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Myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds, Amoebozoa) are often perceived as widely distributed, confounding to the \"everything is everywhere\" hypothesis. To test if gene flow within these spore-dispersed protists is restricted by geographical barriers, we chose the widespread but morphologically unmistakable species Hemitrichia serpula for a phylogeographic study. Partial sequences from nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (SSU) revealed 40 ribotypes among 135 specimens, belonging to three major clades. Each clade is dominated by specimens from a certain region and by one of two morphological varieties which can be differentiated by SEM micrographs. Partial sequences of the protein elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1A) showed each clade to possess a unique combination of SSU and EF1A genotypes. This pattern is best explained assuming the existence of several putative biospecies dominating in a particular geographical region. However, occasional mismatches between molecular data and morphological characters, but as well heterogeneous SSU and heterozygous EF1A sequences, point to ongoing speciation. Environmental niche models suggest that the putative biospecies are rather restricted by geographical barriers than by macroecological conditions. Like other protists, myxomycetes seem to follow the moderate endemicity hypothesis and are in active speciation, which is most likely shaped by limited gene flow and reproductive isolation.

Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), causing melioidosis, is becoming a major global public health concern. It is highly endemic in Southeast Asia (SEA) and Northern Australia and is persisting beyond the established areas of endemicity. This study aimed to determine the environmental variables that would predict the most suitable ecological niche for this pathogenic bacterium in SEA by maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling. Systematic review and meta-analysis of data for melioidosis were obtained from public databases such as PubMed, Harmonized World Soil (HWSD) and WorldClim. The potential map showing the environmental layers was processed by ArcGIS, and the prediction for the probability of habitat suitability using MaxEnt software (version 3·4·4) and ENMeval R-based modeling tools was utilized to generate the distribution map with the best-fit model. Both bioclimatic and edaphic predictors were found to be the most important niche-determining environmental variables affecting the geographical distribution of Bp. The highest probability of suitability was predicted in areas with mean temperature of the wettest quarter at ≥26°C, annual precipitation of <2300 mm and Acrisol soil type. Combining those significantly influential variables, our predictive modeling generated a potential distribution map showing the concentration of areas and its location names with high suitability for Bp presence. The predicted distribution of Bp is extensive in the mainland part of SEA. This can be used to draw appropriate measures to safeguard public health and address the true disease burden of melioidosis in the region under the current climate scenario.

This study focuses on the coastal vulnerability of La Union, Philippines, a province located along the western coastline in the northern island of the country. Using the Coastal Vulnerability Model in the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs (InVEST), the research assesses the spatial distribution of exposure to flooding and inundation due to extreme weather events in La Union. The results reveal varying levels of vulnerability, with a substantial proportion of the coastline categorized as very low to low exposure. However, moderate and high exposure areas are also identified, indicating specific locations with heightened risks. Two scenarios, (i) with and (ii) without natural habitats, are compared to quantify the influence of habitats on coastal vulnerability. The study emphasizes the importance of natural habitats, such as mangroves, in providing coastal protection. Moreover, the need for targeted interventions, adaptive management, and sustainable development practices to mitigate climate change’s impacts and protect coastal communities and ecosystems in La Union, Philippines, is being highlighted as an important strategy to enhance resilience against natural coastal hazards. This is the first study that employs the InVEST suite of models in assessing coastal vulnerabilities in the Philippines.

Wildfires are a global phenomenon shaping ecosystems and influencing biodiversity. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding fire severity and ecological recovery in tropical protected areas, particularly those dominated by invasive and pioneer grass species. Hence, this regional case study aimed to create the first burn severity map of the Core Zone Monitoring area in Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park, Philippines, using Landsat satellite imagery from 2020-2021 to evaluate fire impacts on grassland dynamics. The analysis employed pre- and post-fire satellite data and burn indices, revealing that 44.39 % of the landscape remained unburned, while the rest experienced varying burn severities. Remarkably, 45.64 % of the burned areas showed enhanced regrowth within 11 months, demonstrating significant recovery potential of the area. These findings highlight the interplay between fire disturbances and ecological resilience with a geomatic approach that provides a replicable framework for fire severity assessments and offers valuable insights for conservation planning globally.

Myxomycetes are protists that predate microbial communities in soil and are heavily affected by changing climate conditions. As seen in a more distinct guild of myxomycete, their fructification diversity depends not only on the heterogeneity of vegetation but also on temperature and precipitation. To determine the reverse pattern of microbial diversity established in temperate ecozones, foliar and lignicolous litters were collected along a tropical montane site in the Philippines. Fifty-seven (57) morphospecies of myxomycetes from 15 genera were determined. Alpha-diversity analysis revealed a significant decline in species richness and diversity with increasing elevation. Beta-diversity analysis, integrating non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), PERMANOVA, and hierarchical clustering, revealed the complex relationships between species turnover and community composition across elevational gradients. These results conform to the hypothesis that species richness decreases as elevation increases, supporting that tropical ecozones follow the general trend of myxomycete diversity that was first observed in the temperate ecozones. The strong role of elevation in shaping myxomycete community structure is further emphasized. This indicates that conservation management efforts should become more stringent in the areas found at the lower elevation of a tropical montane forest, which are more ecologically sensitive to human-induced stressors and climate-related pressures.

