INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Plants make foraging decisions that are dependent on ecological conditions, such as

resource availability and distribution. Legumes havethousands of speciesmaking it as one of

the diverse plant families and the second most important crop family in the world. Legumes

can reduce nitrogen limitation and helps increase nitrogen input in many ecosystems

(Makkonen et al., 2012; Mclaren&Turkington, 2010). It has been identified as a key driver of

productivity, carbon sequestration, and mineralization (Hille, Ris, Lambers, et al., 2004;

Oelman et al., 2011). Also, floristically, it represents the dominant family in the tropics(Miles

et Al., 2006).

One of the most successful families of angiosperms is the Fabaceae family with

approximately 650 genera and 20,000 species; remarkable foritswide distribution

andevolutionary diversification. Worldwide, Philippines is one of the most important

biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al.2000;Brooks et al.2002). Understanding the relationships

between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is important for the sustainable management

of ecosystems. The effects of species diversity are expected to increase with the magnitude of

the differences among species. This indicates that plant productivity is directly proportional

with plant species diversity (Cardinale et al. 2007).

Legumes ranked second as a source of human and animal food. Multiple Species of

legumes are useful since, they can adapt well to a wide and different range of souls and climate.

Legumes are not only known as affordable rich in protein source, but also for their

environmental and economic value. It has been reported that in addition to enriching the soil
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nutritional profile, theyprevent soil erosion, and further lead to reduced occurence of soil

pathogens (Daryanto et al., 2015). Leguminosaemake up an important part of the grasslands in

tropical and subtropical climates, especially in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Numerous

legumes were originally endemic to native pasture in semi-arid ecosystems around the world

(Mitchell et al., 2015; Ydoyaga-Santana et al., 2011). Forage and seeds of these plants can be

used to feed native fauna, domesticated ruminants;it can also be used as organic matter to soils

and plants that are unable to fix atmospheric nitrogen (Muir et al., 2005; Noah et al., 2012).

Loiola et al. (2010) stated that legumes are economically, socially and ecologically significant,

it is important for the local human populations and essential for developing sustainable natural

resource use based on adequate vegetation management.

Statement of the Problem

The study will evaluate the diversity status of the Legume (Fabaceae) inhabiting

disturbed and undisturbed stations in Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the different species of Legume (Fabaceae) genera present in in Dungis,

Miglamin, Malaybalay City.?

2. How diverse are the Legume (Fabaceae) genera present in Dungis, Miglamin,

Malaybalay City?

3. How different are the Legume (Fabaceae) genera from the disturbed and

undisturbed area of Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City.

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Objectives of the Study

The objective of this study is to evaluate the diversity status of Legume (Fabaceae)

genera species inhabiting disturbed and undisturbed stations in Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay

City.

Specifically, its target is to:

1. Collect, identify, classify and describe the Legume (Fabaceae) generapresent

inDungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City.

2. Determine the diversity status of the Legume (Fabaceae) genera present inDungis,

Miglamin, Malaybalay City; and

3. Investigate the difference between the Legume (Fabaceae) generafrom the disturbed

and undisturbed area ofDungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City.

Significance of the Study

This study will provide information and data to the community concerning the diversity

of the Legume(Fabaceae) generain disturbed and undisturbed stations inDungis, Miglamin,

Malaybalay City.

This will offer scientific information and data regarding the diversity status of the

Legume (Fabaceae) genera in thedisturbed and undisturbed stations in Miglamin, Malaybalay

City, Bukidnonin the field of Life Science especially for the future researchers who aimed to

study on the Legume (Fabaceae).

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Further, this study will help the people inhabiting to be aware of the kind of

environment they had and to give importance to the weeds in the said area especially the

Legume (Fabaceae) genera in order to preserve the ecosystem.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The study focused on the diversity status of Legume (Fabaceae) generafound

inDungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City, Bukidnonin the disturbed and undisturbed areas.

This study is limited only to the Makahiya (Fabaceae) generafound inDungis,

Miglamin, Malaybalay City,Bukidnonin the disturbed and undisturbed areas. Gathering the

data was done during the month of September 2019.

Definition of Terms

Angiosperms are vascular seed plant in which the ovule is fertilized and develops into

a seed in an enclosed hollow ovary.

