Luisito Terbio

Abasig Matogdon-Mananap Natural Biotic Area (AMMNBA) is geographically situated in Camarines Norte, Philippines. It has a total land area of 5,420.12 ha, spanning over three municipalities in Camarines Norte; San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, and Labo. AMMNBA is one of the four protected areas categorized as Natural Biotic Areas in the Philippines. This study generally aims to provide an updated floral profile of AMMNBA, which the Protected Area Management Board and other field implementers of the protected area can be used to formulate or update management and conservation plans. This study employed the Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System, a standardized method of assessing terrestrial protected areas in accordance with the Biodiversity Management Bureau’s Technical Bulletin No. 2016-05. Two 2-km transect lines were explicitly established at the portion of San Vicente. Results show that the sampled area in AMMNBA was classified as tropical lowland evergreen rain forest, having stand maturity of both early and advanced second-growth forest due to anthropogenic disturbances such as charcoal making. Results revealed that the park is home to 202 species of plants. Species such as Ficus minahassae, Astronia sp., Hopea philippinensis, and Kibatalia gitingensis dominate the sampled area of AMMNBA. Additionally, the analysis showed that AMMNBA has a very high biodiversity value of 4.125. It is home to 46 new province record species, 58 endemic species, and 22 threatened species. The study demonstrated that the Abasig Matogdon-Mananap Natural Biotic Area harbors a significant number of threatened, endemic, and indigenous plant species that could contribute to the ecosystem’s overall health.

Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park (MIBNP) on the island of Mindoro provides various ecosystem services such as provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, especially to the Mangyans, who are highly dependent on these ecosystem services for a living. A Permanent Biodiversity Monitoring Area (PBMA) was established and surveyed to gather information for long-term ecological research that will serve as the basis for the proper management and application of conservation and protection efforts in MIBNP. The 100% inventory inside the MIBNP-PBMA revealed that it is home to 3,643 plant individuals belonging to 54 morpho-species, 45 genera, and 26 families. Ficus septica was the most dominant (1,524 individuals) and the most important species (IV = 146.76). Two hundred sixty-seven individuals with DBH >10 cm were recorded within the 2-ha plot. Tree density was recorded at 1,822 ha–1 or 18 trees per 10 m × 10 m quadrat. About 93% of the total individuals recorded inside the plot were classified as poles and saplings. MIBNP has a very low floral diversity with an overall Shannon-Weiner and Evenness index of 1.913 and 0.125, respectively. Five endemic species were recorded in the area, while nine species were found to be new province records. Information from the survey will serve as baseline data for long-term monitoring and a better understanding of the ecosystem dynamics of MIBNP through analysis of the behavior and changes in plant growth such as phenology, diameter, height, and more importantly, diversity.