Taking Care of UP’s Trees and Birds

[Third article for J109 — Science article about a UP scientist]

Despite being in the middle of a sprawling metropolis, one of the most remarkable characteristics of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus is the abundance of trees in the area—from the vast green spaces on both sides of the University Avenue to the lush canopies around the Academic Oval. However, the diversity and abundance of birds indicates that rapid urbanization is crawling its way to and within the campus.

Birds are an integral part of our ecosystem. They are vital to the growth of trees and forests which then provides us with medicine, food, and other raw materials. Birds also help in mitigating the effects of pests in agriculture and domestic ecosystems. Bird predators, which are up in the food chain, also depend on the avian fauna for food. Disruptions in this process will ultimately affect humans, who are evidently further up the chain.

Moreover, birds also give us pleasure and inspiration just by simply listening or seeing them flying about. Aside from the implicit roles of birds, they are also instrumental in helping man understand the world he lives in. Disappearance of birds could mean destruction of habitats, pollution, dominance of predators, or inefficiency of existing policies about the environment, particularly in urban ones such as Metro Manila where UP is located.

To know more about the avian fauna in the university, Dr. Benjamin Vallejo Jr., together with other scientists from UP Diliman, conducted a study in 2005. An Associate Professor from the Institute of Environmental Science of the UP College of Science, Dr. Vallejo’s expertise lies in marine biology, aquatic resources, and urban habitats and biogeography.

The 2005 study identified the species of birds in the university, which was divided into four areas. These are the College of Science (where some buildings for academic use are constructed), the Academic Oval (noted for being surrounded with trees), the open field along the University Avenue (with a number trees and vast green spaces), and the residential site (where settlements and other commercial structures are). The birds in these areas were carefully counted and identified through scientific methods, taking note of bird movements across the route.

As a model for Metro Manila’s urbanization, UP’s tropical urban landscape “still harbors a viable complex ecosystem for bird communities.” However, the populations of these birds show that the species which cannot adapt to the urban environment with increased structures and homogenized landscapes cannot compete with birds that live commensally with humans. This homogeneity is evident in the residential areas where identical low-rise buildings are located.

Indeed, the dominance of urban-exploiting species indicates the vulnerability of the endemic bird population even to “slight habitat disturbance or modifications.” These endemic birds, which are existent only in the country, include pink-bellied imperial pigeon, Philippine hanging-parrot or “kulasisi,” Philippine coucal or “kukok,” and Philippine woodpecker sometimes known as “ta-ta-li-lik” or “karpintero-maliit.” Dr. Vallejo remarked that since the study in 2005, “the abundance of these birds including the common maya and yellow vented bulbul (‘luklak/malipago’) has gone down.”

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