Floristic composition in Kinalablaban River delta interconnected with the nickel mines in Surigao, Philippines

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/01/2017
Views (220) Download (6)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Floristic composition in Kinalablaban River delta interconnected with the nickel mines in Surigao, Philippines

Chime M. Garcia, Lorie Cris S. Asube, Rowena P. Varela, Glenn Arthur A. Garcia
J. Bio. Env. Sci.10( 1), 97-104, January 2017.
Certificate: JBES 2017 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

In nickel mining, a considerable amount of topsoil and vegetation are removed to extract the ore, thus soil erosion during rainy season is inevitable. This causes the soil particles and associated minerals to eventually reach the freshwater and marine water bodies nearby. Reforestation is viewed to provide the buffering effect to soil erosion, so this study was done to determine local plant species with potential for use in mine rehabilitation to reforest the area. A total of 55 floral species belonging to 36 families was recorded growing in the alluvial plain of the Kinalablaban Delta. The predominant plant species found is Pandanus tectorius of the Family Pandanaceae which is a perennial species. Other typical beach forest plants found in the site were Terminalia catappa, Calophyllum inophyllum, Ipomoea pes-caprae and species of mangroves. Xanthostemon verdugonianus which is native to the Philippines is also a common plant in the site. The existence of diverse floral species in the delta indicates that the soil particles deposited from soil erosion can support biodiversity. The soil quality in the delta supports the survival of plant species despite the deficiency in nitrogen. These information are useful in mine rehabilitation because the interconnectivity between the soil quality in the mountain slopes and the deposited soil in the delta is critical in planning in the landscape approach.

VIEWS 5

Bianchini G, Laviano R, Lovo S, Vaccaro C. 2002. Chemical-mineralogical characterization of clay sediments around Ferrara (Italy): a tool for environmental analysis. Applied Clay Science 21, 165-176.

Bin Wang, FenliZheng, Mathias J.M. Römkens, Frédéric Darboux. 2013. Soil erodibility for water erosion: A perspective and Chinese experiences. Geomorphology 187(2013), 1-10.

Dzemua GL, Mees F, Stoops F, Ranst EV. 2011. Micromorphology, mineralogy and geochemistry of lateritic weathering over serpentinite in south-east Cameroon. Journal of African Earth Sciences 60, 38-48.

Ellison, J.C. 1998. Impacts of Sediment Burial on Mangroves. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 37:420-426.

Huang YH, Saiers JE, Harvey JW, Noe GB, Mylon S. 2008. Advection, dispersion, and filtration of fine particles within emergent vegetation of the Florida Everglades. Water Resour. Res 44.

Kothyari UC, Hashimoto H, Hayashi K. 2009. Effect of tall vegetation on sediment transport by channel flows. J. Hydraul. Res 47(6), 700-710.

Langdon JR. 1991. Booker Tropical Soil Manual: A Handbook for Soil Survey and Agricultural Land Evaluation in the Tropics and Subtropics. Longman Scientific and Technical Essex England.

Palmer MR, Nepf HM, Pettersson TJR, Ackerman JD. 2004. Observations of particle capture on a cylindrical collector: implications for particle accumulation and removal in aquatic systems. Limnol. Oceanogr 49, 76-85.

Saiers JE, Harvey JW, Mylon S.E. 2003. Surface-water transport of suspended matter through wetland vegetation of the Florida everglades. Geophysical Research Letters 30(19).

Sheoran AS, Sheoran V. 2006. Heavy metal removal mechanism of acid mine drainage in wetlands: A critical review. Mining Engineering 19(2), 105-116.

Tue NT, Ngoc NT, Quy, T.D, Hamaoka H, Nhuan MT, Omori, K. 2012.A cross-system analysis of sedimentary organic carbon in the mangrove ecosystems of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam. Journal of Sea Research 67, 69-76.