Habitat characteristics of an invasive species Rhinella marina (Cane Toad) and environmental parameters in the rice fields of Brgy. Salitran 1 Dasmariņas, Cavite, Philippines/
Cesario O. Bandilla, Kenneth R. Indolos, Mary Jobelin D. Quintero. Kristine Khyla I. Samson .--
- Manila: Technological University of the Philippines, 2023
- vii, 134pages: 29cm. +1 CD ROM (3/4in.)
Thesis (undergraduate)
College of Science .--
Includes bibliography
This study aimed to determine the habitat characteristics of an invasive species Rhinella marina (cane toad) and its relationship to environmental parameters in the rice fields of Barangay Salitran 1, Dasmariņas, Cavite. Sampling periods were from November 2022 to March 2023 with the two established sampling sites using survey questionnaires to the residents in the barangay. Results showed that fishing, bathing, throwing of garbage, disposing household wastes, and excreting were seldom observed or done near the area which affected several environmental parameters. Grab sampling method was utilized in the collection of water and soil-sediment samples. Physicochemical parameters of water include temperature, turbidity, TDS, salinity, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, BOD, nitrates, phosphates, water level, and total coliform, for soil-sediments: soil temperature, soil pH, water level, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and soil texture, while air parameters are air temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind velocity. The soil and air sampling were done in Site 1 (rice fields) in established point locations. The water quality index of the watercourses was considered unfit throughout the sampling period, thus indicating poor and unhealthy aquatic conditions. The cane toad or Rhinella marina species were collected and verified by experts. Biometrics of the toad species include body mass, body weight, and body length. The Spearman rank correlation revealed significant relationship of water pH (r = - 0.975, p = 0.005), BOD (r = 1.000, p = 0.000), and water level (r = - 0.975, p = 0.005), in sediment bed towards the abundance of the said species. These findings conclude that such species have developed adaptive traits in varying habitat.