PHYSICAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SEAGRASS COMMUNITY AND ASSOCIATED MACROINVERTEBRATES IN BAYLIMANGO COAST

Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction Seagrasses are specialized marine flowering plants that have adapted to the nearshore environment of most of the worlds continents. Most are entirely marine although some species cannot reproduce unless emergent at low tides or subject to marine fresh water inflow. Some seagrasses can survive in a range of conditions encompassing freshwater, estuarine, marine or hypersaline. Although there are relatively few species globally (about 60) and these are grouped into 13 genera and 5 families ( Short, et. al, 2001) worldwide, these plants play an important role in many shallow, near-shore, marine ecosystems. Conceptual Framework This study is anchored on the principle of the Law of the Minimum of Justus von Leibig (1840), which states that "to occur and thrive in a given situation, an organism must have essential materials which are necessary for growth and reproduction". Leibig explained that because organisms respond to a variety of environmental factors, any one factor has the potential to limit survival, growth and reproduction. Plants for

example require certain kinds and quantities of nutrients. If one of those nutrients is absent, the plant dies. If it is present in minimal quantities, the growth of the plant will be minimal. Seagrasses are among the flowering plants that require a number of physical factors critical for its growth and reproduction. This include physical parameters that regulate the physiologic activity of seagrass (temperature, salinity), natural phenomena that limit photosynthetic activity of the plant (light, nutrient), and anthropogenic inputs that inhibit the access to available plant resources (sediments). Various combinations of these parameters will permit, encourage or eliminate seagrass from a specific location. (Short, F. et. al., 2001) Temperature has a pervasive influence on plant life. It affects the rate of

photosynthesis and energy storage in plants. Green plants convert a considerable amount of solar radiation to chemical energy through photosynthesis when consumed as food. Because plants cannot move to a more favorable situation, they experience a wide range of temperature. The range of temperature over which photosynthesis occurs and optimal temperature vary both among species and among populations of a species growing in different temperature environments. In general, the temperature response of plants is closely related to the temperature of the environment in which they are found. Above some minimum temperature photosynthetic rates increase with rising temperature. Eventually, photosynthetic levels off at some optimum temperature and then decline as temperature continue to rise. The average salinity or salt content is 35 parts of salts by weight per 1000 parts of water or 3.5 %. This is usually written as 35 parts per thousand. About 27% is sodium

chloride and most of the rest consists of magnesium, calcium and potassium salts. Salinity varies within very narrow limits in the open ocean but is seasonally quite variable in the estuarine waters of bays and river mouth. Organisms of the open ocean are usually stenohaline where as organisms of inshore brackish waters are generally euryhaline. Most marine organisms have an internal salt content isotonic with seawater and hence osmoregulation poses no problem except when salinity is subject to change.

Physical Factors Temperature Salinity Light Nutrients Sediments

Seagrass Community Productivity Species Composition

Associated Macroinvertibrates Species Composition

Fig. 1. The Schema of the Study Statement of the Problem The study aimed to determine the physical factors affecting the productivity of seagrass community and associated macroinvertebrates in Baylimango coast. Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following questions: 1. What is the physical profile of Baylimango coast in terms of: 1.1 light 1.2 temperature 1.3 nutrients

1.4 salinity 1.5 sediments 2. What species of seagrass are found in Baylimango coast during wet and dry seasons? 3. What is the primary productivity of seagrass community in Baylimango coast during wet and dry seasons? 4. Is there a significant difference on the seagrass primary productivity during wet and dry seasons? 5. What are the associated macroinvertebrate species found in the seagrass beds of Baylimango coast during wet and dry seasons? 6. Is there a significant difference on the number of macroinvertebrate species between wet and dry seasons? 7. Is there a significant relationship between the physical profile of Baylimango coast and the productivity level of seagrass and associated macroinvertebrates found in Baylimango coast during wet and dry season? Hypotheses:

HO1 : There is no significant difference on the seagrass primary productivity during wet and dry seasons.

