MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, September 10 (PIA) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)-Maasin City is now establishing its Seed Production Area (SPA), the best source of mother trees to produce quality seedlings in the province.
According to DENR-CENRO Maasin Technical Staff Edilberto Alcarde, the environment government agency in the province has chosen to propagate the mahogany specie, which is the favorite tree of the most people in the locality.
“ Mahogany specie thrives well at high elevated areas,” Alcarde said.
Some six hectares at Sitio Magtuasi, Barangay Ibarra has been dedicated for the SPA to grow the plus trees otherwise known as Mother trees that will hopefully produce the best quality of mahogany seedlings throughout the province, he said.
As of this writing, their team has already identified some 580 strong and standing mahogany trees which are estimated to be 25 years old trees, Alcarde said.
However, another 2,800 mahogany trees which were considered undesirables like those trees which are crooked, no good crown formations, among others, no good traits to propagate from are carefully and cautiously cut down from the specified area, he added.
Alcarde said, “the SPA plus trees must be carefully chosen so that its seedlings produced should have the best quality genetic make-up, hence, will be propagating the best mahogany species right in the province.”
Alcarde was emphatic that planting trees is one way to mitigate the effects of climate change as they capture the CO2 emissions from human activities.
The said SPA was established last year, Alcarde said. (vrc/esg/PIA 8 SoLeyte)
