Inocencio E Buot Jr

University of the Philippines Los Baños | UPLB · Institute of Biological Sciences

Castanopsis tungurrut (Blume) A. DC. (Fagaceae) is an Indonesian native plant species with limited spatial distribution; it is found only in Java, Kalimantan, and Sumatera in lower montane to submontane forests. This species has been classified as endangered by the IUCN, necessitating collection of more information on its habitat and environmental...

Environmental governance of the Forests Over Limestone (FOL) ecosystem is critical, considering its unique and fragile characteristics. However, there is a limited study on the role of gender and age in the perception of stakeholders' participation in forest governance. A survey was conducted in the Forests Over Limestone of Guiuan Marine Reserve P...

The mass production of palms for economic and cultural use in the Philippines leads to risk of extinction, genetic erosion, and biodiversity loss. This study aimed to identify top-priority endemic Arecaceae species in the Philippine Islands using a modified localized conservation priority index (LCPI), which considered factors such as distribution,...

Pasa AE, Solano VJD, Figueroa SMS, Valenzona EO, Buhay AFV, Buot Jr IE. 2024. Floristic diversity of Naungan mangrove ecosystem in Ormoc, the largest port city in Leyte, Philippines. Biodiversitas 25: 2093-2103. Assessing the floristic diversity of the Naungan mangrove ecosystem in Ormoc, the largest port city in Leyte and a highly susceptible area...

Philippine landscapes and seascapes have been undergoing massive degradation especially with the onset of the Anthropocene epoch. The unique forests over limestone in Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscapes and Seascapes in Eastern Samar have never been exempted from ongoing deteriorating conditions leading to the diminishing ecosystem services...

The escalating degradation of ecosystems and the consequent reduction in critical services essential for human communities are global concerns. This study aimed to identify top-priority plants for conservation using a localized conservation priority index (LCPI), customized for the locality. The LCPI, a point scoring method, ranked 50 evaluated spe...

Twenty-seven accessions from six (6) Cucumis L. taxa were observed to determine and elaborate differences when it comes to leaf venation patterns or leaf architecture characters. In this study, matured leaves from Cucumis species and subspecies namely: C. pustulatus Naudin ex Hook.f., C. dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach, C. ficifolius A. Rich., C. melo s...

Conservation of forests over limestone (FOL), a unique and fragile ecosystem, is critical to ensure the sustainability of both nature and human communities in the vicinities. A survey was conducted to determine the gendered perception about the FOL, the importance of its ecosystem services, and conservation actions in Guiuan Marine Reserve Protecte...

The Pontederia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae) is an invasive aquatic herb included in the world's worst weeds. The rapid proliferation of this species is due to its ability to propagate through seeds and stolon and its free-floating habit. Its infestation has caused problems to communities, economy, and ecosystems. This paper aims to discuss biol...

The increasing interest in sustainable methods in agroforestry directs the attention of many to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for their role in maintaining or improving overall plant health and nutrition of many plants including cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) trees. The effects of different treatments of AMF and other soil amendments applied singl...

Buot Jr IE, Villanueva ELC, Origenes MG, Obeña RDR. 2023. Forests over limestone in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, the Philippines: Species composition and influencing environmental factors. Biodiversitas 24: 5123-5136. Forests over limestone are critical ecosystems providing numerous ecosystem services. However, the ecology of these ecosystems is less stu...

Leaf architecture has been successfully used in the taxonomic and systematic studies of many plant families, genera, and species but little employed at the variety level. The present study demonstrated how leaf architecture can be equally important for plant varieties as well. The leaf architecture of four Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. varieties namely...

Leaf venation characters of twelve (12) Cucumis taxa, comprised of eight species, three subspecies, and three varieties were examined to determine patterns of leaf architectural characters and delineate these accessions at the species, subspecies, and variety level. The leaf architecture of twenty-seven accessions representing six taxa were examine...

