the cabusao wetland

                                                            Central Bicol State University of Agriculture
                                                                   College of Arts and Sciences
                                                            Institute of Natural And Applied Science

Name:  Sinahonon, Jennifer B.                                    Course/Sec: BSE3B                           Date: 02/16/12

                                                                       

                                                    Wetland Ecosystem
                                                                 Lab. Exercise No. 4
                                                                 Bird Watching Activity
                                                                 Cabusao Cam. Sur

1. Introduction
           

 A wetland is an area of ground that is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorized by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater, or brackish. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others.

Cabusao wetland 

2. Materials
           

      Binocular

      field notebook

      ballpen

      camera

3. Procedure

After you reached the location of the wetland ecosystem ( Brgy. Pandan, Cabusao, Cam. Sur) You should able to:

1. Talk to the officials of the barangay or any office concerned prior for your bird watching activity.
2. Went to the location of the  wetland ecosystem. Prepare yourself to the stumble and splashing of mud. Take note, appropriate attire is a must.
3. Set yourself at the nearest distance that will not destruct the birds activity. Patience is the virtue needed in the step.
4. Collect the picture data’s and observation.
5. Interview knowledgeable person in the area for further tidbits of information.

                                                                                                                                                 
4. Data

          Critical Habitat-  are those habitat that are identified as a sanctuary of a certain endemic species of organism that are already identified as extinct or nearly depleting in number (low population )- Cabusao identified as a critical habitat for Philippines wild ducks.

The Sangguniang Bayan of Cabusao has passed a resolution declaring part of the San Miguel Bay area as critical habitat owed to its being a roosting (perch area on which birds, esp. domestic fowls, can rest or sleep) and feeding ground of thousands of migratory birds, ducks including other shore and water birds. And they started monitoring in the year 2006 and as time goes by, the numbers of species of birds are increasing. Recently there are 68 species of birds, 34 are native species of birds and 34 are migratory species of birds. Here are some of the name lists of migratory and native birds. It is according to our interview with the mangrove caretaker Federico Maravilla and Forester Rechilda Almazar.

Native Birds	Migratory Birds
1. Osok	1. Wild Duck
2. Talaod	2. Canaway
3. Rugmok	3. Whimbrel
4. Naga ( native duck)	4. Swan
5. Kagang	5. Shoveller

          * The migratory birds start coming at early September up to March, and they disappear atsummer season or when the northeast monsoon start.

                  Source of Foods:

     -Shrimps/Balaw

     -Small Clams/Bugitis

     -Fish/Dilis

                                                                                                                                                 
5. Discussion and Analysis

a. Describe the local habitat. What are the physical and biological characteristics of the wetland ecosystem?
        

          There are mangroves (e.g. bacauang babae) covers around the muddy coastal area. Which some of the bird species, shrimps, crabs used as their habitat. And also serves as typhoon surge in the area. The area is muddy, some are filled with water. And there are grasses species grow near and on the muddy area.

b. What are the reasons for the migratory birds to feed and breed in the area?
        

          Because Cabusao wetlands have very diverse aquatic resources: the balaw, fish species, crabs, ‘bugetis’ that’s the reason why migratory birds come and feed/breed in the area.  

c. Describe the flyway of the migratory birds in the wetland of Cabusao.
         

         “East Australian Flyway is the major flyway of the migratory birds in the Cabusao wetland. But there are other two flyways: the East Pacific and central Pacific flyways, but we are not sure of this” its according to Ma’am Rechilda Almazar the forester of the place.

d. What are the different environmental stresses and shocks that the ecosystems have experienced?  What will the LGU's plans and DENR will cost the ecosystem? Discuss fully.
          

          Different environment stresses and shock that ecosystem have experienced are: garbage that are  distributed all over the area which may be eroded when there is a heavy rain, sounds of the boats because there are fishermen that depend on the area for their daily living, illegal bird hunting of some people, wetlands are affected by pollution, including from untreated domestic sewage, industrial effluent, toxic chemicals used in aquaculture and agrochemical run-off from farmland. The existing laws to control pollution need to be more strictly enforced by the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR).  And according to Ma’am Almazar there is avian flu that may risk the life of the Cabusao bird species, and there is LGU and DENR’s plan of converting the area into a tourist spot, one of the tourist spot in the Camarines Sur. This plan will give income to the locality but we all know what will the consequences of this plan. If this plan materialize we are all sure that there will many people will come and go   in the area. And the site or the area will be altered, some branches of mangrove cut by the men working on the site, and they consume some part of the muddy land in onder to put those pathways made of sacks filled with land. So if their will many people will come along there is the possibility that the peace of bird species will be disturbed.

e. Describe the food chain in the wetlands.
         

algae                 shrimps                    wild duck ( ex. Bird species)           

          It’s an example of a food chain happen in the Cabusao wetland. The algae is the producers, where the shrimps feeds on, then this shrimps species will be eaten by the wild duck, one of the bird species in the area.

f. Enumerate and describe the ecological services the wetlands offer to the community.
       

            The ecological services the wetlands offer to community are: wetlands prevent flooding by holding water much like a sponge. By doing so, wetlands help keep river levels normal and filter and purify the surface water. Wetlands accept water during storms and whenever water levels are high. When water levels are low, wetlands slowly release water. Wetlands also release vegetative matter into rivers, which helps feed fish in the rivers. Wetlands help to counter balance the human effect on rivers by rejuvenating them and surrounding ecosystems. Many animals that live in other habitats use wetlands for migration or reproduction. For example, herons nest in large old trees, but need shallow areas in order to wade for fish and aquatic life. Amphibians often forage in upland areas but return to the water to mate and reproduce.

While wetlands are truly unique, they must not be thought of as isolated and independent habitat. To the contrary, wetlands are vital to the health of all other biomes and to wildlife and humans everywhere

6. Documentation

                         

                       

                      

                      

         

                     

7. References

       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetland