Systematic review of ecological research in Philippine cities: assessing the present status and charting future directions

Abstract Developing countries such as the Philippines have an increasing urbanization rate, resulting in both the positive and negative effects of socioeconomic growth, including environmental degradation. Thus, the emergence of research on the ecological interactions in urban ecosystems has been given more attention throughout the years. This systematic review gathered relevant studies from research platforms such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar to assess the trends in urban ecology research based on publication date, study area, number of citations, methods employed, and most used keywords. 105 were recorded from 1982 to 2023, with 2022 having the most published studies. Most studies were conducted in Metropolitan Manila, Luzon Island, a region with high population density and economic activity. Employing survey questionnaires (21.4%), GIS and remote sensing techniques (16.8%), and biodiversity assessments (18.3%) were the methods that were mainly used in the studies recorded. The thematic analysis has subdivided the studies into urban landscape, urban systems, bio-ecological, and human ecology-based approaches in the context of the Philippines. Science-based solutions integrated each fundamental disciplines of urban ecology in studying Philippine cities can address the gaps exhibited. Although the country's scientific knowledge in urban ecology has evolved, this comprehensive review exposes the knowledge gaps in a temporal manner, especially in further studying Visayas and Mindanao islands and smaller peri-urban areas. Expanding to multidisciplinary approaches is recommended for more thorough understanding of Philippine urban ecology, which will help in decision-making toward a more sustainable future for Philippine cities. Graphical Abstract