Introduction: (2:30)

Hello everyone!

In this video, our group is going to report on the habitat suitability assessment of
Leiopotherapon plumbeus in Laguna de Bay.

For a brief background, it is important to note the status of fisheries in Laguna, which is usually
represented by Laguna de Bay since it is as a significant natural resource, responsible for the
catchment of an expansive and an environmentally important watershed.

However, according to Israel (2006), it was hampered by several problems including the
occurrence of natural disasters like typhoons and floods, ecological and environmental
problems like periodic fish kill, pesticides contributing to fish mortality, clogging of water
hyacinths and algal blooms, which all affect aquatic life in a larger sense.

Consequently, for an ecosystem such as Laguna de Bay, as biologists, an effective way to

measure and evaluate ecosystem health is by holding a habitat sustainability assessment. This
usually entails computing for the HSI value, which is a measure of the suitability of a habitat for
a given species by looking into the habitat attributes or the key environmental factors. In this
case, we assess the suitability of Leopotherapon plumbeus by looking into the existing key
variables in Laguna bay namely Dissolved oxygen, pH, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia
and phosphate.

Hence, there are two primary objectives in this study. First is to investigate how the changes in
the catch rate volume of L. plumbeus relate to environmental factors namely pH, dissolved
oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia and phosphate concentrations within 2009-
2019. And second would be to determine the Habitat Suitability Index for L. plumbeus from 2009
to 2019 and its possible ecological implications about the current state of Laguna de Bay.

Methods: (1 min)
So how do we construct the model for logistic regression?

Basically, a separate logistic regression was run for each environmental factor. The factor being
the independent variable (for an instance, the pH) while the probability of species
presence/absence being the Dependent variable. Once generated, the resulting model should
include the constant as well as the predicted probabilities.

Then the results from the logistic regression would be graphed. The factor on the X axis would
still be the same environmental factor while on the Y axis, the resulting predicted probabilities
would be used. This is done to show how that particular environmental factor basically
influences/predicts the probability of species occurrence, for an instance, how pH affects the
predicted probability of L. plumbeus occurrence.

RnD: (2 mins)
As you can see here, as the value of Dissolved Oxygen increases, so does also the value of the
mean predicted probability for the L. plumbeus occurrence increase.

To elucidate, dissolved oxygen refers to the amount of free oxygen present in water. Since
oxygen is very crucial in maintaining life’s basic processes and regulating metabolic activities,
then it can be said that dissolved oxygen is also the amount of oxygen available for aquatic
organisms to thrive. Which is also why, according to Harrison, it has become an effective key
indicator of aquatic system health.
In fact, anoxia and hypoxia, can cause adverse effects on the health of the aquatic ecosystem.
According to Banerjee et al (2018), low dissolved oxygen concentrations of water bodies directly
affect abundance of fish and other organisms. These effects are strongly manifested as
significant reduction of fishery harvests, toxic algal blooms and loss of biotic diversity, which in
the process, alters ecological balance.
It is therefore important for an aquatic system to maintain the right amounts dissolved oxygen.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the minimum level to mark a water body
as healthy is is 4.8 mg/L. In relation, the figure below shows the levels of dissolved oxygen
required to sustain aquatic life for fishes. As you can see, those with higher levels, around 9.5
and above, is said to be able to support all kinds of fishes. Thus, given the implication that high
levels of dissolved oxygen enables high fish abundance and diversity, this strongly justifies our
result, on how high concentrations of dissolved Oxygen indicates high predicted occurrence of
the species, (in this case, the silver perch in Laguna de Bay.)
1 min & 30s
To start off, the chosen site is located at Malakimpook, San Pascual Batangas. It was a private property
or investment that exclusively serves as a site for planting and agriculture. So here is the photo
documentation of the place, as well as the latitudinal and longitudinal location.

Meanwhile, for the remnant description, this patch of land is actually surrounded by other pieces of
vegetative land usually sued for grazing, farming and other agricultural activities. Its estimated size is
around 5000 square kilometers. Its relief class is plain while the soil type imminent in the place is silt and
loam.

In assessing its connectivity, existing barriers evident in this native vegetation were identified. The most
prominent are the anthropogenic disturbances coming from the adjoining areas of the native vegetation
Since it was is adjoined to other vegetative areas, it has also become prone to man-made activities such
as burning (as people were using it as a road path). There were also natural disturbances that affected
the place: microclimatic conditions such as the soil type, temperature and humidity for an instance. Also
natural disasters such as typhoons are also noted as factors that affected the state of the vegetation.

1 min
Now to address the evident issues, we have some of the suggested mitigation and management
practices. First is irrigation. As we know how essential water is not only for the development but also for
the translocation of nutrients, it is vital for this native vegetation to have a good and constant source of
water. And while the established trees are already deep rooted, thus having the ability to extract water
several feet below the ground, but it must be noted that especially during flowering and fruiting, moisture
should be readily available for optimum growth. Irrigation during flowering and fruiting results to longer
flower panicles, increased number of fruits per panicle (fruit set), reduced fruit drop, increased fruit size
and improved fruit quality.
Second is underbrushing and Cultivation. Cutting of trees/shrubs, clearing and removal of stones,
stumps and log should be done. Uprooting of grasses to clear the area from weeds is also recommended.

1 min and 30s

Consequently, since this patch of vegetation is dominated by trees, there should be enough
management practices for maintaining the health of trees. First, is pruning which involves the removal of
crowded and unnecessary branches as well as parts damaged by insects and diseases. Through pruning,
the trees in the area are provided with good light penetration and good air circulation. Also reducing the
population of insect pests and spread of diseases in the process. It is recommended after harvest,
preferably during summer.
Next is soil analysis, tissue analysis recommendation and symptomatology of the trees lack certain
elements will help to determine the nutrient deficiency. Relatively, the most common procedure employed
is soil analysis. Soil samples are taken from the field and submitted to the Bureau of Soil and Water
Management of the Department of Agriculture for analysis. Laboratory result identifies the limiting
elements, its amount and the corresponding recommendations. It is important to have your soil analysis
prior to application of fertilizer. However, in the absence of such, especially now that we are in a time of
pandemic, the following recommendation for bearing trees could be observed.
As seen in the table, animal manure (such as that of the cow’s) could be used as a rich source of
nutrients for growth and development Actually, this was already practiced in the native vegetation but
through this table, we are provided with the right amounts of animal manure needed for tree
development, with the age of the trees taken into consideration.

1 min
In relation, if one wants to turn this patch of land into a source of income (as an agricultural land, for
an instance), one of the possible problems to encounter are pests. While at present it may not have been
that palpable as the other issues, the group also suggests an integrated pest management plan so as to
address this problem. This includes pruning, clean culture, monitoring, chemical control and the use of
insecticides.
 Pruning as mentioned earlier, while clean culture is done by ring cultivation, sanitation through
cleaning of surrounding areas and collection and destruction of infected branches and fruit
droppings.
 For monitoring, regular monitoring of flowers and fruits for specific pest and population have been
proven effective for the success of pest program. But this will of course depend on the
comprehensive knowledge gathered about the pest particularly its life history and behavior,
distribution, dispersion, and seasonal abundance.
 Meanwhile, for chemical control, chemicals which are used to control or kill pests are referred to
as pesticide. They are usually effective against large pest population, acting within a short period
of time and are readily available for use.
 Lastly, the use of insecticides for management is also recommended, as these are used to
control insect pests. However, it should be kept in mind that the use of both chemicals should
only be in optimal amounts to ensure that the soil and plant ecosystem remain healthy.