Aside from being a go-to  place for those who want to get a quick escape from city life, Batangas is well known for its rich biodiversity. Interestingly, the city of Lipa, province of Batangas is known for its famous brewed coffee known as kapeng barako cultivated from Coffea liberica. Moreover, Taal volcano,  one of the most active volcanoes in the country, is also located in Batangas. Just recently, in January 2019, Taal volcano erupted making it a perfect study site for researchers to understand how ecological succession has advanced. Surprisingly, the Verde Island passage is also located along batangas known as the “center of center” of marine biodiversity. 

Check out the map of Batangas here!

8. Zea mays
9. Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane)
10. Wallceodendron celebicum (Banuyo)

These are the plant species that I think essential because they contribute to the ecological system in our chosen PlantArea– Batangas. That being said, Orzyza sativa, Zea mays, Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane), Coffea liberica, and Theobroma cacao are important crops produced in the province. Batangas is one of the biggest suppliers of coffee beans and cacao in the country. However, a decrease in production and availability is observed in the market. It is noteworthy that Batangas used to be the biggest producer of arabica until the industry collapsed,killing almost all arabica plants in the area and threatening the variety with extinction. On the other hand, oryza sativa, zea mays, Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane), and cocos nucifera are the essential crops needed for human consumption and survival. Local farmers in Batangas rely on these essential crops as a means of livelihood.  These plant species not only contribute to the biodiversity of plants in Batangas but also contribute to the export and import of products. If in any case, anthropogenic effects significantly affect our crop production, seed banks will always be our second chance and back up plan in restoring our crops for human survival and commercial purposes. 

In the Philippines little or no effort is made to restore degraded forest areas. It is vital that mangroves ecosystems are conserved because they play an important role in addressing a climate change related problem. In the past several decades, numerous mangrove areas have been converted to other land uses. A downtrend and a danger of complete collapse will most likely happen given the current human population and activities. 

Wallceodendron celebicum (Banuyo) is a large tree often planted along road sides. It is often used locally due to the good quality of its woods. However, it is harvested in the wild and often short in supply.

On the other hand, Tectona philippinensis (Philippine Teak) is an endemic species in the Philippines  and considered as critically endangered. It is found in the municipalities of Lobo and San Juan, Batangas. Due to its continuous decline in area of occupancy and extent of habitat because of agricultural and urban expansion as well as direct exploitation of the species. It has also been found out that Philippine teak has several potential uses thus, it is encouraged to conduct conservation efforts. 

Indeed, human activities are one of the reasons for possible plant extinction. I think it is very important for our country to finally make an effort to establish a seed bank facility. As an agricultural country, and center for plant and marine biodiversity, it is time that we take action and conserve our environment, otherwise, extinction will be inevitable. We owe it to our future generations that we take care of what also belongs to them. 

 

For monocots, embryogenesis is similar but only one cotyledon is formed. Moreover, there is no heart stage that occurs but the embryo proper becomes cylindrical. Lastly, the shoot apical meristem cannot be found in between cotyledons but is still observed at the shoot tip.