Ambient Science, 2020: Vol. 07(1); 11-18 DOI:10.21276/ambi.2020.07.1.aa01 ambient SCIENCE Vol. 7(1): 11-18 Year 2020 AMBIENT APPRAISAL Floristic Diversity of the Biodiversity Monitoring Plots and its EnvironswithinAgataMiningVentures, Inc.,Tubay,Agusandel Norte, Philippines Abstract Roger T. Sarmiento Woody plant species are key components of the forest College of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Caraga State ecosystem and are responsible for forest architecture and University, Ampayon, Butuan City, Caraga Region, the overall composition of forest communities. On the Philippines established permanent biodiversity monitoring plots StudyArea: Agusandel Norte, Philippines (PBMP) inside an approved mineral production sharing Coordinates: 8°57'N; 125°32'E agreement areas in Agusan del Norte, the species diversity and abundance of trees were assessed wherein a total of 123 Key words: Floral composition, Stand structure, individuals of 16 families, 28 genera, and 37 species were Nickel Mining, mine rehabilitation recorded. Transect walks were likewise done to list existing flora within MPSA and recorded a total of 251 vascular plant species belonging to 80 families and 203 genera. The mineral lands of AMVI hold a tremendous diversity of species to include critically endangered Diospyros philippinensisand Camptostemon philippinense , among others. During re-assessment, it was observed that most of the monitoring plots progressed positively. At present, the biodiversity of these monitoring plots is under threat due to theanthropogenicand upcoming miningactivities. Introduction: very crucial process, thus, appropriate knowledge on these The Philippines is one of the top mineralized countries in resources is vital. However, during mining activities where the world for gold, nickel, copper, and chromite (Quintans, mineral ores were extracted by means of the open-pit 2017; Kay, 2018). In the southern part of the country-the method, many biota having ecological and scientif ic Caraga Region, nickel mining has been a promising importancewerestilldisplaced (Sarmientoet al. , 2017). industry (Sarmiento & Demetillo, 2017) as 20 of the 48 Plant communities are the foundation for terrestrial registered metallic mines in the Philippines are found in trophic webs and animal habitats, and their structure and the region and engaged in nickel mining (DENR-MGB, species composition are a cumulative result of biological 2018). A number of these nickel mines were ordered shut and physical processes (Gates, 1993; Davis, 1981) that are down in early 2017 for several violations on environmental diff icult to measure directly. However, with the laws and resulted in the decline in nickel production establishment of permanent monitoring plots the worldwide. However,despite the issuanceof closureorders, biodiversity resources can be monitored and its variation some companies continued to operate business as usual. and function can be determined space-wise in time Of the few law-abiding mining corporations in the region, (Malabrigoet al ., 2016). For this study, the main objective Agata Mining Ventures, Inc. (AMVI) invested a substantial was to establish and maintain permanent biodiversity portion of its operational budget into research for crafting monitoring plots (PBMP) within the approved Mineral sound reforestation and rehabilitation plans. A good Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) area of Agata management plan guarantee sustainable use of existing Mining Ventures, Inc. in the province of Agusan del Norte. natural resources such as soil, water, timber and Specif ically, it aimed to: i) determine the current biodiversity with the preparation and revision of this is a composition and diversity of trees inside the established ISSN- 2348 5191 (Print) & 2348 8980 (Electronic) Ambient Science, 2020: Vol. 07(1); 11-18 DOI:10.21276/ambi.2020.07.1.aa01 AMBIENT APPRAISAL monitoring plots; ii) gather information on the abundance other arborescent species, palms, herbaceous plants, vines and conservation status of the different species inside to include woody and non-woody, as well as ferns. Species monitoring plots; iii) generate a near-comprehensive listof Identif icationand Nomenclature: identif icationof species theexisting floralspecieswithintheapproved MPSAarea. was done on the f ield with the help of available literature. Some publications referring to the Philippine flora Methodology: included Merrill (1912), Santos et al. (1986), Zamora and Co Permanent biodiversity monitoring plots: permanent (1986), Madulid (2002), Primavera (2009) and online plant biodiversity monitoring plots (PBMP) are thedef ined areas identif ication website PhytoImages to study various life forms that are geographically located (www.phytoimages.siu.edu/) were