A reductionist view of agriculture as merely food production for profit often leads to the unsustainable management of agricultural landscapes and their surrounding ecosystems. Permaculture offers alternative views of agriculture. This paper looked into how various perspectives of permaculture have influenced different approaches to sustainable agr...

The surroundings in which living things operate for survival from time immemorial have undergone sea changes. Technologies have been introduced to endure the requirements of our current and forthcoming generations. The rise and fall in planning, development in trade and commerce, town planning and architecture have contributed to factors affecting...

The planning for management initiatives of Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP) as a protected area needs datasets on plant bioresources mostly harvested from various zones in the park. This paper aims to 1) develop a modelthat could predict the forest cover change in NNNP, 2) project scenarios on the impact of harvesting plantbioresources (PBRs) on...

Understory plant species diversity was assessed within forests over limestone across municipalities of Paranas, Taft, and Guiuan in Samar Island, Philippines. Edaphic factors were analyzed and subjected to cluster and ordination analysis. A total of 26 understory plants were recorded, 6 fern species belonging to 6 genera in 6 families and 20 flower...

The genus Hoya (Apocynaceae) has been known as an ornamental plant for 100 years in Europe, USA, and Australia, while in Indonesian it is still poorly known. There were about 350–450 species of Hoya in the world, and 74 species among them were distributed in Papuasia. Most of the Hoya species in Papuasia were recorded from Papua New Guinea, and the...

Rauwolfia serpentina is a valuable medicinal plant belonging to Apocynaceae family. The plant is rich with various phytochemicals particularly indole alkaloids like reserpine. Root extracts of plant have been used from centuries for the ailment of neurological disorders. Successful clinical studies have unravelled the properties like antihypertensi...

Plant diversity in biocultural landscapes faces a critical challenge at the onset of the Anthropocene with its numerous challenges aggravated by the climate change issues. Two opposing perspectives or philosophies, i.e., anthropocentrism and ecocentrism, prevail. Hence, understanding plant diversity dynamics is imperative in order to formulate appr...

Much of our underutilized and neglected species can be leveraged for food security, and dietary and nutrient diversity. In this chapter, we documented species of Dioscoreaceae used by local communities in the Province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, as we gather informed decisions toward mainstreaming their sustainable conservation and utilization.Th...

Inventory of the floristic composition is imperative to biodiversity conservation. Pteridophytes is one of the plant groups in Southern Mindanao that lack substantial data on its floristics. The composition and diversity of fern and fern allies from base to summit of the northwestern slope of Mount Matutum Protected Landscape (MMPL) are highlighted...

Mount Makiling is known to be one of the megadiverse tropical rainforests and dormant volcanoes in the Philippines. As one of the ASEAN heritage parks, Mount Makiling showcases its biocultural landscapes that provide numerous ecosystem goods and services, especially to its nearby communities. Located at the foothills of Mount Makiling are several s...

Seaweeds are an essential primary producers and are considered the most important life forms in the coastal ecology. They shelter marine and other aquatic organisms by regulating abiotic parameters, offering nutrients in the water column, stabilizing sediments, and providing valuable natural products. Seaweeds are also important to humans in multip...

During this fast-paced era, cultural activities in a landscape can be disregarded in favor of monetary gains from socioeconomic activities. However, it is essential to nourish the soul as well; hence, the study aims to understand the cultural landscape of the legendary Mount Makiling, a small mountain mass in Luzon Island, just an hour south of Man...

The proposal on the Anthropocene suggests that the Earth has entered a contemporary ecological era, in which climate changes and human activities massively impact the environment universally. This new anthropogenic epoch brings exceptional challenges to the plant diversity in biocultural landscapes, thus preventing their benefits to human well-bein...

Anthropogenic chemicals are substances that are created mainly in industries for agriculture, medicine, and other commercial purposes. When exposed to the environment at moderate to high levels, they become toxic to plants, humans, and animals. The continuous addition of toxins to the environment causes their accumulation in the tissues of the orga...

