Inventory of mangroves in Katunggan Coastal Eco-Park, Sultan Kudarat Province, the Philippines

Abstract

Abstract. Mangaoang CC, Flores AB. 2019. Inventory of mangroves in Katunggan Coastal Eco-Park, Sultan Kudarat Province, the Philippines. Bonorowo Wetlands 9: 59-64. The coastal wetlands of the Philippines are dominated by mangrove ecosystem and are experiencing different forms of threats particularly anthropogenic activities. The local government unit of Lebak in the Province of Sultan Kudarat and non-government organizations envision of rehabilitating and conserving mangrove forests, but no research has been done. Thus, this study was conducted to document different species of mangrove which will serve as a baseline in developing conservation and rehabilitation strategies. Purposive sampling was done and morphological characteristics of each species were examined for identification. A total of 29 mangrove species belonging to 14 families were identified. Three of which are threatened species including Ceriops zippeliana, Avicennia rumphiana and Camptostemon philippinensis. It was also noted that the local community is aware of the importance of mangroves but not all have concern on the conservation and protection policies being implemented by the government. Despite the decreasing status of Philippine mangroves, local exploitation and anthropogenic pressures, such as aquaculture, are still uncontrolled. Therefore, the presence of threatened species implies that the area needs to be prioritized in terms of conservation and rehabilitation activities with joint effort of both the government and local communities to save and protect this mangrove ecosystem.