Diversity assessment and geospatial mapping of mangroves in Matalom, Leyte, Philippines

Samson, Ma. Brenda; De La Cruz, Marylen; Gonzaga, Lake Therese; Gomez, Eirene Jude; Barbosa, Ruel

doi:10.21608/aujes.2022.145108.1072

Diversity assessment and geospatial mapping of mangroves in Matalom, Leyte, Philippines

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

¹ Research Unit, Faculty, Philippine Science High School - Eastern Visayas Campus, Philippines

² Philippine Science High School - Eastern Visayas Campus, Philippines

³ Philippine Science High School - Eastern Visayas Campus

⁴ Biology Unit, Faculty, Philippine Science High School - Eastern Visayas Campus, Philippines

10.21608/aujes.2022.145108.1072

Abstract

Eastern Visayas abounds with mangrove forests which serve as bioshields to coastal communities and habitats. However, many mangrove assessments are confined to parts of the region severely damaged from typhoons, thereby rendering little information to southern areas like Matalom. This study assessed the abundance, structure, and diversity of the mangroves along the coast of Barangays Sta. Fe and Cahagnaan, Matalom, Leyte, Philippines through the Transect Line-Plot method. Spatial distribution was determined through the use of GIS. Results revealed that the study area, covering a total of 39.82 hectares, has a low diversity (H'=1.2456) with seven mangrove species belonging to four families. Rhizophoraceae is the most represented family with a total of three species. Sonneratia ovata, was classified as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List. Analysis of the gathered data showed that Rhizophora mucronata had the highest relative frequency and Avicennia marina had the highest relative dominance; while Bruguiera sexangula had the lowest value in both fields. Furthermore, no defined zonation pattern was observed as the species were scattered homogeneously in the site. Overall, habitat assessment of the sampling area revealed that the mangroves had an excellent regeneration potential in terms of density of young plants, with a capacity of 300%, and an average tree height of 4.285m, thus constituting a good forest condition. Such findings indicate the need for conservation programs not only for maintaining its good forest condition but also in alleviating the community's low diversity level for a more stable mangrove ecosystem in the long run.

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