期刊名称：Advances in Environmental Sciences - International Journal of the Bioflux Society
印刷版ISSN：2066-7620
电子版ISSN：2065-7647
出版年度：2016
卷号：8
期号：2
页码：165-172
出版社：Bioflux
摘要：Mount Matutum is a declared protected landscape straddling the municipalities of SouthCotabato (Polomolok, Tupi, Tampakan) and in Sarangani (Malungon), Mindanao. Despite its protectedstatus and being one of the biodiversity hotspots in the region, there was only a handful of studiesconducted to assess its floral diversity; much of which was dendrological in nature. Under this premise,we assessed the understory vegetation in the mountain across elevation gradient (lowland, montane, andmossy forests) and habitat condition (disturbed and undisturbed areas) by determining the composition,richness, diversity, and conservation status of the floral species. The researchers established eight (8)5x5 m plots in each elevation gradient. A representative of each species was mounted and deposited inthe Research and Development Center, Mindanao State University-General Santos City. One hundredfifty-four (154) understory plant species found in disturbed and undisturbed areas were recorded.Elevation-wise, lowland and montane forests (500-1722 mASL), showed a greater number of floralspecies compared to the mossy forest. The understory flora was categorized into herbs (27%), shrubs(21%), vines (21%), grasses (10%), aroids (9%), palms (3%), zingibers (3%), orchids (2%), sedges(2%), pandans (1%), and rattans (1%). Elaeocarpus sp. (Elaeocarpaceae), Schismatoglottis rupestrisZoll & Moritzi ex Zoll. (Araceae), and Impatiens platypetala L. (Balsaminaceae) were the most dominantspecies found in the disturbed area. On the one hand, Decaspermum fruticosum Forst. (Myrtaceae),Cyrtochloa fenixii (Gamble.) (Poaceae) and Freycinetia maxima Merr. (Pandanaceae) dominated theundisturbed area. Using Simpson’s diversity index, the montane forest in the undisturbed area showedthe highest species diversity with D = 0.96 while the mossy forest in the same area had the lowest withD = 0.83, hence, a low to moderate floral diversity was observed. Assessment of the ecological statusrevealed 14 native plant species, of which one is endemic to the Philippines, Dendrocnide luzonensis(Wedd.) Chew (Urticaceae) locally known as ‘lipa’.