The distribution and ecology of protosteloid amoebae are still relatively unexplored, especially in the paleotropics, despite their role in understanding the evolutionary lineage of Eumycetozoans, more commonly known as slime molds. Hence, an occurrence survey was carried out for the first time in the coastal vegetation of San Fernando City, La Union, Philippines to generate a species listing of protosteloid amoebae. Herein, a total of 40 substrate samples, comprising 20 aerial litter (AL) and 20 ground litter (GL), were collected from four collection points along the coastline of the study site to prepare for their inoculation in weak malt yeast agar (wMYA) plates. The culture plates recovered 12 species belonging to nine genera, all of which are reported as new records of protosteloid amoebae for the Philippines. This is the first study to be ever conducted on the occurrence of protosteloid amoebae in Southeast Asia.

Megacities house the highest human population due to centralizing economic activities, causing congestion and increased settlements in urban areas. As a result of continuous urbanization in developing countries, access to urban green spaces (UGS) is continuously decreasing, affecting urban settlers' quality of life as UGS provides a wide variety of ecosystem services such as mitigation of climate change effects and as recreational sites for human wellbeing. An example of megacities undergoing the impact of urbanization is Metropolitan Manila, the National Capital Region of the Philippines. To determine the spatiotemporal changes in a megacity, satellite images from USGS Landsat 5 and 8 ranging from 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, to 2023 were analyzed using ArcMap 10.8. The remotely sensed images were preprocessed using atmospheric corrections, ensuring the quality of the images. Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) maps of the cities were used to quantify the vegetation in the urban areas. They were calculated using landscape metrics, which were assessed for accuracy using the Kappa Coefficient. A drastic decrease in UGS was detected in almost two decades (2005–2023) as urban expansion occurred in the area. In addition, the UGS area was used to calculate the UGS per Capita, using the total population census per city. Concerning the recommended UGS per Capita from the World Health Organization in urban areas, all the cities were below the recommended index value, thus having unequal access to UGS quantitatively and qualitatively. As the population increases throughout the years, UGS per capita decreases in all 17 cities. This phenomenon in megacities emphasizes the need for prioritizing further establishment, management, and protection of the remaining UGS in the megacity, giving importance to future urban planning and policy-making for a more sustainable future of urban areas, most especially for the welfare and betterment of the state in developing countries.

Remote sensing technology has been widely used to address the issue of urbanization for monitoring. In Metropolitan Manila, Philippines, there is a decline in vegetation over the last decade. This leads to the excess heat in the surface temperature and a phenomenon known as Urban Heat Island. In this study, the land surface temperature (LST), land-use/land cover changes (LULC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) in 2001 and 2019 were retrieved using Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper + (ETM +). Our results showed the following: (i) an increase in the mean temperature of 4.02 °C from 2001 to 2019 in MM, (ii) rise in NDBI and a decline in NDVI values is correlated with an increase in LST over the last years in MM; (iii) LULC maps affirmed the highest occupancy of built-up areas caused by possible urban sprawl explaining the increase in warming in MM. This study provides added evidence that urbanization activities in Metro Manila leads to a warming effect that drives discomfort to many average Filipinos. Hence, environmental policies that would implement proper urban design utilizing more green spaces is recommended for local government units in MM to support.

Despite the notable plant biodiversity of the Philippines, the country still exhibits increasing anthropogenic activities in many forests of the archipelago that pose a threat to many floral species of the country. Hence, to test the hypothesis that there are differences in plant distributions and diversity between disturbed and undisturbed tropical forest patches, a rapid floristic assessment in Malinao, Aklan was conducted. A total of 106 species were sampled in both sites, with 68 present in the disturbed site, 53 present in the undisturbed site, and 12 present in both. Rarefied species accumulation curves and calculations of Shannon-Wiener Index (H) showed higher species richness and evenness in the undisturbed forest. Analysis of the similarities in species composition using the nonmetric dimensional scaling combined with the statistical test PERMANOVA showed clear significant difference between the two forest categories. In addition, one species (Artocarpus blancoi (Elmer) Merr.) that is classified as \"Vulnerable\" according to the IUCN was noted. Thus, standard calls for the establishment of priority areas for forest conservation in the country are recommended.

Protected areas are the frontlines of biodiversity conservation, featuring critical landscapes and microhabitats that are fitted for the survival of the organisms that have restricted populations. The determination of land suitability and habitat connectivity in these protected areas are important for species with specialized adaptive behavior that requires favorable conditions to survive. The Bubalus mindorensis is a critically endangered bovine of the Philippines which utilizes mud or water puddles to address heat stress through body submersion, known as wallowing. With Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park (MIBNP) harboring the largest remaining subpopulation of the tamaraw, the preservation of its natural landscapes is critical for tamaraw survival. Here, the potential wallows in MIBNP were determined using the weighted overlay analysis (WOA) assisted by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Using environmental variables that were influential to the creation of wallows, an equal-weighed scenario and an AHP-assisted scenario wallow suitability map was generated. Moderate and highly suitable areas were found at the north-central portion of the mountain, coinciding with the current and future conservation zones of the tamaraw, whereas low suitable areas dominate the other half, aggregating at the corners due to build areas and agriculture. The result of the study provides supplementary information in constructing future conservation strategies for an endemic species with global importance, particularly in its possible range expansion within the park. Furthermore, this study provides a framework for future conservation efforts, which helps in the management of critical landscapes for species with specialized adaptive behaviors through GIS-based multicriteria decision-making.