Assessment of Physical Characteristics of Bugang River Watershed in Pandan, Antique, Philippines

Abstract

Sustainable and appropriate watershed management strategies require the determination of biophysical information which includes the floral characteristics of the watershed. This study was conducted to characterize the floral composition of the Bugang River watershed. Data gathering was done by conducting an inventory for trees, palms, and bamboos with Quadrant Sampling using a stratified random sampling method in the forested area of the watershed with 50 m × 20 m sampling plots. Floral species were identified and classified through local experts, published books, journals, the internet, and available references. A total of 60 species belonging to 31 families and 52 genera were found using this method. Gogo ( Entada phaseoloides ) had the highest number of species with 222 or 14% of the total species. Trees with dbh 10 cm and above have a total estimated volume of 102.31 m 3 . The average diameter and average height of species decrease as the elevation increases. The result showed that the Bugang River watershed has a diverse floral composition, with vertical stratification and a dense canopy. The advocacy and awareness campaign should be done and strengthen the protection and conservation efforts of concerned agencies for the sustainability of the watershed.