Assessment of the Status of Mangrove Stands in Illana Bay, Zamboanga Del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines

Mangrove forests are vital coastal ecosystems that provide nursery grounds for marine life, protect shorelines, and support biodiversity. Currently, it is threatened by climate change and destructive human activities such as deforestation and fishpond conversion. The study aims to assess the status of the mangrove stand to determine its density, basal area, regeneration species, crown cover, height, canopy cover, relative dominance, and diversity. The transect plot technique was used in this study.A total of 17 mangrove species belonging to 8 families were recorded in the mangrove forest of seven (7) municipalities in Illana Bay, Zamboanga del Sur, with 12 species found within transect plots and 5 species outside. The largest number of species was family Rhizophoraceae, comprising 5 species, and the least were Palmae, Combretaceae, and Acanthaceae, with 1 species, respectively. The municipality of Dimataling has the most expansive mangrove forest area among the seven coastal municipalities. On the other hand, the municipality of Tabina registered the highest total basal area with a value of 2,900.36 m2 per hectare, with a corresponding density of 1,280 per hectare, respectively. The mangrove forest in seven (7) municipalities of Illana Bay was in good condition based on the average of crown cover, height, and regeneration species, except the municipality of San Pablo, with excellent condition.