The Status of Mangroves among Coastal Barangays in Buenavista Guimaras

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the condition of the mangrove resources in the coastal barangays of Buenavista, Guimaras. Mangrove resources were assessed using the transect plot technique established by English et al., (1994). The data gathered were regeneration rate per meter square, crown cover, average tree height and disturbances/cuttings of mangrove noted during the data gathering. Common species of mangrove per barangay were also recorded using the Field Guide to Philippine Mangroves (Primavera and RDB Dianala, 2009). For categorizing the overall health of Mangrove, the PCRA Training Guide, 2004 was used. Among the seven (7) locations, the overall health of the six (6) locations of mangrove resources ranges from excellent to good and only one (1) location showed poor performance. This shows that the mangroves in the coastal barangays of Buenavista, Guimaras are still in good conditions. But there should be intervention to be done by the concerned government agencies for the areas with excellent to good regeneration data so that these saplings/regenerated mangroves will grow into a full grown mangrove tree.