BIOTROPIA - The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Biology
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IDENTIFICATION OF THE MOLUCCAN MEGAPODE (Eulipoa wallacei) NATURAL HABITAT IN HARUKU ISLAND, INDONESIA AND ITS VEGETATION COMPOSITION
Get PDFThe characteristics of island vegetation greatly influence the activities of endemic birds in island areas, such as the Moluccan endemic megapodes (Eulipoa wallacei) on Haruku Island. Therefore, it is essential to identify the specific location of the habitat utilized by individual birds for their daily activities on Haruku Island and to analyze the composition of the vegetation and the variety of plant species. Identification of bird habitat locations using radio-tracking on four newly hatched chicks and four adult birds. A total of 330 individual tracking points were recorded during the study period. The vegetation sample used a total of 420 plots for seedlings, saplings, poles, and trees which were then analyzed for importance value index (IVI), diversity, evenness, and similarity. We found that the Tanjung Maleo forest was their nesting habitat, while the Marunimei and Lalean forests were their daily habitats. A total of 91 plant species and 60 plant families were discovered with the vegetation diversity value of the three habitats was moderate (H’mean = 3.07) and tended to be dominated by air plant (Kalanchoe pinnata), sword fern (Nephrolepsis exalta), cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), coco-grass (Cyperus rotundus), Indian camphorweed (Pluchea indica), and lanzone (Lansium domesticum) (Emean = 0.88), and have a relatively low level of species similarity between habitats (SImean = 38.30%). We found that the daily habitat of the Moluccan megapode on Haruku Island was around their nesting sites and has a complex structure because it was composed four vegetation strata. Therefore, for conservation purposes, habitat management must prioritize preserving forest habitats around the bird nesting sites
IDENTIFICATION AND DIVERSITY OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEAGRASSES OF CEBU, CENTRAL PHILIPPINES
No full textEndophytic fungi were poorly documented in the marine environment, especially in seagrasses regardless of their importance as sources of novel metabolites. In the Philippines, studies are dearth despite having large areas of seagrass meadows. Thus, this study was conducted to isolate and identify endophytic fungi associated with common seagrasses: Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea serrulata, and Thalassia hemprichii from the Philippines by morphologic and molecular methods. Seven species were identified in this study: Aspergillus tamarii, A. ochraceopetaliformis, A. sydowii, Penicillium citrinum, Xylaria sp., Beauveria bassiana, and Eutypella sp. Morphologically, Aspergillus spp. had septate hyphae, biseriate conidiophore, and smooth to rough globose conidia. Penicillium had a green colony, biverticillate conidiophore, and smooth, globose conidia. Beauveria bassiana had white to cream colonies with irregular edges and a powdery appearance. The conidiogenous cells had zigzag rachis in which a chain of conidia emerged. Eutypella sp. had white, filariform, and plumose colony. Xylaria sp. had a white colony with conspicuous radial lines and a plumose margin. Phylogenetic analysis using 80 ITS rDNA sequences by neighbor-joining revealed the clustering of our isolates with the closest match taxa in the same clade with 100% bootstrap value. The estimate of evolutionary divergence between our isolates and their closest match taxa by pairwise distance showed no nucleotide base substitution suggesting high sequence identity between sequences. The most diverse endophyte is Aspergillus as it is ubiquitously adapted to the marine environment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these species colonizing the seagrasses from the Philippines
ELASTICITY ANALYSIS OF THE GRAZING AND DETRITAL PATHWAYS IN A SHALLOW PHILIPPINE SEAGRASS MEADOW
