Heavy metal contamination is a current and major environmental concern worldwide due to anthropogenic activities [1-2]. Heavy metal contamination in the environment has been occurring for centuries, and in the last decade it has increased rapidly due to technological developments [3]. Anthropogenic activities that result in the discharge of heavy metals into the environment include industrial processes, mining, automobile emissions, agricultural, wastewater discharge, and urban runoff [4-5], while the natural sources of heavy metals may include weathering and dissolution of minerals, parent rocks, and soils [6-8]. Aquatic ecosystems like rivers are sinks of pollutants [9], probably because rivers as open systems are more vulnerable to contamination due to anthropogenic
Syrus cesar pacle Decena * , carlo Aguirre Avorque, ian christopher pacle Decena, pol Delbert Asis & Bryan pacle the impact of anthropogenic habitat alteration on amphibians was investigated, employing an investigative focus on leaf-litter and semi-aquatic species across different habitat alteration types. The habitat alteration types which include primary forest, selectively logged primary forest, secondary forest, abandoned farm areas and pasture (this represents a gradient of habitat alteration ranging from least altered to most altered, respectively) also encompass two habitat types: stream and terrestrial. Species assemblage was compared between habitat alteration types and habitat types, where a total 360 leaf-litter and semi-aquatic amphibians were observed (15 species, 6 families). It was found that amphibian abundance was significantly higher in both forest and stream habitat, and species richness did not differ with respect to habitat alteration type. It was determined, however, that species richness was highly dependent on habitat type (significantly higher in stream habitat). Meanwhile, diversity (Shannon-Wiener) was significantly higher in both forest and stream habitat, and species composition differed markedly between habitat alteration types for stream strip plots. forest habitat exhibited domination by forest specialist species, while altered habitat (abandoned farm areas and pasture) exhibited domination by open-habitat specialist species. Additionally, strong relationships were found between species composition and abundance, as well as richness and diversity (within the measured habitat structures and observed microclimatic conditions). Analyses determined that the higher abundance of leaf-litter and semi-aquatic amphibians was best explained by higher DBH (1.3 m from the ground) and lower temperature and the higher species richness was best explained by higher understorey density. Additionally, higher diversity was associated with increasing understorey density, tree density and temperature. In general, the assemblage of leaf-litter and semi-aquatic amphibians in the lowland tropical rainforest in northeastern Leyte was affected by habitat alteration, highlighting the ongoing importance of conservation efforts. Though the Philippines is commonly known as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on Earth 1 , there is undoubtedly cause for concern, since southeast Asia has the highest relative rate of deforestation of any major tropical region 2. In the Philippines, an average of 162,000 ha of forests are cleared per year 3 and consequently, the remaining primary forest of the country represents approximately only 3% 1 of land area. This decline of the country's forest is commonly attributed to logging, urbanization and agricultural expansion, as well as other peripheral factors such as shifting cultivation, unorganized encroachment on forest lands, squatting, migration to upland forested areas, and government-sponsored settlement schemes 3,4. Deforestation due to these humaninduced acti...
Peatlands are unique wetland ecosystems that provide various ecosystem services such as carbon storage and biogeochemical cycling, however being threatened by anthropogenic activities. The present study was conducted to explore the impact of land use conversion on carbon stocks and peat properties in a tropical peatland in the Leyte Sab-a Basin Peatland (LSBP) in Northeastern Leyte, Philippines. The carbon stocks (aboveground and belowground) and physico-chemical properties of peat soil were compared among wetland forest, grassland and cropland. Land use conversion resulted in the signi cant reduction of the total aboveground carbon stock. The wetland forest had the highest carbon stocks (38.56 ± 4.58 t ha − 1 ), and when converted to grassland and cropland, it has resulted to carbon loss of as much as 86.59 and 90.45%, respectively. The belowground root carbon stock was highest in the wetland forest (5.05 ± 0.64 t ha − 1 ) also while highest peat carbon stock (1 m depth) was observed in the cropland areas (45.28 ± 2.25-61.27 ± 3.07 t ha − 1 ). However, wetland forests with very deep peat deposits potentially store a signi cant amount of carbon than in cropland that was characterized by shallower compressed peats. In addition, land use conversion altered the physico-chemical properties of peat such as water content, organic matter, and porosity, and bulk density which all indicated peatland degradation.Finally, the overall result of this study highlights the importance to develop and implement management and conservation plans for LSBP.
Mangrove forest ecosystems are known to sequester large quantities of carbon in biomass. This paper presents a quantification of carbon stocks in aboveground (standing trees, palm, shrub, standing dead trees, downed wood, and litter), belowground (root), and total carbon stocks, and further compared between forest types (fringe and riverine) and zones (landward, middleward, and seaward/along water) of mangrove forests along the Carigara Bay in Leyte, Philippines. The aboveground carbon stocks for the standing trees were found to be higher in riverine (297.94 ± 58.39) compared to fringe mangrove forests (188.92 ± 18.51), with an overall average of 243.43 ± 31.09 Mg ha− 1. Shrub mangroves were found to be the second most contributor to aboveground carbon stocks which was significantly higher in middleward zone (14.88 ± 6.11 Mg ha− 1), though no variation was found between mangrove forest types. Whereas, all other aboveground components were the least contributors (< 1% combined), with a total average of 0.31 ± 0.10, 0.32 ± 0.10, 1.57 ± 0.27, and 0.19 ± 0.02 Mg ha− 1 for palm (Nypa fruticans), standing dead tree, downed wood and litter, respectively. Meanwhile, no significant variations were detected for belowground (roots) carbon stock, with an average of 65.23 ± 6.84 Mg ha− 1. Total carbon stocks were higher in the riverine (380.83 ± 70.91), with an average of 317.19 ± 37.88 Mg ha− 1. Overall, the results of the study highlight the significant amount of carbon stored in the biomass of the studied mangrove forests, which indicates their potential role in climate change mitigation.
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