Assessment of Biodiversity and Environmental Health in IIEE NCC Adapted Mangrove Plants

Mangrove ecosystems serve as vital biodiversity hotspots and natural coastal defenses. However, the presence of macroplastic pollution increasingly threatens their ecological integrity in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines. Despite legislative actions such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) and Extended Producer Responsibility (RA 11898), marine litter persists at alarming levels. Local assessments are necessary to quantify environmental degradation and inform regional action plans. This study assessed the environmental health of the IIEE NCC Adapted Mangrove Plants (IIEENCCAMP) using the Clean Coast Index (CCI) and visual categorization of macroplastics based on the Galarpe and Syakti classification. A total of 103 plastic items were collected and categorized to analyze plastic composition and pollution density. The site scored a CCI of 20.6, categorizing it as “Extremely Dirty.” The most prevalent materials were LDPE (29.13%) and PP (14.56%). These plastics were commonly represented by plastic fragments, bags, and disposable utensils. Variability in item types suggests a combination of domestic waste and localized pollution. Calculated variance and standard deviation of observed plastic categories highlighted a high spread of pollution sources. The findings reveal a pressing need for enhanced waste management and localized intervention. High levels of LDPE and PP waste point to the lack of plastic segregation and community-level awareness. The pollution level in IIEENCCAMP exceeds average coastal cleanliness based on previously reported Assessment of Macro Waste Density and Composition on Residential Coastal Zones in Surigao City, Philippines. Future efforts should include multi-season biodiversity surveys, implementation of localized recycling initiatives, and comparative monitoring of coastal CCI in different barangays. Quantitative metrics like SD and variance should be institutionalized to support targeted environmental policies.

红树林生态系统是至关重要的生物多样性热点区域与天然海岸防护屏障。然而，在东南亚地区，尤其是菲律宾，大型塑料污染的持续存在正日益威胁着其生态完整性。尽管已有《生态固体废物管理法》（Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, RA 9003）与《生产者责任延伸法案》（Extended Producer Responsibility, RA 11898）等立法举措，但海洋垃圾仍以令人担忧的态势持续泛滥。开展本地评估对于量化环境退化程度、为区域行动计划提供决策依据至关重要。本研究借助清洁海岸指数（Clean Coast Index, CCI）以及基于加拉佩-夏克提分类法（Galarpe and Syakti classification）的大型塑料目视分类方案，对IIEE NCC适配红树林种植区（IIEE NCC Adapted Mangrove Plants, 简称IIEENCCAMP）的环境健康状况开展评估。本研究共收集并分类了103件塑料废弃物，以分析塑料组成与污染密度。该区域的清洁海岸指数得分为20.6，被归类为"极度污染"等级。占比最高的塑料材质为低密度聚乙烯（Low-Density Polyethylene, LDPE，29.13%）与聚丙烯（Polypropylene, PP，14.56%）。该类塑料常见形态包括塑料碎片、塑料袋与一次性餐具。废弃物类型的多样性表明，该区域污染来源兼具生活垃圾与局地排放特征。对观测到的塑料类别计算得到的方差与标准差结果显示，污染来源的分布范围较广。研究结果表明，亟需强化废物管理并实施局地干预措施。低密度聚乙烯与聚丙烯废弃物的高占比反映出，当地仍存在塑料分类缺失与社区环保意识不足的问题。相较于此前发布的《菲律宾苏里戈市沿海居民区大型垃圾密度与组成评估》结果，IIEE NCC适配红树林种植区的污染水平已超出沿海区域平均清洁程度。未来研究可涵盖多季生物多样性调查、局地回收计划的落地实施，以及对不同村社沿海区域清洁海岸指数的对比监测。诸如标准差（Standard Deviation, SD）与方差等量化指标应被纳入制度化体系，以支撑针对性环境政策的制定。