Get PDFEcotrophic efficiency (EE) is an estimate of the proportion of production that is utilized by the next trophic level through direct predation or fishing or exported out of the ecosystem. In seagrass systems, analysis of EE provides crucial information on how biomass, when used or lost in biological functioning, affects the higher trophic levels via death or grazing relative to the energy lost via decomposition (i.e., Flow to the detritus, FTD) and exports to another ecosystem (i.e., Sum of all exports, SAE). In this study, projections on the effect of change in the EE of functional groups in seagrass systems due to the alteration of biomass were established heuristically using Elasticity Analysis. Using a previously constructed Ecopath model for a shallow Philippine seagrass meadow, the simulations of altering the biomass of seagrasses and their grazers were done to determine the change in EE, FTD, and SAE, thereby generating information on the dynamics of the grazing and detrital pathways in the seagrass ecosystem. Results showed the effects of biomass increase and decrease of grazers (herbivorous gastropods, Tripneustes gratilla, and polychaetes). If the grazers’ biomass increases, their EE tends to decrease, and biomass accumulation tends to increase. This implies that a fraction of their production used in the system is reduced even if their predators\u27 density and feeding rate are still constant. In addition, the EE of seagrasses tends to increase, leading to a decrease in biomass accumulation at the primary producers’ trophic level. Lastly, the EE of detritus decreased because the FTD and SAE of its major contributors (the seagrasses) had also decreased. The findings contribute to the ongoing analysis of the role of herbivores versus detritivores in the energetics of seagrass habitats
FURTHER STUDY ON TWO SPECIES OF LOACH FISHES (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae: Nemacheilus) BASED ON MORPHOLOGY AND MOLECULAR DATA
Get PDFThe identities of two local loaches, Nemacheilus chrysolaimos (Valenciennes, 1846) and N. fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1846) from six rivers, were obtained through a comprehensive examination of their morphology and molecular characteristics in Biltar Regency, East Java, Indonesia. Therefore, this study identified Nemacheilus spp. from Blitar based on morphology and partial sequence of COI. The meristic data obtained for N. chrysolaimos included DII. 7–8 (dorsal fin), AI. 3–5 (anal fin), PI. 9 (pectoral fin), VI. 6–7 (ventral fin), and C. 17 (caudal fin). On the other hand, N. fasciatus exhibited the following meristic data, namely D II 7–8 (dorsal fin), AI. 6 (anal fin), PI. 9–10 (pectoral fin), VI. 6–7 (ventral fin), and C. 17 (caudal fin). A significant difference was observed in the morphometric characteristics of N. fasciatus across various sampling sites, as determined by the Kruskal-Wallis Test. Furthermore, the nucleotide base composition sequences of Nemacheilus spp. consisted of Thiamine (T), Cytosine (C), Adenine (A), and Guanine (G) with a mean of 29.565%, 32.023%, 23.88%, and 16.244%. Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Minimum Evolution (ME) phylogenetic analysis was also conducted using the Kimura 2 Parameter model to establish two major clades on Nemacheilus spp. and one out-group significantly different from the Nemacheilus spp. The results showed that these major clades exhibited a close relationship at 100% bootstrap support and were grouped under the genus Nemacheilus. The study on Nemacheilus spp. from the Blitar locality differentiated COI sequences between N. fasciatus and N. chrysolaimos. Additionally, N. chrysolaimos, as inferred from reference sequences, was identified as the ancestral species to N. chrysolaimos MZB 26540 and MZB 26539. ABGD analyses, employing a prior maximal distance of 0.025, also indicated the separation of these species into distinct partitions. The integration of morphology and genetic data for Nemacheilus spp. should provide valuable insights for future genetic population studies and conservation initiatives
INVENTORY OF THE INVASIVE ALIEN PLANT SPECIES IN INDONESIA
Get PDFAn inventory of the alien plant species in Indonesia based on the existing references and herbarium specimens concluded that 1936 alien plant species are found in Indonesia which belong to 187 families. Field studies should be done to get the complete figures of alien plant species in Indonesia. Based on the existing figures of the plant species, the invasive alien plant species can be identified, followed by studies on the assessment of losses, biology, management and their possible utilizations. Alien plant species are imported to Indonesia for cultivation, collection of the botanical garden, as experimental plants or other curiosities. Aside from plants purposely imported, there are also introduced plant propagules contaminating imported agricultural products. These alien plant species can be beneficial or have a potential of being invasive. The alien cultivated species consisted of 67% of the total number. More than half of the cultivated plants are ornamental plants. Some of the species are naturalized or