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ArbuscularMycorrhiza is a fungus that is soilborne that form a mutualistic symbiotic

association with most land plants.

Carbon Sequestration is a natural or artificial process by which carbon is removed from

the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form.

Cover Cropping is a plant that is used primarily to erosion, improve soil health, enhance

water availability, smother weeds, help control pests and diseases, increase biodiversity and

bring a host of other benefits tomany farms.

Fabaceae is the third largest family among the angiosperm after Orchdaceaeand

Asteraceae, consist of more than 700 genera and about 20,000 species of trees, shrubs, vines

and herbs and is worldwide distribution.

Herbicides are substances that are toxic to plants, to destroy unwanted vegetation. They

are widely used in agriculture and in landscape turf management.

Hermaphrodite is an animal or plant having both male and female reproductive tissue and

organ.

Legumes are dehiscent fruits that release their seeds by splitting open along two seams,

a large and economically important family of flowering plants.

Monophyletic taxon is one that includes a group of organism descended from a single

ancestor.

OnobrychisViciifolia which is also known as Oryza Sativa or common sainfoin has

been an important forage legume in temperature regions until the 1950s.

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Paraphyletic taxon is one that includes the most recent common ancestor, but not all of

its descendent.

Rhizobia is a surviving and reproducing bacteria in the soil, and fixing atmospheric

Nitrogen inside the nodules produced in the roots of their specific legume.

Species richness is the number of species present in a sample, ecological community,

ecosystem, landscape, region or any defined spatial unit.

Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation occurs in plants that harbor nitrogen fixing bacteria within

their tissues.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Philippines is known as a tropical country with diverse plants and animal species.

Legumes in the Philippines are dominant which may lead to believe that this country is
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presumed a hotspot of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This high diversity of species of legumes

in the country may be providing the maintenance of the diverse population of rhizobia in the

soil. These soils represent natural repositories of new potential elite strains of rhizobia for

inoculation of legumes (Boakye et al., 2016). Mostly of the legumes in the Philippines are

found on agricultural or crop producing areas such as cornfields and rice fields. Because

legumes are not limited for Nitrogen, they have remarkably high levels of protein, a property

that is both biologically and agriculturally significant.Nearly 33% of all human nutritional

requirement for Nitrogen comes from legumes, and in many developing countries, legumes

serve as the most important source of protein for people and livestock (Gragam, P. & Vance,

C., 2003). Reintroducing legumes back into grass monocultures should contribute to resolving

the global problem of limited nitrogen availability, mitigating pasture degradation and

increasing soil and vegetation carbon sequestration (Guan et al., 2016).

Life Cycle

There are three factors that describe the time required for legumes to complete their life

cycles - Annually, biennially, and perennially. Annual legumes like soybean Germinates from

seed, flowers, sets seed and dies within one growing season. Perennial legumes like alfalfa

and Kura clover live for three or more years once established, and have the potential to set seed

each year. Biennial legumes like sweet clover are intermediate group of legumes that lives for

two years. During the first year, it flowers and grows vegetatively. In the second year it dies.

Classification and Botanical Description

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There are three sub-families in theLeguminosae family: Papilionoideae, Caesalpinioideae, and

Mimosoideae. Each sub-family is identified through its flowers. Mainly,Papilionoideae are edible

legume crops. This includes the soybean, chickpea, bean, and pea, among others (Morris, 2003). Some

lesser known members of the legume family include clover, licorice, lentils, and the peanut. In fact, the

peanut is biologically though not culinarily, defined as a woody, indehiscent legume. Unique to

Fabaceae are the flowers and fruit. Like many flowers, those found on legume plants are

hermaphroditic, containing both the stamen and pistil. This makes the plants self-fertile, meaning that

an individual plant is able to reproduce by itself which can have the effect of limiting genetic diversity.

