The presence of valuable hard and softwood trees combined with intensive mining for heavy metals had destroyed much of the forests in Palawan.
Local slash and burn farming has destroyed or degraded forest in many areas as it was done in such a way that it was non-sustainable.
One of the true groups of Palawan inhabitants of the slope forest on Mt. Mantalingahan have been successfully farming in the forest for hundreds of years. They have a special way of cutting down only what is necessary, they plant according to moon cycles and don't use the same plot for many years after the harvest has been gathered. This shows that it is possible for humans and rainforest to live in harmony.
In1984 logging involved completely clear felling rainforest so absolutely nothing was left standing. The soils in the Palawan forests were very thin, and the first rains washed the soil into the rivers, polluting the water and then out to sea through mangrove areas. This destroyed the fish breeding grounds in the mangroves, and local fishermen were anything but happy about it. Only rock after remained a few months after logging.
When a logging company moves in, the way they setup their logging camp give you an idea of what will happen to the forest.
Rich diptercarp forest like that shown below:
Within a week was riddled with logging roads and the ground destroyed by bulldozers driving up to each tree to pull them out for export as round wood.
If any soil is left, then the the grass Imperata cylindrica moves in, and only an labour intensive effort using Acacia magnum can drive out this highly invasive grass.