escaped from cultivation and become wild and invasive. Some other naturalized species, adapted well without any problems of invasion. There are 339 species or 17% of the species recorded as weeds. The highest record of weeds is found in the family of Poaceae (57 species), followed by Asteraceae (53 species) and Cyperaceae (35 species). There are 6 families having more than 10 species of weeds: Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae, and Rubiaceae. Three families have more than 100 species: Asteraceae 162 species, Poaceae 120 species, and Papillionaceae 103 species. Five species of aquatic and 20 species of terrestrial plants considered as important alien plant species in Indonesia were identified and some of their distributions noted. Keywords: Alien plant species/Invasive alien plants/Weeds/Environmental weeds/Aquatic and terrestrial alien plant
MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION PROGRAM AT PUERTO PRINCESA SUBTERRANEAN RIVER NATIONAL PARK: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
No full textThe Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP)-Marine Turtle Conservation Program (MTCP) can be found in West Coast of Palawan Philippines. Geographical location is located in the global center of marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle. This study described the profile of PPSNRP-MTCP in terms of location, species of marine turtles, number of hatchlings released per year, management organizational structure, conservation activities and, determined the perceived management challenges and opportunities encountered by employees during COVID 19 pandemic. Documentary analysis, net-notgraphy and focal group virtual discussion and structured questionnaires were used in data gathering. There are 3 species that were recorded in the conservation site; Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata and Lepidochelys olivacea. Hatchling success from 2015 to 2021 is at an average of 82%, and the mean hatchlings per year is 1659.4 (+/- sd.699.31). Lowest was 697 in 2014-2015, highest in 2019-2020 with 2,476 hatchlings. MTCP is under the supervision of Protected Area Superintendent (PASu). The management activities are; regular monitoring of egg nesting and hatching of the eggs, implementation of easement zone, community coastal clean-up, releasing of hatchlings and conservation awareness campaign. Debris left by typhoon Odette is the perceived very high challenge while the absence of noise during nesting season is perceived at a very high opportunity
ORANGUTAN (Pongo pygmaeus ssp. wurmbii) RANGING PATTERN IN PUNGGUALAS, SEBANGAU NATIONAL PARK, CENTRAL KALIMANTAN INDONESIA: Ranging pattern of P.p. wurmbii in Punggualas, Sebangau National Park
No full textPunggualas lies in the western part of Sebangau National Park (SNP). It is a logged-over forest, yet it is one of the major strongholds for the P. p. wurmbii population in the SNP. The range size, as well as the ranging pattern for Punggualas, has never been conducted. The study aimed to estimate orangutan ranging size and pattern as well as their distribution over the Punggualas forest. Ranging data within the area of interest (AOI) was collected from Feb 2015 – Dec 2019 (P1), and Mar 2020 – May 2022 (P2). Minimum convex polygon (MCP), range size of orangutan individual was calculated using adehabitatHR package in RStudio 4.1.1 for Windows. We visualized the distribution in ArcGIS 10.5 with Kernel Density (KD) tool. The range size of Mother-Infant is the greatest (259,6 Ha) among all individuals being studied within the study periods. Moreover, the size estimation was found greater in Mother-Infant sex class compared to other orangutan studies areas, such as Peat Natural Laboratory, and CIMTROP-UPR which reported a flanged male HR Size reaching 250 Ha per annum. We have found that the ranging pattern significantly changes over the study period. However, during P1, the distribution area was located within the northern of AOI, while in the P2 have changed to the south-eastern part of the AOI. We concluded that the ranging pattern indeed follows the fruit availability as well as fine-scale habitat quality
POTENTIAL OF CARBON SINK IN MANGROVE SUBSTRATES IN LEMBAR BAY, WEST LOMBOK, INDONESIA