Schismatoglottis minuta (Araceae) is described as a new species and illustrated based on accessions collected from Samar Island, Philippines. The new species, belonging to the Calyptrata clade sensu Hay and Yuzammi is distinct from previously reported taxa. Due to its habitat preferences and low (<100) estimated number of mature individuals, we rec...

Hanun Z, Athaya DN, Sholekha AM, Damayanti CE, Nazar IA, Cahyaningsih AP, Junaedi E, Buot JR IE Setyawan AD. 2023. The use of non-medicinal plants by the community of Ayah Village in South Gombong Karst Area, Kebumen, Central Java, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 15: 68-78. In the homegardens of the people of Kebumen District, Central Java Province...

Pramudita DA, Armando MF, Rahmayani D, Afifah FN, Putri NRA, Hartanti AN, Safira RN, Mahajoeno E, Indrawan M, Nazar IA, Buot Jr IE, Setyawan AD. 2023. Species diversity, richness, and conservation status of Pteridophyta in the karst ecosystem of Donorejo Forest, Kaligesing, Purworejo, Indonesia. Intl J Trop Drylands 7: 16-25. Pteridophyta is often...

Jr Dechimo AA, Jr Buot IE. 2023. Biophysical assessment of the plant biodiversity of Northern Negros Natural Park, Negros Island, Philippines. Biodiversitas 24: 583-602. Data sets on plant bioresources in Northern Negros Natural Park are critical in planning for conservation management and strategies. This study aimed to (i) conduct a survey of pla...

Ethnobotanical data, a vital component of a thorough examination of a protected area that aids in planning for management efforts and strategies for biodiversity conservation, is rarely employed because of its rarity or absence in Northern Negros Natural Park’s (NNNP) database. This study aims to [1] determine the plant and other forest bioresource...

Sholekha AM, Yulia IT, Hanun Z, Perwitasari IG, Cahyaningsih AP, Sunarto, Sutarno, Sugiyarto, Buot Jr IE, Setyawan AD. 2023. Local knowledge and the utilization of non-medicinal plants in home garden by the people of Donorejo Village in the Menoreh Karst Area, Purworejo, Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 645-657. Donorejo Village, in Purwo...

Villanueva ELC, Obeña RDR, Origenes MG, Buot IE Jr. 2022. Vegetation structure of forests over limestone and its influencing environmental factors in Samar Island Natural Park, Philippines. Biodiversitas 23: 6492-6512. Samar Island National Park (SINP) forests over limestone, a nominee to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List, needs a comprehensiv...

The study identified permaculture practitioners and determined how network relationship patterns can help in the mainstreaming of permaculture in the Philippines. Social network analysis was conducted to determine network structure and discover relationship patterns. Results of the study identified 204 permaculture practitioners with 75 individuals...

Understanding the species distribution patterns of endemic and threatened species is very useful for conservation planning and actions. However, research on the distribution of many important and often overlooked species in the country, such as the Saurauia, is extremely limited. This paper provided an overview of the distribution patterns of Saura...

This study was conducted to determine threatened woody plants in forests over limestone in Samar Natural Park (SINP), Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (GMRPLS), and other areas in the Philippines, in order to design a strategic framework for sustainable conservation of threatened species. Combined fieldwork using standard v...

New records on distribution of pteridophytes in Mount Matutum Protected Landscape were documented. The species list was accounted with reference to specimen collections from various herbaria posted in digital databases and reliable literature on pteridophyte flora. Results further showed 105 new records for MMPL and its vicinity-South Cotabato, Sar...

Here, we synthesized the research trends in conservation priorities for terrestrial fauna and flora across the globe from peer-reviewed articles published from 1990 to 2022, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results showed India to have the highest number of studies (i.e., 12) abou...

