Local People’s Perceptions of Changing Ecosystem Services in Baroro River Watershed, Philippines

Abstract

Establishing the status of ecosystem services entails knowing the connection between humans and nature, since the ability of a landscape to generate ecosystem services depends largely on how it is being managed. Using the framework of livelihood, income, forest condition and ecosystem services (LIFE) and place of residence, this paper aims to understand the relationship between the local people’s perceptions and ecosystem services at a given point of time. An upstream and a midstream village were selected in a watershed in Northern Philippines as a case where land use conversion, from forest to agriculture, has taken place at various time periods, to different extents, and where ecosystem services are crucial to production activities. This paper is to contribute to the limited literature on ecosystem services in the Philippines using the historical perspective of the local people. The results strongly indicate that the local people’s perceptions regarding ecosystem services are consistent with land use and land cover (LULC) changes that happened in the past. Livelihood, place of residence and, to some extent, income can become good predictors of the status of ecosystem services that can be harnessed for targeted interventions in the future.