Impact assessment of the National Greening Program in Malinao, Aklan, Philippines

The National Greening Program (NGP) contributed in the improvement of biological diversity particularly in the plantation established in Osman, Malinao, Aklan [Philippines]. Impact assessment was undertaken in the area in 2016 wherein the results were compared to the baselining data gathered in 2013. Transect line method and opportunistic sampling covering the sampling sites assessed during the baseline activities in 2013 was conducted. Arthropods and other invertebrates were collected using sweep nets and pitfall traps where the baseline study occurred in 2013. Results showed that the diversity of the trees changed from relatively moderate to relatively high from 2013 to 2016 with values ranging from 2.67 to 3.09. The area became more diverse based from the Species Richness which increased from 28 in 2013 to 33 in 2016. The total number of individuals also increased from 134 to 161. The increase may be attributed to natural succession, lesser destructive human intervention, and enhanced protection efforts of the NGP beneficiaries. The calculated Shannon diversity (H') values in 2013 are also higher compared in 2016 which implies that the area becomes less diverse inn species arthropods and invertebrates. Hymenoptera particularly ants was found dominant for ground-dwellers while Family Formicidae still dominates the site for foliage-dwelling arthropods. There was an increase in the species richness of herpeto-fauna particularly Macaca fascicularis Raffles and Paradoxurus hermaphroditus Pallas. Most of the species of herps and mammals listed during the impact assessment were gathered from ethno biological accounts. The result of impact assessment for avifauna shows high species richness than that of 2013 which recorded 22 species and 17 species, respectively. The relative abundance of 120 is similarly higher than the 51 counted during the baseline survey. The increase in species richness and relative abundance were due to the actual biophysical/environmental conditions of the area, the strategies applied during the assessment activities, and sampling period. Insectivorous birds are the most common in the area. This is considered as one of the reasons to the decrease in the insect population in the area.