Get PDFMangroves are one of the coastal vegetation that can mitigate carbon (carbon sink and carbon storage). This study aimed to determine the potential for soil carbon stock found under stands of mangroves in Lembar Bay, West Lombok, and West Nusa Tenggara. The research began with the identification of the species and then proceeded toa sampling of the soil, which was then analyzed using the Walkley and Black method. The results showed that there were ten species of mangroves, namely, Rhizophora stylosa, Avicennia lanata, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops decandra, Excoecaria agallocha, Lumnitzera racemosa, Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea, Thespesia populnea, and Xylocarpus maluccensis. The highest soil carbon content percentage was found in the lower soil of the A. lanata (1.43 %C) mangrove, and the lowest was found in the lower-stand soil of E. agallocha (0.21 %C). Meanwhile, the carbon sinks per meter were 0.002-0.066 gC/m2, with an average of 0.020±0.020 gC/m2. The estimated total soil carbon sink in 10 mangrove stands was 0.20-6.60 tons C/ha, with an average of 2.18±2.010 tons C/ha. The average total estimated soil carbon stock found in 20.49 ha of the mangrove area studied was 44.67 tonsC, which is equivalent to 263.69 tonsC in a mangrove area of 120.96 ha in Lembar Bay
CARBON STORED ON SEAGRASS BEDS IN GILI MARINGKIK, LOMBOK, INDONESIA
No full textSeagrass beds are an important vegetation for reducing the impact of global warming besides the function of forest and mangroves vegetation. The research aims to find the composition of seagrass species, density, seagrass coverage, seagrass standing biomass, seagrass standing carbon and substrate carbon. The research was conducted in Gili Maringkik, Lombok, Indonesia. The research included observation of species composition and the sample was collected from 0.5 ×0.5 m plot area. Total plot area was 25 on five lanes with the space between plots 25 m and between lanes 100 m. The researcher found that there were eight seagrass species (two families, six genera): Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Enhalus acoroides, Halodule pinifolia, Halophila minor, Halophila spinulosa, Syringodium isoetifolium and Thalassia hemprichii. Cymodocea rotundata (506.40±187.809 stand.m-2) was the species of highest density and while the species of Thalassia hemprichii (36.52±30.004 %) was the species of highest coverage. Total of seagrass standing biomass in Gili Maringkik was 1081.85 g.DW.m-2 with the carbon stock of seagrass beds was 483.86 g.C.m-2 and substrate carbon content was 0.09%–0.49%. the total carbon stock of seagrass beds in Gili Maringkik has 153.96 ton.C (4.84 ton.C.Ha-1)
POST-SIEGE GENOTOXIC HAZARDS IN LAKE LANAO, PHILIPPINES BY MICRONUCLEUS ASSAY
Get PDFMassive war pollutants brought by Marawi Siege in the Philippines have contaminated the city environs and the surrounding ancient Lake Lanao. Munition residues including heavy metals are reportedly genotoxic hence this study was conducted to determine the post-siege genotoxic hazards posed by the munition pollutants through micronucleus (MN) assay on the slow-moving edible gastropod snails Vivipara angularis Muller (locally known as “suso”) thriving in the lake. MN, a biomarker of genotoxicity was examined and counted in the hemocytes of exposed juvenile and adult snails. Results revealed that MN frequencies (no. of MN/1000 hemocytes) were significantly higher in snails sampled in Lake Lanao lakeshores than in the reference site Lake Dapao. Among adult samples, there was a decreasing trend of MN frequencies with increasing distance from lakeshore fronting warzone ‘ground zero’ where the battle was heaviest (site A) to sampling sites away from it: sites B, C, and D (Lake Dapao) which are 8.15 km, 24.41 km, and 34.45 km, respectively. Moreover, varied patterns of micronucleation were observed between age groups and sites, i.e., in all sites except C, adults had greater MN counts than juveniles which were significant in site A only. Unexpectedly juveniles displayed significantly high MN counts than adults in site C. The elevated MN frequencies in the snail hemocytes exposed to war pollution could be attributed to genotoxic munition residues eroded and washed into the lake water. Moreover, heavy metals which are common components of weaponries were also detected in the snail muscles, although at concentrations within safe levels but continued consumption may be cautioned to avoid biomagnification. Other genotoxins must be present in site C other than munition residues predisposing the juvenile snails. The results are baseline data on the MN frequencies in V. angularis exposed to war pollutants in Lake Lanao which need further investigation. Post-siege genotoxic hazards in the lake by MN assay cannot be ignored, thus local leaders must be informed of the results for possible intervention to protect the health and well-being of the community.