Freshwater fish fauna in watersheds of Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Laguna, Philippines

Issue Date

12-2011

Abstract

Survey of freshwater fish fauna was conducted in watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR), Laguna, Philippines. These watersheds were Molawin Creek, Dampalit Falls, and Cambantoc River, all in the Province of Laguna, Philippines and directly under the management of Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME), University of the Philippines Los Baños. There were 10 families of fish found in MFR. Two native species, Rock goby (Glossogobius celebius) and Snakehead gudgeon (Giuris margaritacea), were found to be common in all the watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve. Similarity index of the three watersheds was computed at 72 %. Diversity index of the study areas was 1.12, 1.15, and 0.85 for Dampalit Falls, Molawin Creek, and Cambantoc River, respectively. In terms of species richness, Molawin Creek had twelve species, four of which are native; Dampalit Falls had twelve but with five native and one endemic species; and Cambantoc River had nine with two native species. The study revealed that Makiling Forest Reserve harbors a diverse community of fish. However, diminutive species which are becoming prone to extinction, such as Glossogobius celebius and Hippichthys heptagonus, also found the place as a haven especially in those areas with least human interventions. The study also showed that there was no significant difference in the physico-chemical properties among the three sites. Conservation efforts must focus on protecting these areas to guarantee the continuous existence of these diminutive species which are very important components of our freshwater ecosystems. The survey also updated the list of freshwater fish fauna of Makiling Forest Reserve.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Journal of Science

ISSN

0031-7683

Volume

140

Issue

2

Page

195-206

Document Type

Article

Physical Description

illustrations, tables, graphs

Language

English

Subject

Fish diversity, Freshwater fish, Makiling forest reserve, Similarity

Digital Copy

yes

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