Issue Date

2024

Abstract

Ficus species are keystone components of riparian ecosystems in Southeast Asia. Hence, studying their abundance and diversity in riparian areas can provide insights on the health and functions of the ecosystem. In this study, the diversity of Ficus along the riparian zone of Ulot River in Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) was evaluated by sampling across the upstream, midstream and downstream sections and using diversity indices and descriptive statistics to analyze the data. The Ulot riparian zone supports a phylogenetically diverse Ficus flora composed of 13 species representing five of the six subgenera. Three endemic species were observed namely, Ficus cassidyana, F. pseudopalma and F. ulmifolia. Regular monitoring is needed for all the three sections, as they exhibit comparable levels of species diversity, and each section contains rare unique species. The upstream section should be further studied as it is a key area for biodiversity having the highest number of individuals, and sheltering all the five subgenera. The least disturbed midstream section has the lowest number of individuals, greatest growth in terms of mean diameter at breast height (dbh), and highest species diversity (resulting from high evenness). Contrastingly, the downstream section characterized by high levels of disturbance displayed the lowest species diversity, and the least growth as evidenced by their lowest mean height and mean dbh. These patterns suggest the impact of anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., farming) on the growth, abundance, distribution and diversity of Ficus species in the Ulot riparian sections. The results produced from this study can serve as reference data in species monitoring and in developing conservation and management strategies for the Ulot riparian zone in SINP.

Source or Periodical Title

UP Los Baños Journal

Volume

22

Issue

3

Page

89-102

Document Type

Article

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Subject

Ficus diversity, riparian zone, Ulot River, Samar Island Natural Park

Download

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.