Assessing the Diversity, Biomass, and Vegetation of Mangroves in Sukol River, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

Abstract

Establishment of mangrove’s data with relation to biomass, vegetation and diversity provides a proper guide to develop a management approach, and effective interventions intended for conservation as well as restoration for these trees. In order to acquire information regarding the structure, biodiversity and biomass production of mangroves a floristic assessment was conducted in the mangrove communities along Sukol River, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. Twenty 10m x 10m quadrants were randomly laid inside the mangrove areas. The girth of the tree was measured at breast height or equivalent of 1.3 meter above the ground using tape measure. The assessment revealed four species of true mangrove namely: Sonneratia alba, Avicennia marina, Rhizophora apiculata and Rhizophora mucronata. The largest stem diameter and basal area recorded were exhibited by S. alba with 55.64 cm and 15.91 m2 ha-1 respectively. Vegetation analysis revealed that R. mucronata was the densest species (50.22%), while the most dominant was S. alba (82.82%). On the other hand, the diversity index was at H’=1.302 and D=0.7009. Computed biomass using allometric models from previous studies revealed that the mean aboveground biomass of the mangrove stand was 54.7 Mg ha-1. The aboveground biomass delivers requisite data to estimate the carbon sequestration of riverine mangroves. Meanwhile, the acquiring the species composition and structures with emphasis on the classification of species serves as basis for conservation strategy.