also utilized to compare and permanently gridded with markers (Malabrigo et al., photographed species. Some unfamiliar species were 2016). The biodiversity resources inside PBMPs were posted online through a social media group Co’s Digital monitored in place and time to determine variations Flora of the Philippines (a public group of botanists, structurally and functionally. The establishment of PBMPs foresters, biologists and other plant enthusiasts) to will beverysignif icantformonitoring long-termecological conf irm species identif ication. The scientif ic research on biodiversity-functioning in relation to climate nomenclature and conservation status of species were change and rehabilitation programs of any industry. A total crosschecked in the databases of The Plant List of twelve (12) plots were established within the approved (www.theplantlist.org) and The IUCN Redlist of Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) area of ThreatenedSpecies(www.iucnredlist.org), respectively. Agata Mining Ventures, Inc. (AMVI). Four (4) plots were Data analysis: it was encoded on a spreadsheet and located inside the active mining sites while the rest were analyzed using thevegetationalanalysisformulaof density, outside but still within the approved MPSA area. The relative density, frequency, relative frequency, dominance, relative locationof the permanentplotswas recorded using relative dominance and the species importance value a handheld GPS receiver taken on the southern left corner (SIV). The SIV was computed as the sum of the relative and plotted inaGoogle Earth (Map). frequency, relative density and relative dominance of a The sites were selected on the basis of previously species in a community or forest (SIV = RFreq + RDom + conducted biodiversity surveys for AMVI. The comparison RDen). An SIV provides a better index than density alone of information gathered from different periods can give a regarding the importanceorfunctionof aspecies in habitat clearer picture of the dynamics of the ecosystem in time. and also gives rank or order for a particular species within The f irst f ieldwork was conducted on June 6-9, 2017 for a the community (Odum & Barret, 2005). Ecological series of activities such as i) the establishment of the parameters such as Simpson?s Index of Diversity (1-D), PBMPs, ii) the initial assessment of existing flora species Shannon-Wiener (H?) diversity index, and species inside the monitoring plots, and f inally iii) listing of other richness,ontheotherhand,werecomputed using the PAST flora species outside monitoring plots but within the Statistical Software. Fernando scale was used to know the approved MPSA area. The second f ieldwork was done on levelsof biodiversity. March 3-4, 2018 where the primary focus was to revisit and evaluate vegetation change and the diversity of species Resultsand Discussion: inside PBMPs. All tagged trees were assessed for General description of the area: the general ground presence/absence and other emerging tree species were formation inside active mining sites ranges from gently recordedand noted. rolling to undulating to steep slopes alongside higher grounds. Dominant ground vegetation usually composed VegetationSampling : the PBMPs were laid outwith 20m of dense formations of Bracken ferns (Pteridium x 20m dimensions. A GPS receiver was used to determine aquilinium), Pako ( Nephrolepis spp.), Nito ( Lygodium the coordinates of the plot using the southern left corner as flexuosum), Cogon grass ( Imperata cylindrica ) and other the reference point. All plants (trees in particular) inside associated ground species. The f irst plot (Plot-1) was the quadrat with DBHH >5 cm were measured and established on a small valley between two very steep slopes recorded. A fabricated aluminum tag bearing a numbered in Python Creek. The valley was made up of loose soil species code was then pinned on the visible section of the materials formed through deposition and sedimentation treeforidentif icationand monitoring. resulted from land conversion and massive mining Transect walks and walkthroughs were likewise done operations on the upper elevations. The area was to record other vascular plants outside PBMPs but within predominantly covered by ground vegetations whilst large the approved MPSA area to generate a near-comprehensive trees were also found forming sparse tree patches along listing of vascular species in the mineral areas of AMVI. habitually moist portions of the intermittent creek. Some Vascular plants are such plants that possess specialized largetreesobserved includeAntipolo(Artocarpus blancoi ), conducting tissues, particularly xylem and phloem to Mango (Mangifera indica ), Dita ( Alstonia scholaris ) and include all flowering plants and conifers such as trees and Narra