However, hybridization occurs frequently in nature due to this characteristic, as any plant can pollinate

another due to the hermaphroditic properties therein. This creates difficulty in clearly defining the

differences that enter between subspecies. Typically, a flower has five petals and an ovary with one

carpel, cavity, and style (Morris, 2003). The distinctive nature of the flowers is not in the parts but in

the shape. The general pattern of legume flowers follows that of the pea blossom. The result of this

arrangement is that of a papilionaceous or butterflylikedesign. The petals of the legume plant are shaped

into a cup. In front of the petal are two narrower petals called 'wings,' between which two other petals

unite. Due to their shape, these petals are referred to as the keel. Inside that fold are the stamens and

pistil (Earl, 2003). The flower will die and reveal the growing ovary which becomes the pod after

pollination

Importance

Legumes are often grown as pure stands, but they are also included in mixtures of other

species in pastures, mixed/intercropping, “cover cropping,” and “alley” cropping systems that

use eco-functional intensification for enhancing yields and land/resource use efficiency

(Bedoussac et al., 2015;Hauggaard-Nielsen et al., 2016). Many legumes are harvested as fresh

vegetables or grown for grain or forage. They can be used as green manures (fresh aboveground
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biomass mulched orincorporated into soil) or brown manures (legumes killed with herbicides

mid-growing season prior to weed seed set) to enrich the nutrient status of soils and as a

strategy to manage weeds for the benefit of future crops(Peoples et al., 2017). In the case of

woody perennial species, in addition to their foliage providing a source of forage for livestock

or green manufacturefor crops, they may also be utilized for land restoration, fuel wood, or as

“living” fences.

The ecological importance of legumes extends to their potential effects on local species

composition and diversity. Nitrogen fixation increases nitrogen availability through the

recycling of litterfall. By the fertilization hypothesis, increasing soil nutrients promotes

productivity, which would intensify above-ground competition, thereby reducing diversity

(Suding et al., 2005).However, nitrogen fixation also favorsarbuscularmycorrhizal

colonization and soil microbial activity (Nasto et al., 2014). These micro-organisms help

mineralize organic Phosphorus, mitigating the chronic Phosphorus limitation of many tropical

ecosystems (Ghosh et al., 2007; Houlton, Wang, Vitousek, & Field, 2008). Also,It has been

reported that microbial symbionts can mediate partitioning of soil nutrients (Silvertown, 2004)

and increase complementary resource use (Ashton, Miller, Bowman, &Suding, 2010), which

would promote diversity

Benefits of Legume on Biodiversity and Ecosystem

Legumes are known to be an important feed source to a range of pollen and nectar

feeders, and they can represent the main pollen source to many bumblebee species (Williams

and Osborne, 2009). Indeed, legumes could be considered a key element of pollinator

conservation strategies in agroecosystems. For example, the use of legume species such as red
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clover, birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), and sainfoin (Onobrychisviciifolia) in seed

mixtures for establishing flower-rich field margins can provide some mid-to late-season floral

resources at a time when most of the mass flowering crops have lost their flowers.

Consequently, this strategy can improve the temporal continuity of floral resources that is so

crucial for populations of pollinators (Pywell et al., 2011; Hardman et al., 2016). White clover

can also be a valuable species, as it produces flowers during most of the growing season, even

in frequently defoliated grasslands, although in the case of other legume species, specific

cutting strategies may be required to manage both forage production for livestock and flower

resources for pollinators (Farruggia et al., 2012).

Diversifying the agricultural landscape with different annual legume crops or

multispecies grasslands containing legumes promotes biodiversity in the agroecosystems

through two mechanisms. First, they increase habitat heterogeneity in the agricultural

landscape (Bruelet al., 2013), and secondly, they maintain the continuity of multiannual

habitats, which can be particularly important for nature conservation objectives in intensive

cropping and cerealdominated systems (Bretagnolle et al., 2011)

Phylogenetic Relationship

To support the Fabaceae as a monophyletic family, there is a much larger body of

evidence from morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies (Wojciechowski& al., 2004;

Bruneau& al., 2008). It has been divided into three subfamilies and 251 taxa. Based on

molecular phylogenetic studies, Mimosoideaeand Papilionoideaehave both been resolved as

monophyletic, nested within a paraphyletic Caesalpinioideae(Wojceichowski& al., 2004). The

paraphyletic subfamily Caesalpinioideae contains diverse collection of “caesalpinioid”

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legumes that mostly diverged early in the history of the family and lacked distinctive floral

features used to group genera into the other two families. The caesalpinioid tribe Cercideae is

said to be one of the earliest diverging lineages in the family. A clade including many other

genera of Caesalpinioideae is sister to the subfamily Mimosoideae, and a clade comprising

these two groups is sister to the subfamily Papilionoideae. Based on the molecular phylogenies

in the subfamily Papilionoideae, several large groups have been identified (Lewis et al., 2005).

