Diversity of understory flowering plants in the forest patches of Marilog District, Philippines
Main Article Content
Abstract
The forest patches of Marilog District, Davao are the remnants of various anthropogenic activities including logging, conversion of land for agriculture, ecotourism and human settlements. Floristic study was carried out in 2018–2019 from 100 established plots measuring 20 x 20 m, with repeated transect walks and opportunistic sampling along forest trails. One-hundred-and-four species of understory flowering plants were identified from 102 genera and 40 families. Species diversity mean values across study sites using Simpson’s (D) and Shannon-Wiener index (H’) were 0.97 and 3.9, respectively. Species diversity was highest in sites 2 and 4 (D = 0.98; H’ = 4.0 each) and lowest in site 5 (D = 0.96; H’ = 3.7). At family level, the most abundant taxa include Zingiberaceae (26 species) (15%), Orchidaceae (19 species) (11%), Gesneriaceae (14 species) (8%), and Rubiaceae and Arecaceae (13 species each) (7%). Conservation status assessment using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revealed 10 threatened species, while listing from the Philippines’ administrative order has categorized 13 threatened species. A total of 54 species (ca. 1.14% of the total Philippine endemic vascular flora) of understory flowering plants were Philippine endemics. Findings of this study were used as additional data for the proclamation of Mt. Malambo as Local Conservation Area, which was formalized through a barangay resolution.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Acma, F.M., N.P. Mendez, N.E. Lagunday & V.B. Amoroso (2019). New record of Plagiostachys albiflora Ridl. (Zingiberaceae) in the Philippines. Modern Phytomorphology 13: 5–8. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.190102
Agduma, A.R., M.J.M.M. Achondo, B.L.P. Bretana, V.P. Bello, L.L. Remollo, L.S. Mancao, J.P. Supremo, J.G.C. Salem & F.R.P. Salvana (2011). Diversity of vascular plant species in an agroforest: the case of a rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantation in Makilala, North Cotabato. Philippine Journal of Crop Science 36(3): 57–64.
Alava C. (2001). Ecosystematics Studies of Trees and Pteridophytes in Two Forests in Mindanao. PhD Dissertation. Department of Biology, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon, Philippines.
Amoroso, V.B., F. Acma & H. Pava. (1996). Diversity, status and ecology of Pteridophytes in three forests in Mindanao. Pteridology in Perspective. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK. 55-60.
Amoroso, V.B., N.P. Mendez & N.E. Lagunday (2018a). Mitrastemonaceae: A New Family Record for the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science 147(4): 775–779.
Amoroso, V.B., F.M. Acma, F.P. Coritico, F.S. Gorme, N.E. Lagunday, M.C.S. Salolog & R.D. Colong (2018b). Floral diversity assessment of the buffer zones and vicinity of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS), Davao Oriental: basis for inclusion to protected area zone. Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology 12(2): 36–51.
Amoroso, V.B., A.B. Mohagan, F.P. Coritico, A.G. Ponce, D.O. Amper, S.S. Zamora, F.S. Gorme, R.D. Colong & R.G. Ponce (2018c). Biodiversity Assessment in the Buffer Zone of Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary. CHED Terminal Report.
Aribal, L.G. (2013). Plant Diversity and Structure of the Caimpugan Peat Swamp Forest on Mindanao Island, Philippines. PhD Dissertation. Department of Forest Biological Sciences. University of the Philippines, Los Baños, College, Laguna.
Gilliam, F.S. (2007). The ecological significance of the herbaceous layer in temperate forest ecosystems. Bioscience 57: 845–858.
IUCN (2020). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed at: https://www.iucnredlist.org/. Accessed on 30 April 2020.
Kerns, B.K. & J.L. Ohmann (2004). Evaluation and prediction of shrub cover in coastal Oregon forests (USA). Ecological Indicators 4: 83–98.
Kessler, M., J. Kluge, A. Hemp & R. Ohlemüller (2011). A global comparative analysis of elevational species richness patterns of ferns. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20: 868–880.
Martínez, M.L., O. Pérez-Maqueo, G. Vázquez, G. Castillo-Campos, J. García-Franco, K. Mehltreter, M. Equihua & R. Landgrave (2009). Effects of land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical montane cloud forests of Mexico. Forest Ecology Management 258: 1856–1863.
Magurran, A.E. (1988). Ecological Diversity and its Measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Magurran, A.E. (2004). Measuring Biological Diversity. Blackwell.
Nguyen, H., D. Lamb, J. Herbohn & J. Firn (2015). Equations to
calculate Important value index (IVI) of species. PLOS ONE. Dataset.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095267.t00
Pelser, P.B., J.F. Barcelona, D.L. Nickrent (eds.) (2011 onwards). Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines. Accessed from: www.philippineplants.org. Accessed on 03 April 2020.
Rasingam, L. & N. Parthasarathy (2009). Diversity of understory plants in undisturbed and disturbed tropical lowland forests of Little Andaman Island, India. Biodiversity and Conservation 18: 1045–1065.
Shannon, C.E. & W. Wiener (1963). The Mathematical Theory of Communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 117pp.
Suchar, V.A. & N.L. Crookston (2010). Understory cover and biomass indices predictions for forest ecosystems of the Northwestern United States. Ecological Indicators 10: 602–609.
Swamy, P.S., S.M. Sundarapandian, P. Chandrasekar & S. Chandrasekaran (2000). Plant species diversity and tree population structure of a humid tropical forest in Tamil Nadu, India. Biodiversity and Conservation 9: 1643–1669.
Tremblay, N.O. & G.R. Larocque (2001). Seasonal dynamics of understory Vegetation in four eastern Canadian forest types. International Journal of Plant Sciences 162: 271–286.
Xiao-Tau L., Y. Jiang-Xia & T. Jian-Wei (2011). Diversity and Composition of Understory Vegetation in the tropical seasonal rainforest of Xishuangbanna, SW China. Revista de Biología Tropical 59(1): 455–463.