Variations in floristic composition and community structure between disturbed and undisturbed lowland forest in Aklan, Philippines

Abstract

Despite the notable plant biodiversity of the Philippines, the country still exhibits increasing anthropogenic activities in many forests of the archipelago that pose a threat to many floral species of the country. Hence, to test the hypothesis that there are differences in plant distributions and diversity between disturbed and undisturbed tropical forest patches, a rapid floristic assessment in Malinao, Aklan was conducted. A total of 106 species were sampled in both sites, with 68 present in the disturbed site, 53 present in the undisturbed site, and 12 present in both. Rarefied species accumulation curves and calculations of Shannon-Wiener Index (H) showed higher species richness and evenness in the undisturbed forest. Analysis of the similarities in species composition using the nonmetric dimensional scaling combined with the statistical test PERMANOVA showed clear significant difference between the two forest categories. In addition, one species (Artocarpus blancoi (Elmer) Merr.) that is classified as “Vulnerable” according to the IUCN was noted. Thus, standard calls for the establishment of priority areas for forest conservation in the country are recommended.

Keywords

• community ecology
• conservation measures
• forest structure
• plant richness
• species diversity