguio, November 2010)

by Zenaida Baoanan
President (2009-2011)
Philippine Society for the Study of Nature
Associate Professor
University of the Philippines Baguio

This year’s PSSN convention was a historic one since we commemorated the tenth year of the Society and at the same time we joined in celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity. With the theme, “PSSN at 10: Harnessing S & T for Natural Resources Conservation and Climate Change Adaptation,” it was fitting to hold the convention in UP Baguio since the Society was established here in April 2000 in cooperation with the Department of Biology, College of Science. The occurrence of typhoons in the last quarter of the year is a clear indication of climate change and indeed, we were able to adapt to the aftermath of typhoon Juan by managing to have 157 participants from secondary and tertiary schools, including some representatives from government sectors. The keynote address of Dr. Lourdes Cruz was an eye-opener. She mentioned that  natural resources conservation and climate change adaptation are among the biggest challenges for the key players in science and technology. While scientists, legislators and conservationists have joined efforts in finding ways to mitigate biodiversity loss, the continuing unscrupulous utilization of nature and its amenities will always be a hindrance in attaining these goals. By instilling awareness in people about the impact of these actions, however, we can reduce biodiversity loss.

The Best Paper and Poster Competitions were among the highlights of the conference. Out of 36 paper entries, only 3 papers per category were chosen for the coveted Best Paper title. The presentations of the students in the High School Division amazed the participants. These promising young scientists are truly inspiring in their show of concern for the environment. The winner in the High School Category was Mr. Anthony Cheng, a freshman student of Baguio City National High School. Anthony has been investigating
the transformation of C.H.O.W (Compostable Heterogeneous Organic Waste) into worm castings using Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms contained in a uniquely improvised trash bin he called the Vermi-C.H.O.W. Bin Recycling System. Castings harvested from this system significantly improved plant growth and development compared to other organic soil amendments such as horse manure and coffee grounds.

Dr. Evaristo Abella of Central Luzon State University, Nueva Ecija won in the Biological Science Category with his paper entitled, “Molecular discrimination of Philippine strains of paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea).” V. volvacea is a highly priced edible mushroom in the local market. Molecular tools are proven effective in discriminating the different strains of these species, thereby suggesting potential importance
of genetic diversity conservation and breeding of this commercially important food source. Meanwhile, Racquel Chua of Saint Louis University, proved that indigenous fruits grown in the Cordillera are a far better source of antioxidants than commercially available Vitamin E. Ms. Chua won in the Physical Science Category.

The dynamics of human-forest interrelationship were discussed by Dr. Lita Sopsop in her winning paper entry in the Environmental Science Category. She conducted her study at Ibusi-Talakaigan Watershed in Palawan Island. With the use of the STELLA (Student Tutorial Experiential Laboratory Learning Analysis) program for model development, she projected that forest cover will continue to decline over the next 50 years at the rate of 3 ha/year, after factoring in current resource utilization and management alternatives.

Indigenous peoples and migrants from the Visayas region rely on farming and almaciga and rattan gathering as their main source of income. She proposed that the best way to sustainably manage the watershed is by increasing people’s income, reducing the population of forest dependents and increasing reforestation efforts especially for rattan and almaciga trees. Alternatively, she sees that declaring the watershed as a Protected Area under NIPAS law ensures its long term sustainability. A related study was done at Loboc Watershed
by Dr. Gloria Casabal from University of Bohol. Her winning paper in the Social Sciences Category provides information on the socio-economic profile of the wild bee gatherers (locally known as mamuhagay) and the potentials and issues related to wild honey harvesting. Dr. Casabal shares the same concern with Dr. Sopsop, that with poor management and increasing dependence on forest and forest products, the life-support system provided by the watershed may not be sustainable.

For the Best Poster Competition, Jing Bautista and his co-authors from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology bested 24 other entries with their study entitled, “Antibacterial Activity of the Crude Extracts from the Rinds and Seeds of Native Durian (Durian zibethinus) against Hospital Isolates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.”