Despite major efforts over the last 100 years assembling notable large amounts of information concerning the rich fern and lycophyte diversity of the Philippines, we still lack records for many areas including localities selected to protect biodiversity. Addressing the major gaps in our knowledge about the current distribution of plants in the Phil...

Despite major efforts over the last 100 years assembling notable large amounts of information concerning the rich fern and lycophyte diversity of the Philippines, we still lack records for many areas including localities selected to protect biodiversity. Addressing the major gaps in our knowledge about the current distribution of plants in the Phil...

Masungsong LA, Alcala AA, Buot IE Jr., Belarmino MM. 2022. Classifying fifty-seven Cucumis (Cucurbitaceae) accessions into six species using leaf architectural traits. Biodiversitas 23: 4006-4017. In gene banks, there are myriads of accessions that need to be studied, grouped, classified and organized to the proper taxon and hence, be able to manag...

Major confusion still exists among several authors concerning the taxonomy of the dagwey plant. This species is economically significant to the Ikalahan tribe of Luzon, Philippines. Several papers claimed that the plant is Saurauia bontocensis, while others stated that it is Saurauia subglabra. Many botanical websites claimed that S. subglabra is s...

Buot IE Jr, Buhay AFV. 2022. Review: Types of socioecological production landscapes of the Philippines based on dominant biodiversity: status, problems and future directions. Biodiversitas 23: 3755-3770. The dominance of human activities in socioecological production landscapes (SEPLs) known as biocultural landscapes in some literature, results in...

Anthropogenic activities have an impact on the coastal environment, even on small islands with little economic activity. This is evident in Manamoc Island, Cuyo, Palawan. Knowledge and understanding of these impacts will enable policymakers to formulate policies arresting the problem. This study focused on establishing shoreline trends using sand b...

The Japanese climbing fern Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. has manifested its invasive tendencies, not just in countries outside of its native origin, but also in some areas of its original distribution. The proliferation of such species resulted in economic instability and ecological damage which alarms ecologists, environmentalists and area manag...

Permaculture has been known to intentionally integrate diversity into the design of farms and mimic natural landscapes. This approach is in contrast to the mainstream monocropping system in conventional agriculture. The objectives of the study were to identify what plant species are commonly cultivated in permaculture farms and determine its uses a...

Mt. Makiling is a low mountain straddling between Laguna and Batangas provinces harboring diverse and unique forest ecosystems from lowland evergreen rainforests to mossy montane forests at its peak of 1130 masl. It was proclaimed a Forest Reserve with an area of 4224.37 hectares from 100 to 200 masl to the summit. Mt. Makiling is a crucial forest...

Corybas Salisbury (1807: t. 83) comprises approximately 120 highly distinctive and diminutive terrestrial and lithophytic species widely distributed from India to the western Pacific (Pridgeon et al. 2001, Aldrich & Haggins 2008, Chung & Hsu 2008, Chantanaorrapint & Chantanaorrapint 2016, Govaerts et al. 2019). The Philippines has six Corybas speci...

Scott HC, Buot JR IE. 2022. Leaf architectural analysis of taxonomically ambiguous Hoya lacunosa Blume and Hoya krohniana Kloppenb. & Siar. Biodiversitas 23: 2055-2065. The horticulturally important Hoya R.Br. species Hoya lacunosa Blume and Hoya krohniana Kloppenb. & Siar are often mistaken for each other because of their generally similar inflore...

Begonia normaaguilariae, a new Philippine Begonia species from the section Baryandra is described and illustrated herewith. It bears a superficial resemblance to B. biliranensis with a repand leaf margin, and obovoid anther shape. However, the new species is unique in reference to its conduplicate stipule, longer capsule pedicel length, and complet...

The extensive forests over limestone of the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) on Samar Island, Philippines harbour a rich variety of unique species. In this contribution, we describe and illustrate a new Loranthaceous mistletoe, endemic to Samar Island named Decaisnina tomentosa , representing the 12th member of the genus reported to the Philippines...

