Field Sampling

A belt transect will be established on the elevation gradient (100 m) in Bagac and

Mariveles trails in Mt. Mariveles from 200 to 1,300 masl. The transect will be 10 m x 100 m

long, with longer width beyond the gradient and shorter width on the elevation gradient (Yang et

al., 2016). The sampling sites will be 500 meters away from the road so that it will be less

disturbed by humans. Each transect will be set-up on a slope with even topography.

Each transect will have three plots of 10 m x 10 m. In every plot, the trees with >

10cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and above will be measured and the species will be

recorded. All plants inside the plot will be counted as abundance and the percentage cover will

be measured for shrub and herb species. Geographic location and altitude will be determined

using a GPS (geographic positioning system) apparatus. The compass will be used to measure

the gradient of the slope and its direction.

Moreover, the RH (relative humidity), air, and soil temperature will likewise be

noted in every plot. Following the procedure of Medicillo and Lagat (2017), relative humidity

will be measured using a BACHARACH sling psychrometer. Relative humidity will be taken by

swiveling the device for one minute and 30 seconds for the temperatures to be stable. The bulb

(wet and dry) temperature readings will be recorded then set opposite of every other alongside.

The scale conversion calculator will be used to measure percent relative humidity and

determined from the built-in side rule on the handle. A laboratory thermometer will be used to

get the air temperature by hanging the thermometer one meter high above the ground for three

minutes. Then, the readings will be recorded. A soil thermometer will be used for measuring the

soil temperature. It will be instilled 10 centimeters in the soil and the readings will be

documented every three minutes. Three readings in each of the parameters will be done.
 3.3 Collection and Processing of Specimen

A representative specimen will be collected, pressed, poison, and mounted as

Herbarium vouchers and to be placed at University of Santo Tomas (UST) Herbarium and

duplicates will be deposited at Philippine National Herbarium (PNH).

3.4 Identification of Specimen

The collected plants will be determined using taxonomic literatures and floras,

books, and monographs (Merrill, 1923-1926; Flora Malesiana Series, 1995-2012; Madulid, 1995;

Pelser, Barcelona & Nickrent, 2011 onwards). For further verification, the known specimen will

be carried to PNH.

3.5 Data Analysis and Interpretation

To determine the diversity of angiosperms in Mt. Mariveles, Bataan, the following

indices will be obtained: S (species richness), H’ (Shannon Weiner Diversity Index),43and (D)

Simpson Index. Species richness and abundance will be computed depend on the count of

individuals and species.

The H′ (species diversity) will be calculated using the Shannon and Weiner (1963)

information index:

H= ∑ n i logn n i
N N
where n is the total density value for species, i, and N is the total of the density
i

values of all the species in that plot.

The D (Simpson diversity index) will quantify the evenness and richness of species.

The term “Simpson’s Diversity Index” quantifies the possibility of two individuals to be selected

randomly selected from the same species category

 Simpson index D = ∑n (n-1)
∑N(N-1)

where N = total number of species, and n = number of species in a given area

To analyze the vegetation of the said mountain and analyze the tree structure, the

following will be computed: relative cover, density, dominance, importance value, and

frequency.

cover (C)= the part of ground inhabited by a projection aligned to the up above

portions of individuals of the plant species (Greig -Smith, 1957).

Relative cover = C of the species x 100

total C of all the species

Density = number of individuals

area sampled

Relative Density = number of individuals of species___ x 100

total number of individuals for all species

Frequency = number of plots in which species occur

total number of plots sampled

Relative Frequency = total number of times species is present on the plots x100
Total plot frequency

Dominance = basal area or volume for a species

area sampled

Relative Dominance = basal area_____ x 100

total basal area

Importance Value = Relative Density + Relative Frequency + Relative

Dominance

3.6 Statistical Analysis

PAST (Paleontological Statistical Software Package) created by Hammer, David,

Harper & Ryan (2001) will be utilized to calculate the indices and determine the abundance
curve. Sorensen incidence value will be computed with the use of program SPADE (Species

Prediction and Diversity Estimation) created by Chao and Shen (2010) to determine the

similarity for the composition of the two slopes.

A species-accumulation curve will be utilized to express the transition in variety of

species with huge sampling areas based totally on the number of species of three 10 meters x 10

meters in every transect (Harte, 2009). Species-accumulation curves for a pair of transects on

similar elevation but on dissimilar slope (Northern and Southern) of Mt. Mariveles will be

compared to see modifications in intricate ecological patterns between two slopes. The species

richness will be computed, while the standard deviations of species richness and its means will

be utilized to plot the species-accumulation curve in every transect from 100 m2 to 1000 m2.

3.7 Cluster Analysis

Cluster analysis (CA) will be used to study plant variation (Suranto, 2002). This

analysis will give strategies and outline samples (plants) and support the differences

between the groupings within the area (Sneath & Sokal, 1973). Microsoft Excel will be used

to tabulate in a matrix the parameters to be used in the study namely: elevation, RH (relative

humidity) in every plot together with the quantity of species, air and soil temperature. The multi-

state order will be used to code different parameters. PAST is the software that will be used to do

cluster analysis.

The CA method with the use of unweighted pair group with arithmetic mean

(UPGMA) will be utilized to compute the similarity coefficients and to construct dendrograms.

Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) will help to determine the relationship between the

species and their environment (Legendre & Legendre, 1986). This will be used to compute the
similarities and differences among the plots so; ordination using correlation of CCA will be

calculated.