Amorphophallus calcicolus from the forest over karst of Bohol island, Central Visayas, Philippines is hereby described and illustrated. The species is closely related to A. longispathaceus but distinct in having shorter leaves, smaller male zone, depressed disk-shaped ovary, longer styles, ovoid or irregularly shaped warts inside the spathe base, and shallowly 2–3-lobed stigma. Due to anthropogenic factors and a relatively confined distribution, it is hereby proposed as Critically Endangered (CR) following IUCN guidelines.
Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape (RSPL), considered the last frontier within the Central Visayas region, is an ideal location for flora and fauna research due to its rich biodiversity. This recent study was conducted to determine the plant species composition and diversity and to select priority areas for conservation to update management strategy. A field survey was carried out in fifteen (15) 20 m x 100 m nested plots established randomly in the forest over limestone of RSPL from July to October 2019. Three hundred and sixty eight (368) species of plants were identified up to species level. This represented 327 angiosperms, one gymnosperm and 40 pteridophytes. Common plant families with more than 10 representative species were Moraceae, Meliaceae, Lauraceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Annonaceae, Araceae and Lauraceae. There were 93 (28%) endemic and 46 (14%) threatened species (vulnerable to critically endangered) observed. The cluster analysis and species accumulation curve suggests that plant species are not homogeneously distributed which implies that different management and conservation strategies should be implemented across RSPL. These results not only indicate the importance of RSPL, but also highlights areas with higher diversity and concentration of threatened and endemic species as a special area of concern. Furthermore, areas with high biodiversity value were recommended for immediate protection, while areas with low biodiversity value were recommended for reforestation programmes using species with high importance value.
This study was conducted to determine the species diversity and carbon stock potential of the one-hectare Indigenous Tree Farm at Bohol Island State University-Bilar in the province of Bohol, Philippines. Following its establishment in 2014, trees within the project area have been monitored for species richness and growth rates. Growth rates were calculated using basal diameter, diameter at breast height, and total height. An allometric equation utilizing species presence and growth data was used to calculate projected carbon sequestering potential within the next five years. Forty-four species of trees, including endangered and vulnerable species, were identified within the project site. The species diversity within the site was found to be 2.90 (moderate). There were a total of 1,342 individual trees whose combined carbon load was calculated to be 9.21 tons.
The study determined the carbon budget of the Loboc-Bilar Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King.) Plantation in the province of Bohol, Philippines within the months of June to October 2018. The plantation straddles two municipalities, Loboc and Bilar. It is a popular destination for local and international tourists due to its compelling tunnel-like vegetative scenery. Delineation of the plantation boundary was fine-tuned using both image digitization and ground survey. A random sampling method was applied in conjunction with Geographic Information System (GIS) software to spatially distribute sampling plots in the research area. Several carbon pools were assessed, namely: aboveground biomass, necromass or ground biomass, and belowground biomass. Allometric and other mathematical equations were used in the calculation of biomass density, stored carbon and carbon dioxide equivalents. The plantation had 29,428.03 Mg of stored carbon in the biomass distributed over a total land area of 115.21 ha, yielding an estimated stored carbon density of 255.43 Mg ha-1. The monetized value of stored carbon in the whole plantation amounted to US$486,003.96.
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