The results of the study concluded that the species Ficus septica is the most important species in the overall study site. Understanding the floristic composition and nature of the area can be useful in determining approaches in conservation efforts. The Sierra Madre mountain range is the longest mountain range in the Philippines, with 40% of the country's forested areas.
Despite the Sierra Madre Mountains being the largest protected area in the Philippines, it is still one of the most threatened due to deforestation and land conversions. It is in this light that a survey of the tree community in San Mateo was conducted. What are the characteristics of the tree community in the Sierra Madre foothills specifically in San Mateo, Rizal.
The Philippines is one of the most important and important biological hotspots in the world, but the country is still experiencing various forms of environmental destruction. This type of forest is the main source of wood products and therefore plays an important role in the country's economy. Species analysis also helps in the analysis of the change in forest vegetation due to disturbances and distractions.
METHODOLOGY
Three transect lines were then established at each site; this was done by selecting a starting area and then laying down a 100 meter transect line on which the points of the plot would be laid. But the length of each transect varied at each site, from 100 to 250 meters, depending on. In summary, a measurement of 300 m transect per site was observed, consisting of three transects per site.
It is important to note that for site 1, the third transect line was cut in half due to the presence of a river in this area. In each plot, all trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 5 cm or more were measured and included in the study. DBH was set at 1.5 meters from the base of the tree; and the diameter of the tree was measured with a tape measure.
Preliminary identification of the species investigated was done on site, but if the specimen was difficult to identify on site, specimens were obtained from unidentified trees and brought to the laboratory. For unidentified tree species, parts of the tree such as leaves, fruit and flower, if available, were collected, wrapped in newspaper, stored in Polyethylene bags and preserved in denatured alcohol. Herbarium specimens were then submitted to the Department of Botany in the National Museum for identification and verification of the collected taxa.
Information on the biogeographical origin of the species and whether the plant occurs in primary or secondary forest is included in the table. Consultation with Leonard Co's Digital Flora website (philippineplants.org) provided information on the species' natural range.
RESULTS
A total of 179 individuals classified into 27 species were found in nine plots at the first site in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal. Families in the floristic composition of Area 1 in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal according to species abundance in percentages. This is followed by the Fabaceae family, which represents 36.87% of the total tree population for first place.
List of the ten most important species of the area one of the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal. A total of 259 individuals classified into 42 species are found within nine 20x20 m plots in the second lowland area of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo, Rizal. Families in the floristic composition of area two in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal in terms of percentage species abundance.
The family Moraceae constitutes 38.61% of the tree population for zone two, containing 100 individuals under 8 species. List of the ten most important species for Zone Two of the lowlands of the Sierra Madre Timberland, San Mateo Rizal. A total of 121 tree individuals classified into 28 species were recorded in the nine 20x20 m plots located along the Sierra Madre foothills, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal.
Families in the floristic composition of area 3 in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal according to species abundance in percentage. Table 6 shows that the Moraceae family represents 33.06% of the total tree population for third place, followed by Fabaceae with 14.05% of the tree population. List of ten most important species for zone three in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Timberland, San Mateo Rizal.
Families in floristic composition in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal according to species abundance in percentages. Table 8 shows that the Moraceae family represents 38.46% of the total tree population on the entire site, which contains the most individual species. List of the ten most important species for the entire area in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, Timberland, San Mateo Rizal.
Importance values calculated for the top ten species in the overall site are shown in Table 9.
DISCUSSION
The location of the site can also be attributed to the success of this genus, with an average elevation of 300 meters above sea level, and the presence of water bodies in the area, such as rivers and streams. They usually find their upper limit in the colline subzone, the altitude between 500 and 1000 meters above sea level. It is no surprise that the genus Ficus thrives in this area, as it is one of the few plant species that is diverse and abundant in all tropical lowlands and moist forests, especially in tropical Asian countries such as the Philippines (Corlett, 2006).
Also the height of the area matches the prerequisite that the genus needs for it to thrive. Although Ficus septica is the most important species in the overall site, the evaluation showed that there are different important species per site. locality. Bombax ceiba is the most important species at site 1, although it occurred only once in the entire area.
The mango became the most important species in this place because part of the area was converted into a mango plantation for economic purposes. The large number of mangoes in the area has affected the diversity of plants present, making it the most important species in this area. It contains all the characteristics of a secondary forest, namely tree species with a low diameter at base height (DBH), most species being secondary trees, and the presence of disturbances in the area (Bradshaw et al. 2009).
The difference between the study site and OPP can be attributed to many factors, one of which is altitude. The elevation in Palanan is 800 meters above sea level, while the study site only averages near 300 meters. With the available data, it can be seen that although the forest fragments at the foot of the Sierra Madre are secondary in nature, exotic species are rarely introduced.
Those that replaced the pioneer species in the area are being replaced by secondary growth species that still grow naturally in Sierra Madre. This implies that anthropogenic activities, although present, do not influence the composition in such a way that the biodiversity in the area can be affected.
CONCLUSIONS
Also, the replacement of native trees with non-native trees can be detrimental to the natural composition of the forest, as non-native species compete for nutrients and do not promote the survival of wildlife (Lamb, 2010). The proponent of the study recommends using biodiversity indices to further clarify the situation of the forest fragment. Different biodiversity indices yield different interpretations. It is therefore recommended to use different indices so that correlations between floristic compositions and biodiversity assessments can be established.
It is also advised that other ecological factors such as tree distribution, light intensity, forest canopy cover, height, edaphic factors and atmospheric factors are determined and correlated with the floristic composition for a more in-depth understanding of forest mechanics. The use of statistical tools such as Canonical Correspondence Analysis or CCA may also be suggested. In terms of conservation, it is recommended that conservation efforts be made in the area and the introduction of invasive and exotic species be prevented.
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