The present study examines the leaf variations in leaf traits of four Hoya R. Br. species from Philippines namely: (1) H. buotii Kloppenburg, (2) H. halconensis Kloppenburg, (3) H. mindorensis Schlechter red bearing flowers; and (4) H. mindorensis Schlechter yellow bearing flowers. Leaf samples (n= 30 leaves) were collected from each plant group and measured with nine architectural traits. The results showed variability in the leaves using univariate and multivariate analysis. Data ordination depicted variations in leaf morphology. The two plant groups H. mindorensis red bearing flowers and H. mindorensis yellow bearing flowers were consistently variable as supported by principal coordinate analysis, cluster analysis and two way Anova (P<0.001). The variability of the two plant groups could be due to developmental instability, plasticity or taxonomic identity, one being the subspecies of the other. Hence, a closer study to investigate the significant variability of the two plant groups was recommended. Distinct separation of H. buotii and H. halconensis was detected being regularly mistaken as one species. The study demonstrated the applicability of multivariate analysis as effective tool in numerical taxonomy. Multivariate analysis can be employed to demonstrate likelihood of relationship among various Hoya species.Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 199-207, 2016 (December)

Studies on butterflies in the Philippines are scanty and some areas still need to be explored, especially in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. The current study provided information on the species composition and status of true butterflies in Lauan Eco Park and Bood Promontory Eco Park, Butuan City. The studies employed transect walks and opportunistic sampling using insect net-sweeping techniques. A total of 218 individuals of true butterflies belonging to 37 species, 24 genera and four families were documented. 34 species belonging to 22 genera were observed in Lauan Eco Park, while 12 species belonging to 10 genera were recorded in Bood Promontory Eco Park. Of these, the family Nymphalidae was the most represented group having 20 species (54.05%) in two sites, followed by the family Pieridae with 11 species (29.72%); the family Lycaenidae with four species (10.81%); and the family Papilionidae as the least represented group with only two species (5.40%). Regarding national status and endemism, 25 (71%) out of 35 species were common, 1 (2.70%) rare species, 1 (2.85%) rare Mindanao endemic and 8 (22.85%) were Philippine endemic species; five (5) species were rare Philippine endemics and four (4) species were common Philippine endemics.As for the local status, 25 species were assessed as very rare, seven (7) were rare, three (3) were common and two (2) were very common. New locality record of Ptychandra lorquinii plateni and Mycalesis igoleta were reported in Agusan del Norte. Lauan Eco Park showed a higher number of individuals (156) than Bood Promontory Eco Park (65). Diversity assessment using the Shannon-Weiner index showed a high index with H = 2.92 in Lauan Eco Park compared to Bood Promontory Eco Park with H = 1.933. The species richness, abundance and diversity of butterfly species, plus the presence of rare endemic species in Eco Parks, are essential for conservation and protection as a habitat for butterfly species.

The utility of Geographic Information System (GIS) has been adopted in mapping and predicting sites for mangrove suitability in Alabel, Sarangani Province, Province. Biodiversity assessment of coastal mangroves in Alabel, Sarangani Province, Philippines was performed in purposive manner using sampling quadrats. There were 13 observed mangrove species in sand-dominated (51.48%) soil. The sampled field data points are scattered irregularly, showing slight curvature on the east-west trendline but a flatter surface on the north-south trendline. The abundance and soil data were converted into shapefiles and subjected to inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation. The rasterized and reclassified thematic map layers were assigned with factor influence consisting of mangrove abundance (40%), land cover (30%), sand composition (20%), and slope (10%) for suitability analysis. The suitable mangrove areas were computed using weighted overlay suitability analysis, and the final score for the suitability index was converted into suitability classes. Prediction of mangrove suitable areas was performed under the ModelBuilder workflow tool in ArcMap. The mangrove suitability classes were extracted using a zonal geometry tool depicting three suitability classes. The predicted mangrove high suitability areas covered 463.37 km2, the low suitability areas covered 573.02 km2, and the unsuitable areas covered 9,403.77 km2. The study utilized a combination of field gathering and available online data for GIS analysis which local government units could perform. The results could be used to plan and manage mangrove resources in the area effectively.

Abstract. Jumawan JH, Ruales JJJ, Avila MCA. 2022. New distribution record of Varuna litterata from Caraga Region, Philippines: Analysis on morphometry, length/width-weight relationship, and condition factor. Biodiversitas 23: 2935-2942. The study reported the occurrence of Varuna litterata in its habitat as a new record in Caraga Region, Philippines. The crab samples were collected using a hand-picked method and were of marketable sizes. There were 14 morphometric traits measured with the corresponding weight and sex of each specimen. Majority of the crab samples were medium-sized, with weight ranging from 11-20 grams, a carapace width range of 28-34 cm, and a carapace length range of 27-32 cm. Exploratory analysis of length /width-weight data fits the power regression model depicted into graphs. A strong relationship and highly significant was observed on pooled samples of WT-CW variables (R2: 0.9229: P<0.001) and WT-CL variables (R2: 0.9197); P<0.001). The derived log-transformed for WT-CW relationship was logWT: -2.7994+2.6456 logCW. Results suggest that carapace length and width tend to be smaller relative to the weight, which is an indication of a negative allometric growth pattern. The computed Fulton's condition factor was higher in males than females, as supported by Kruskal Wallis test (P<0.001). The data provides baseline information for comparing similar studies and in understanding the population dynamics of this crab species.

Unsustainable harvesting, land conversion, and mining activities have raised conservation concerns about the remaining stands of vulnerable to critically endangered Philippine Xanthostemon in its natural habitat and with restricted distribution. Mapping the current distribution is essential in developing conservation strategies and protecting these threatened species. This paper generated the distribution patterns of Xanthostemon in the Philippine islands by data mining from published and digital checklist platforms and translated them into distribution maps using Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS). The data comprised 20 reported provincial occurrences of Xanthostemon species in the Philippines. Three endemic Xanthostemon species are widely distributed in selected provinces, and two have a restricted distribution pattern, making them more vulnerable to threats. Additional distribution of a possible introduced species, X. chrysanthus was reported in Agusan del Norte. The morphological description of the six Xanthostemon species reported was described based on the available data. The provinces of Leyte, Samar, Agusan del Norte, and Surigao del Sur obtained the highest number, having three species per province based on the number of reported occurrences. As per the island scale, Mindanao has the highest number of occurrences having ten provinces with four and one unidentified Xanthostemon species, naming it as the center of Xanthostemon in the country. Areas rich in heavy metals are a growing preference for ironwood and have been exploited for mining, which has been concluded for the threatened conservation status. The generated distribution map will significantly benefit from addressing intervention between local agencies and different sectors regarding the conservation and management of the natural population of Xanthostemon, especially in mining exploited areas, and could also serve as insight for further research into the collection of ironwoods for morphological, taxonomic, ecological, and molecular studies.