HO2 : There is no significant difference on the number of macroinvertebrate species between wet and dry seasons.

HO3 : There is no significant relationship between the physical profile and productivity level of seagrass and associated macroinvertebrates during wet and dry seasons.

Significance of the Study: The result of this study will provide insights and information to the following: The residents of Baylimango, Dapitan City as the direct fishers of macroinvertebrates and the primary caretakers of the seagrass community. Scope and Delimitation This study is limited to finding the physical profile of Baylimango coast in terms of light, temperature, nutrients, salinity and substrate which affect the productivity of seagrasses and its associated macroinvertebrates during wet season and dry season. This study is also focused on establishing the difference between productivity level, the association between macroinvertebrates as well as the relationship between the physical profile, productivity level and associated macroinvertebrates found in Baylimango coast during wet and dry season. Definition of Terms: Brackish water. This phrase refers to water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater with freshwater, as in estuaries.

Benthic ecosystem. This phrase refers to the interacting system of biological communities located at the bottom of bodies freshwater and saltwater and their non-living environmental surroundings. Biomass. In ecology, this refers to the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. Detrital food chain. This phrase refers to the link between green plants and decomposers which feed on them.

Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the literature and studies that have direct bearing on the present investigation. Seagrasses are marine angiosperms completely adapted to life in shallow coastal environment (den Hartog, 1970) on typically unconsolidated substrates (Phillips 1980) that have evolved from terrestrial plants and have become specialized to live in the marine environments. They are grouped within monocotyledonous plants, the largest subdivision of angiosperms that also include freshwater aquatic plants and most terrestrial grasses (den Hartog 2001). Like terrestrial plants, seagrasses have leaves, roots, conducting tissues, flowers and seeds and manufacture their own food via photosynthesis. Unlike terrestrial plants, however, seagrasses do not possess the strong supportive stems and trunks required to overcome the force of gravity on land. Rather, seagrass beds are supported by the natural bouyancy of water, remaining flexible when exposed to waves

and currents. Typically, seagrasses are found in water depths of 2-12m, where light intensity is greatest, but in some area they can occur down to depths of 50-60 m ( Spalding et al., 2003). Related Studies Willsie, at.al (2000) documented on the intra-annual temporal patterns in the abundance and the productivity of the nearshore dominant seagrass Thalassia testudinum in the south Florida region. The rangeof T. testudinum was almost extensive (6,400 sq. km followed by Syringodium filiforme (4,400 km, Halodule wrightii (3,000 sq. km and Halophila engelmanni (50 sq.km The productivity of T. testudinum was both

temporally and spatially variable. Yearly mean areal productivity of 0.70 g m2 day1 with a range of 0.05- 3.2 g m2 day1. Annual peaks in specific productivity occurred in August and minima in February.

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology. It discusses the method used, research environment, research instruments, sampling and sampling preparations and statistical treatment of the data. Method Use The study used the Descriptive-Evaluative Method of research with the aid of Systematic Transect Quadrat (TQ) for better quantification of both seagrasses and macroinvertebrates.

Research Environment This study was conducted in the coast of Baylimango, Dapitan City from July 2010 to December 2010. It is located approximately 20 kilometers from Jose Rizal Memorial State University ( Fig. 2 ) . Barangay Baylimango is a coastal barangay which lies on the northern part of Dapitan City. One of the 13 barangays located on the coastal region, it covers the land area of more or less 980, 476 sq. meters. The total population is 1, 323 as of 2007. Most of the residents are engaged in farming and fishing. The sea offers the fishermen the opportunity to earn a living. With the bounty of the sea life, fishes are there to caught, clams and oysters are there to gather for sale and for their own consumption. These macroinvertebrates are gathered from the seagrass meadows of the barangay during the low tide. Data Collection, Sampling Procedure and Data Treatment Measurement of the Physical Parameters Measurement of environmental parameters is necessary for the analysis of its effects on the productivity of seagrass community and its associated macroinvertebrates