Occurrence of Leaf Spot Antrachnose in the Monostand of Rhizophora apiculata in Sitio Marabahay, Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan, Philippines

Abstract

Mangrove trees are naturally resilient to pathogenic attacks with its salt tolerant mechanism, but was reported to be lowest in Rhizophora apiculata making it susceptible to pathogenic attacks. This study aimed to morphologically verify the fungus affecting R. apiculata in the area and determine the extent and severity of fungal infection present in R. apiculata in Sitio Marabahay, Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan, Philippines. There were at least 100 R. apiculata trees near the settlement area that were affected by the anthracnose. Almost 85-90% of all sampled leaves were affected by the anthracnose which indicates that the R. apiculata that were thriving in Marabahay, Rio Tuba, Bataraza, Palawan, Philippines were under severe threats of great lost both in terms of quality and quantity of R. apiculata in the area. The occurrence of this disease in R. apiculata could be attributed to the humidity brought by the rainy weather during the month of October favoring the growth of fungal pathogens. The low salt-tolerance of R. apiculata and environmental stress brought by the waste management of the settlers in the area contributed also to the spread of the disease among the monostand of R. apiculata. Monitoring of the occurrence of this disease should be conducted frequently and water condition and other environmental factors in the settlement area should be evaluated to avoid decline of the mangrove biodiversity in the area.