| Abstract |
Diatoms are good indicators of the environmental integrity of lotic ecosystems. This
study aims to identify the genera of diatoms present in the rivers of Calamba, Misamis
Occidental, Philippines and their corresponding abundance. Sixteen genera of diatoms were
identified in the rivers where the majority of the genera favor intermediate to the high nutrient
concentration. The species of Fragilaria and Navicula were most abundant upstream while the
species of Amphora was the most abundant downstream. The following genera were present in
all the rivers sampled and most of these have high cell densities: Amphora, Cymbella, Epithemia,
Fragilaria, Gomphonema, Navicula, and Nitzschia. Based on the assemblage of diatom genera,
the rivers sampled at Calamba Misamis Oriental are already showing signs of nutrient
enrichment. Using probes to measure the concentrations of nutrients in the rivers can further
validate this finding. |
Mindanao State
University - Iligan Institute of Technology