MORONG, Bataan ― Through the Department of Science and Technology-funded project “Microbial inoculants to enhance reforestation and rehabilitation of forest ancestral lands of Aytas”, technical assistance is now being provided to the Aytas in reforesting their ancestral lands.
Specifically, the project seeks to decrease the mortality caused by pathogens and other stresses and increase the survivability of wildlings thereby fast-tracking forest regeneration.
To achieve project goals, optimum conditions will be determined to improve seedling’s survival rate in the nursery and on the field. Knowing the factors that can contribute to proper growth of seedlings and wildlings creates a higher probability of regaining the lost forest cover.
As cooperators, the Aytas gather seeds and wildlings from the remaining forests. The collected seeds are used for seedling production as well as for direct planting in open areas.
In a field visit, project implementers learned that the Aytas supported the project because they believe that restoring the natural forests will benefit them.
Aytas depend on natural resources for their livelihood and subsistence. With the invasion of lowlanders and the consequent destruction of their lands, the Aytas’ survival was threatened. Hence, project benefits will redound among indigenous communities once trees and other flora and fauna start populating the denuded lands.
So far, the project has assessed the area’s topography and proximity to water sources to ensure ample water supply to the nurseries.
Three nursery set-ups were also established: open, partial, and full shaded, to simulate the different amount of light exposure in the forest and determine which condition is more favorable to the seedlings.
Lastly, two microbial inoculants were tested to determine which is more effective in making the wildlings grow faster and more resilient to stresses.