The dalbergioid clade is a large group of 45 genera and 1270 species that includes the peanut

(Arachishypogaea L.) (Lavin et al., 2001). The genistoid clade includes the genus Lupinus L.,

as well as other diverse genera. The millettioid group includes the strongly supported

millettioid and phaseoloid clades including many important crop species such as the cultivated

soybean and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (Doyle &Luckow, 2003).Hologalegina is

the largest of the well-supported major clades of Papilionoideae, split into two major clades,

the robinioids and the inverted repeat-loss clade (IRLC)are commonly found in the chloroplast

genome of angiosperms (Wojciechowski et al., 2000). The IRLC is dominated by temperate,

herbaceous genera, including familiar plants such as PisumLathyrus (pea), Vicia L. (vetch,

broadbean), Cicerarietinum L. (chickpea), Medicago L. (alfalfa), and Trifolium L. (clovers).

The largest papilionoid subgroup in number of genera is the phaseoloid/millettioid group,

which, similar toHologalegina, includes many domesticated taxa such as Glycine L. (soybean),

Phaseolus L. (common bean), VignaSavi (cowpea, mungbean), CajanuscajanL. (Pigeon pea),

and Psophocarpus(winged bean). Relationships in the group are complex and include elements

of several tribes (Kajita& al., 2001; Hu & al., 2002).

Taxonomy
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There are 20,000 species of annual and perennial legumes, several hundred of which

have traditionally been used in subsistence and broadacre agriculture in different geographic

regions of the world.Legumes, or pulses, are flowering plants in the Leguminosae family. The

word legume is derived from the Latin verb ‘‘legere’’ which means to gather. The term pulse

has a more direct lineage. It derives from pulse or porridge, a cooked bean dish which the

ancient Romans were fond of eating. (Albala, 2007). This family is also known as Fabaceae,

and both terms can be used interchangeably to indicate the some 690 genera and 18,000 species

therein. The Leguminosae family is classified into three sub-families: Papilionoideae,

Caesalpinioideae, and Mimosoideae. Each sub-family is identified by its flowers. Edible

legume crops are mainly found in the sub-family Papilionoideae. This includes the soybean,

chickpea, bean, and pea, among others (Morris, 2003).

METHODOLOGY

This chapter provides an outline of the research methodology that will be used to

answer the research questions. The description of the primary data collection process for the

data analysis techniques that will be used, interviews, and secondary research method is also

included and can be seen in this chapter.

Research Design

The study will utilize the descriptive research design emphasizing the species richness

of Legumes at Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

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Entry Protocol

The researchers will make a letter of permit requesting for approval to the Barangay

captain of Miglamin, Malaybalay Cityand to the host of Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay

City.The researchers will observe research ethics in every way and in every part of the entire

activity. A letter that request a permit to the Principal of San Isidro College Integrated Basic

Education Department (SIC – IBED) will be sent. Also, a parent’s permit will be given to the

researcher’s Parents or Guardian for their consent in the activity. In every part of the activity,

the researchers will observe research ethics in every way possible.

Locale of the Study

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The study will be conducted inside the vicinity of Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City

(figure 1).The elevations at this coordinates is estimated at 493.1 meters or1,617 feet above

main sea level with a distance of approximately 6.2 km from the national high way.

Establishment of the Study Site

The study will be located atDungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

In the study area, two thermometers (wet and dry) will be stationed to gradually record

the relative humidity for the entire sampling duration. The different measuring device will be

used and including tape measure and thermometers. Transect method of 100 meter distance

within the vicinity of Dungis, Miglamin, Malaybalay City will be conducted.

Preparation and Collection of Herbarium Species

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The Legumes will be observed carefully with photos taken at their natural habitat

before placing them into a clear plastic bag labeled with collection number, color, habitat,

elevation and camera number.

Identification

The samples that will be collected are going to be pre-identified by the researchers.

Using the field notebook, data will be recorded and is going to be the base of the habitat

preferences. Morphological structure will then be identified using taxonomic keys. These will

be then confirmed by Ms Mary Jade Peñafiel, M.S.

Photography

Photos will be taken at the study area and pictures of samples that will be collected are

going to be documented.