Winners in the different categories were awarded during dinner. Special Citation was given to Dr. Jesusa D. Ortuoste, an incorporator and pioneering officer of the Society, for her unwavering commitment to the organization by attending all of the past ten annual conferences. Another Special Award was given to the University of the La Salette High School for having the most number of delegates to the conference.
There were plenary talks and simultaneous scientific sessions in the next two days which revolved around five subthemes. For the sub-theme on Upland Nature Studies, Dr. Virginia Cuevas from the Institute of Biological Sciences, UPLB, discussed the nature of the Philippine Upland Ecosystem and its implications on upland agroecosystem development. She emphasized that for our uplands to continue giving us economic and environmental services, we need to develop an upland agroecosystem that takes into consideration the nature of its soil on cultural practices, and the impact of interplay of climatic and geologic phenomena on crop and animal production systems.



The Conference Speakers

Comprehensive presentations on concepts and perspectives related to governance of people and nature, interfacing and enterprising with nature were discussed by the three other plenary speakers. Dr. Rogelio Colting, president of Benguet State University, recognizes human rights issues relative to the formulation
of environmental policies. Environmental ethics point to the fact that all life forms on earth have the right to live in this world and that humans have a great responsibility to nature. This point of view was elaborated by Dr. Padmapani Perez from the College of Social Sciences, UP Baguio as she discussed how humans interface with nature in the social science context. Dr. Marlowe Aquino related his experience as Senior Program Coordinator at the Bureau of Agricultural Research in his discussion on the concepts of productivity, profitability and sustainability of natural resources in a developing world. As we are now in the computer era, an appropriate subtheme on e-Environment was presented by Dr. Nicolas Bailly of WorldFish Center. He provided a means of managing the huge datasets of fishes and other sea life creatures into the Biodiversity Information System that can be readily accessed by fisher folks, researchers and other stakeholders in developing countries. The WorldFish Center has been collaborating with the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
in finding means to educate local people on how to manage the aquatic resources in their area. Dr. Bailly said that one example is the use of customized posters to visually indicate the length at first maturity below which fishes should not be caught; otherwise reproduction and replacement of generations cannot occur, leading to the collapse of the resource.

The organizers spiced up the event by holding a “nature challenge” or fun games led by Prof. Merites Buot of UPLB for all the participants on the second night of the conference. It was also a way of building camaraderie among the members. The auditorium was filled with excitement and laughter, a break from the days’ intellectual discussions. We learned much and were equally challenged during the entire three-day conference. It was exhausting yet definitely rewarding. The conference served as a venue for the revival of the PSSN-CAR Chapter. I believe that the convention would not have been successful without the support from UP Baguio, the members and officers of the Society, and the solid working force of the secretariat, including the members of UPB-PSSN Jrs. who kept their poise and sweet smiles amidst the pressure. I salute
the participants who braved the storm to join us. As we prepare for next year’s convention,we pray for an even more fruitful but disaster-free conference.

PSSN 11th Annual National Conference

Recently, the impacts of climate change had been felt in almost all parts of the globe. In the Philippines, the years 2009 and 2010 have been years of environmental catastrophies. PSSN in its 11 years of existence as an organization of professionals, researchers, administrators, policymakers, practitioners, students, and institutions involved in nature studies and related activities will have its Annual Scientific Meeting on May 24-28, 2011 with the theme "Scientific and Technological Innovations for Environmental and Disaster Management."  This year's conference will feature scientific researches on science and technology in/for natural resources conservation, environmental education, nature and governance, upland environment, socio-cultural perspectives on the environment, climate change adaptation, and many more. The conference will provide the participants a voice through Q&A sessions and panel-led discussions.

To encourage more outstanding scientific studies on nature, PSSN opened a competition for the Best Thesis and Scientific Paper in this conference. The papers may be investigatory or research projects and thesis. The details may be accessed by clicking on the link to the page.

The conference will be opened at the Cyber University of the UP System, the UP Open University, and will continue at the Institute of Biological Sciences, UP Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. The officers hope to establish linkages with more institutions that can help the Society perform its primary function of providing a venue for the development of strategies for the unscrupulous utilization of nature and its amenities.

For details, you may click on this link, https://sites.google.com/site/pssn11thconference/home, to visit the conference website.

You can also visit our homesite: http://pssn.bahaykuboresearch.net.