Philippine Journal of Science
142:(3) 135-143, Special Issue
ISSN 0031 - 7683
Plant Community Structure of a Secondary Forest at Barangay Camias, Porac, Pampanga, The Philippines
Jeffrey P. Mancera*, Elena M. Ragragio**, Glenn L. Sia Su* and Rosario R. Rubite*
*Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila
**Corresponding Author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
The study described the current plant community structure of a secondary forest in Barangay Camias, Porac, Pampanga. A general floristic list of species was constructed, life forms were determined, most important species were identified, and species diversity in the area was computed. Forty-three (43) undershrub and eighteen (18) tree species were recorded in the area, most of which are members of Fabaceae and Poaceae. A significant difference was observed between the proportion of life forms present and that of Raunkiaer’s categories. The most important undershrub species were Chromolaena odorata, Mikania micrantha, and Lantana camara, while the most important tree species were Leucaena leucocephala, Mangifera indica, and Albizia saman. Relatively low species diversity was recorded in the area measured using Simpson’s Index of Diversity (0.927 for undershrub species, 0.855 for tree species) and Shannon-Wiener Index (3.00 for undershrub species, 2.28 for tree species). The dominance of Fabaceae and Poaceae species, the significant difference between the expected and observed proportion of life forms, and the prevalence of the most important species being invasive alien species (IAS) are indicative of a very disturbed area. The site is currently in its initial phase of regeneration from an ash and lahar covered area to a secondary forest.
INTRODUCTION
Porac, Pampanga is known to house an array of diverse flora and fauna. A previous survey (Environmental Protection Foundation Agency Inc. 2006) confirmed the existence of lush diversity in the area despite the previous reports indicating that it has experienced large scale degradation due to deforestation activities. The situation in the mountain range of Porac, Pampanga has been reported to worsen (Rantucci 1991) when the 1991 eruption brought in lahar and pyroclastic materials devastated the mountain range forests and destroyed the vegetation in the area. . . . . . . read more
