Biodiversity Conservation and Social Science Underpinnings in the Cordillera Highlands of Northern Philippines

This article conducts a literature review and synthesis of social science research on biodiversity in the Cordillera of Northern Philippines. The area hosts key biodiversity sites that need protection and conservation but there is little understanding of the socio-cultural, economic and political dynamics that cause the loss of biodiversity and effective conservation. The review showed unequal distribution of social-science among the different sites in the Cordillera with concentration in urban areas. The reviewed materials showed a wide scope of topics, indicating that the social dimension of biodiversity conservation is complex and multidimensional. For social science research to better inform decision-making in biodiversity conservation, social scientists need to be aggressive and openly engaged with practitioners and local policy makers so that relevant research findings could penetrate biodiversity management practice. Partnership among universities and productive research groups could address the disproportionate distribution of research efforts across sites.