Cacao diseases are an important aspect of cacao production that directly translates to losses and yield. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are recently studied for their increasing role in disease resistance in many crops, including cacao. In this study, the effects of the different treatments of AMF and biochar applied singly or in combination on...

This checklist provides an updated reference for the economically important ferns that can be used by stakeholders both from the community and academe such as consumers, hobbyists, students, teachers, and researchers alike. Available comprehensive online and printed materials regarding the economic uses of ferns classified under Eupolypod I were us...

A comprehensive list of plant and animal biodiversity is necessary as a basis for local government and concerned agencies to enact local policies on species conservation. This article provides an enumeration of the vascular flora and vertebrate fauna in the karst forests of Basey, Samar, Philippines. A review of literature concerning plants and ani...

Leaf size is one of the plant functional traits that can explain ecosystem function. This study identified the leaf size classes of trees in the forest over limestone ecosystems of Samar Island Natural Park, Samar Island, Philippines. One-sided surface leaf areas of voucher specimens from 18 sites in SINP were measured and data obtained were calcul...

Nurdiana DR, Buot IE Jr. 2021. Vegetation community and species association of Castanopsis spp. at its habitat in the remnant forest of Cibodas Botanical Garden, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 4799-4807. Castanopsis is one of the genera of Fagaceae with a large distribution in Indonesia. The genus can be found easily in Java, Sumatera and Kalimantan....

Lillo EP, Malaki AB, Alcazar SMT, Rosales R, Redoblado BR, Diaz JLB, Pantinople EM, Buot Jr. IE. 2021. Inventory of native and mother trees in Key Biodiversity Areas of Cebu Island, Philippines for species selection in local reforestation programs. Biodiversitas 22: 4740-4749. Forest restoration is the counterforce of deforestation and forest degra...

Variations in leaf shape contours were analyzed using elliptic fourier descriptors (EFDs) of three Hoya species namely: Hoya buotii, Hoya coriacea, and Hoya halconensis. The species were grown under greenhouse conditions and exhibited resemblances which could become source of taxonomic confusion as reproductive parts were needed for species discrim...

This study empirically investigated the social vulnerability of two municipalities of Laguna Province, Philippines, on the impacts of natural disasters associated with climate change. Data were obtained from interviews with seventeen experts and surveys for thirty-seven households conducted in the two municipalities. The results of the index analys...

Viacrucis III JDL, Buot Jr. IE. 2021. Short Communication: Leaf architectural analysis of confusing Syzygium species: Syzygium aqueum (Burm.f.) Alston and Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L.M.Perry (Myrtaceae). Biodiversitas 22: 3341-3348. Among species of Myrtaceae family which has economic and ecological importance are the two Syzygium speci...

Widespread environmental degradation prompted the need to transition from large-scale conventional agriculture to the local practice of permaculture with the help of practitioners’ organized social networks. The study aimed to identify practitioners and determine how network relationship patterns can help in the mainstreaming of permaculture in the...

This study provides a floral and faunal checklist of limestone forests in Taft, Eastern Samar, Philippines, a municipality that is a part of the Samar Island Natural Park. Nine (9) 20m x 20m plots were established to assess the tree species, while 18 line transects were placed within the plots for the assessment of the under-story species. Various...

Flores JJM, Buot Jr. IE. 2021. The structure of permaculture landscapes in the Philippines. Biodiversitas 22: 2032-2044. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in sustainable agriculture. Permaculture is a design philosophy that values this role as it consciously integrates diverse components into the farm landscape. The purpose of the study was to char...

This study provides a checklist of the vascular flora and terrestrial vertebrate fauna in forests over limestone in Paranas, Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), Philippines, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site nominee. Nine 20x20m plots and 18 line transects were established for the floral inventory. The faunal assessment was conducted in transects...

Antonio MA, Buot Jr. IE. 2021. Characterization and delineation of two infraspecific taxa of Dioscorea escul