Philippine E-Journals

Assessment of Biodiversity and Water Quality in Association with Land Use in the Alanib River, Mt. Kitanglad Range Park, Philippines

Einstene M. Opiso | Victoria T. Quimpang | Emmanuel P. Leaño | Gloria L. Galan | Florfe M. Acma | Fulgent P. Coritico | Abigail Labadan | Ronald Regan Forten | Kate Lucelle Coquilla | Angela Grace Bruno | Victor B. Amoroso

Discipline: Bio-Diversity

 

Abstract:

Inventory and assessment of aquatic biodiversity were conducted in Alanib River in Mt. Kitanglad, Bukidnon, which is one of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites in Mindanao. The species richness and abundance of fishes, macroinvertebrates, plankton and also vascular plants in the riparian vegetation were evaluated in relation to the influence of land use, water quality and elevation. The results of this study revealed that there were 2 species of fishes, 6 orders of macro-invertebrates 14 species of plankton and 237 species of vascular plants were identified. The surrounding land uses and human activities along the river were found to have significant impact on the overall water quality and biodiversity of the aquatic biota and riparian vegetation of Alanib River. The increasing human population and agricultural intensification at the lower section of the river contributed to the relatively lower water quality, presence of pollution tolerant phytoplankton and macro-invertebrate groups as well as invasive species of vascular plants. Hence, the overall results of this study revealed that the integrity of Alanib River in terms of its biophysical and chemical condition is severely threatened especially in the downstream section due to various anthropogenic activities which can degrade its overall environmental quality.