Vegetation analysis and taxonomic account of vascular plants on the southeastern slope of Mt. Banahaw, Luzon, Philippines.

Date

10-1997

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Major Course

Major in Systematics

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Willian SM Gruezo

Abstract

From the peak of Mt. Banahaw, a transect line was established on the southeastern slope ending in a water tank in Barangay Concepcion, Sariaya, Quezon Province. Along this transect line, five study plots were established as follows: plot 1 (1600 masl), plot 2 (1400 masl), plot 3 (1200 masl), plot 4 (1000 masl), and plot 5 (800 masl). On each plot, the Point Centered Quarter Method (PCQM) was the technique used for vegetation analysis. A total of 69 vascular plant species were recorded from the study site, belonging to 53 genera and 34 families. Floristically, it was noted that the number of species, genera and families sampled decrease with increasing altitude indicative of a decreasing species diversity with altitude. Similarly, the number of trees and basal area of trees per hectare decrease with altitude which means a decreasing productivity measurement. PCQM results also indicated important plant families in each plot. In plots 1 and 2 these were Theaceae and Clethraceae, in plot 3, Moraceae and Lauraceae, in plot 4, Meliaceae and Sapindaceae, and in plot 5, Moraceae and Flacourtiaceae. Of the 69 species sampled and identified, 34 (49.28%) were encountered only in one plot, 26 (37.68%) were encountered in two plots, 7 (10.14%) were encountered in three plots, and 2 species (2.90%) were encountered in four plots. No species was recorded from all five study plots. Comptations for the Similarity Index showed that plots 4 and 5 have the most number of similar species (S1=41.67) while plot 1 and 4 showed the least similarity value (S1=6.25) indicative of the unique species composition along the slope. In general, the southeastern slope of Mt. Banahaw is characterized by the presence of the following vegetation zones. The mossy forest, dominated by Theaceae and Clethraceae, the mid-mountain zone, dominated by Moraceae and Lauraceae and the lower mountain zone, dominated by Meliaceae, Sapindaceae, Moraceae and Flacourtiacea.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

Thesis

Document Type

Thesis

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