Integrated assessment of tiger grass-based bioproduction systems in Baroro watershed, La Union, Philippines

Date

6-2025

Abstract

The multi-use and multi-stakeholder nature of landscape management in the Philippines has led to conflicts in land use allocation, highlighting the urgent need for integrated assessment approaches. This study examined the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions of tiger grass-based bioproduction systems (BPS) in the Baroro Watershed, La Union, Philippines. Using a combination of ecosystem service modeling, spatial mapping, and household-level surveys, three land-use scenarios were analyzed: Business-as-Usual (BAU), monocropping of tiger grass (Scenario 2), and tiger grass intercropped with fruit trees (Scenario 3). Findings revealed that Scenario 3 offers the highest long-term economic and financial net present value (NPV), supports biodiversity, and enhances off-site soil erosion control. Although Scenario 2 demonstrated superior annual environmental outcomes such as higher baseflow and better on-site soil erosion control, these benefits were assessed on a per-year basis and do not capture the long-term cumulative value of ecosystem services. The trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services, as well as between environmental and socio-economic dimensions, that were presented in this study provide a basis for resource allocation and prioritization. Socio-cultural findings highlight the deep-rooted significance of tiger grass cultivation as a low-maintenance, intergenerational livelihood, closely tied to the regional soft broom-making industry. Overall results of the study provide basis for sustainable land use allocation with synergies supporting multi-objective planning incorporating economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This study recommends the development of integrated policies that promote sustainable intercropping practices, positioning the Baroro Watershed as a model for balancing environmental conservation, economic productivity, and cultural heritage through agroforestry-based land-use planning.

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry

College

Graduate School (GS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Canesio D. Predo

Co-adviser

Asa Jose U. Sajise

Committee Member

Cristino L. Tiburan Jr., Margaret M. Calderon, Juan M. Pulhin

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

En – AGROVOC descriptors

INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; ECOSYSTEM APPROACHES; SPATIAL ANALYSIS; LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION; LAND-USE PLANNING; BENEFIT-COST RATIO; SOCIOCULTURAL ENVIRONMENT; CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

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