SPECIES DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF BEACH FORESTS IN SAN FERNANDO, SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE, PHILIPPINES

Beach forests play a vital role in disaster mitigation and climate change mitigation. These forests protect coastal communities against natural calamities. It has been observed that areas with less or absence of beach forests and mangrove systems were highly devastated compared to those with. However, these ecosystems were neglected due to lesser studies and baseline information about the species diversity and community structure and its role in the overall ecology of the area. The study assessed the species diversity and community structure of beach forests in San Fernando, San Jose, Antique, Philippines. The study used the transect line plots method in an area that was purposively selected. The general floristic composition was based on an ocular survey of the selected site. Characterization of community structure was done using accepted parameters.  Results showed a total of sixteen (16) beach forest species that belong to twelve (12) families. Tabernaemontana pandacaqui and Jatropha gossypifolia were found to be the most frequently occurring species. The plant diversity of the area is low (mean H’ = 0.968) which is attributed to anthropogenic disturbances. The species with the highest Importance Value was Capparis micracantha (IV =61.02). Overall, beach forest in San Fernando, San Jose has a high species evenness (J’ = 0.929) which proves that conservation and preservation efforts must be increased. It is recommended that local government units must develop plans to promote awareness and strengthen values for conservation and protection of the beach forests among its people. Keywords: Beach Forest, Forest Conservation, Biodiversity, Importance Value.