Species Richness and Riparian Vegetation of Plants in Cagayan de Oro River, Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

Plants are producers; they take the energy emitted from the sun and turn it into simple sugars which is then turned into ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), energy usable by the plant and animals) through cellular respiration. Other animals then eat them and receive ten percent of the energy contained in the plant, also known as the ten percent rule. Assessment of plants was conducted along Cagayan de Oro River. It was surveyed for six months, three months each in the wet and in the dry seasons. The four sampling sites in Oro River revealed a total of 97 species belonging to 81 genera and 52 families. Of this number, 62 species were angiosperms, 1 gymnosperms, 24 pteridophytes, and 10 bryophytes. Family Verbenaceae has the highest number of species with six (6) species followed by Moraceae, Araceae and Arecaceae, with both 4 species each. Station 1 has the highest number of species (61), followed by Station 2 (50), Station 4 (36), and Station 3 (30). The study revealed 6 threatened species both locally and nationally. Of these threatened species, 5 were considered vulnerable, 1 endangered, 4 endemic species. Majority of the plant species (63.3 %) that were identified within the study area have economic values. It is recommended that the soft vegetation features of the riparian ecosystem in Oro River will be planted with indigenous or endemic species of trees and interspersed with economic species of plants to improve the quality and biodiversity of the river systems. Keywords: Plant ecology, floral diversity, riparian vegetation, conservation status, Cagayan de Oro river