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Forests hold significant potential for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. Forest biomass estimation is vital for sustainable forest management, providing critical input data for implementing the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation-plus (REDD+) mechanism. This study investigates the total carbon pools-aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), forest floor biomass, and soil carbon-using field-based information in the muyong forest management system, which is native to Ifugao in the Philippines. This study reveals that a difference may be observed between the total carbon stock of the private woodlots (muyong) and that of the communal forest (bilid). The results indicate that the bilid forest has trees with a small diameter at breast height (DBH) and high tree density in contrast to the muyong, which has trees with high DBH and low tree density. The average carbon stock per unit area is higher in muyong (150.8 tC/ha) than in bilid (126.1 tC/ha). These findings are valuable in determining whether Ifugao's muyong forest system should be included under the REDD+ framework. Human mediation and management helps forests to sequester a greater amount of carbon than they would without human intervention. Implementation of REDD+ should promote Ifugao's ecosystem and biodiversity conservation and agroforestry practices in addition to protecting traditional agricultural practices and livelihoods in relation to rice terraces.

Ifugao province of the Philippines has a traditional muyong forest system that supplies water and prevents soil erosion of the world-famous Ifugao rice terraces. The socio-political structure of Ifugao has been the key to the maintenance and communal use of land, as well as the muyong forest, without causing excessive damage to the land. Recently, the Ifugao is facing various challenges viz. deforestation, slash-and-burn, introduction of commercial rice, and climate change. The aim of the study is to qualitatively assess the forest management practices in the muyong forest and the way forward to implement the United Nations-Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism. Community forestry can be an interesting option to reduce CO2 emissions from deforestation in Ifugao. This study qualitatively explores the societal problems in the area using focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII). The results show that the terracing lifestyle is at risk, due to mounting economic pressures from the domestic economy. Societal changes are altering the perceptions of the youth in terms of muyong sustainable management. They are threatening the sustainability of the terraces in the long-term because of outward migration and less value given to traditional practices. Furthermore, integration of commercial rice is changing the traditional agricultural system and placing less focus on forest maintenance. This study also discusses potential challenges and opportunities of REDD+ intervention and the role of REDD+ to foster sustainable muyong forest management as well as to find new innovative ways to maintain the Ifugao traditional system while coping with the modernization of the Ifugao economy.

Ifugao province of the Philippines has a traditional muyong forest system that supplies water and prevents soil erosion of the world-famous Ifugao rice terraces. The socio-political structure of Ifugao has been the key to the maintenance and communal use of land, as well as the muyong forest, without causing excessive damage to the land. Recently, the Ifugao is facing various challenges viz. deforestation, slash-and-burn, introduction of commercial rice, and climate change. The aim of the study is to qualitatively assess the forest management practices in the muyong forest and the way forward to implement the United Nations-Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism. Community forestry can be an interesting option to reduce CO2 emissions from deforestation in Ifugao. This study qualitatively explores the societal problems in the area using focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII). The results show that the terracing lifestyle is at risk, due to mounting economic pressures from the domestic economy. Societal changes are altering the perceptions of the youth in terms of muyong sustainable management. They are threatening the sustainability of the terraces in the long-term because of outward migration and less value given to traditional practices. Furthermore, integration of commercial rice is changing the traditional agricultural system and placing less focus on forest maintenance. This study also discusses potential challenges and opportunities of REDD+ intervention and the role of REDD+ to foster sustainable muyong forest management as well as to find new innovative ways to maintain the Ifugao traditional system while coping with the modernization of the Ifugao economy.