Ferdinand Magellan

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Ferdinand Magellan
First to circumnavigate the world
Portuguese
1480 Saborosa in Villa Real, Province of Traz os
Montes, Portugal
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Kingdom of Butuan
Source Google Earth
In the beginning there was no Philippines, but
there was Butuan.
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http//www.caraga13.gov.ph/butuancity/
http//p.vtourist.com/2463172-Wooden_Balanghay_Rel
ics-Butuan_City.jpg
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Agusan River
Source Google Earth
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The Agusan River System
An example of a freshwater system in the
Philippines

• Rommel H. Maneja
• European Joint Master in Water and Coastal
  Management
• Universidade do Algarve 2005-2006

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Presentation Outline
I. Introduction
II. Physical description of the river system
III. Importance of the river system
A. Flood Control
B. Biodiversity
IV. Problems and threats
V. Opportunities
VI. Conclusion
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Lower Agusan River Basin
Middle Agusan River Basin
Upper Agusan River Basin
Third longest river in the Philippines 350 km
long
Divided into 3 sub basins
Source ADB, 2004
Catchment area of about 661,696 ha
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http//home.iae.nl/users/piepenbr/butuan/butuan1.h
tm
Mouth of Agusan River exhibiting estuarine
circulation
Significant amounts of nutrients are transported
into the adjacent Butuan Bay
Source Google Earth
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SEAFDEC, 2005
Agusan River traverses Butuan City and exits
north into Butuan Bay, carrying the overflow
water from Agusan Marsh (SEAFDEC, 2005)
Source Google Earth
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Agusan Marsh
Source Google Earth
Source Google Earth
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Agusan Marsh
1. Holds 15 of the freshwater in the Philippines
water table measuring 10-30 cm below the soil
surface over large areas of the marsh
2. Significant role for sediment control
depositional phase of the river
contrast to typical coastal depositional plain
drop from marsh to coast is only 13 meters
deposition of sediment predominates over erosion
3. Significant role for flood control
average annual rainfall in the area is 4,286 mm
collects water from the
watersheds
in Surigao, Agusan, and Bukidnon
has a distinct annual flooding cycle
max October and February min May
Source Google Earth
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NAMRIA Map
Extensive flood plain (almost 90,000 ha) Source
Pe-Montebon et.al., 2003)
Nine major rivers drain into the marsh
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rainfall data from Tropical Rainfall Measuring
Mission (TRMM) satellite
TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite
Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center
Images NASA Earth Observatory
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(No Transcript)
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Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASAs Terra
satellite
Jan 3, 2006 Normal river
Feb 13, 2006 Floods
2000 people displaced
4 people killed
Images NASA Earth Observatory
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Floating house
House on stilts
Images SEAFDEC, 2005
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http//www.ecoboot.nl/artikelen/WeblogTiesFloating
Communities.html.php
18
http//www.ecoboot.nl/artikelen/WeblogTiesFloating
Communities.html.php
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http//www.ecoboot.nl/artikelen/WeblogTiesFloating
Communities.html.php
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Ecological Significance of Agusan Marsh
Home of the indigenous people Manobo
Wildlife Sanctuary under the National
Integrated Protected Areas System
Ramsar Site (Convention of Ecologically
Significant Wetlands)
Noteworthy Fauna
102 species of birds
many migratory
16 endemic species
http//www.caraga13.gov.ph/butuancity/
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Common birds in Agusan Marsh
Wandering whistling duck Dendrocygna arcuata
http//www.users.bigpond.com/ian.montgomery/Anseri
formes/WanderingWhistlingDuck9218.jpg
Philippine mallard Anas luzonica
Oriental darter Anhinga
melanogaster
Very diverse Columbidae family
http//www.botolanwildlifefarm.com/to/Images/anas_
luzonica.gif
http//photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/images/Da
rter3_Dabb.jpg
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Ecological Significance of Agusan Marsh
Home of the indigenous people Manobo
Wildlife Sanctuary under the National
Integrated Protected Areas System
Ramsar Site (Convention of Ecologically
Significant Wetlands)
Noteworthy Fauna
gt200 species of birds
many migratory
16 endemic species
10 fish species
5 introduced
Clarias batrachus catfish
Channa striata snakehead
http//floridafisheries.com/images/fish-pic/cla-ba
t.jpg
http//www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/warm_freshwater
/channa_striata2.jpg
Puntuis sp.
Anabas testudineus
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Ecological Significance of Agusan Marsh
Home of the indigenous people Manobo
Wildlife Sanctuary under the National
Integrated Protected Areas System
Ramsar Site (Convention of Ecologically
Significant Wetlands)
Noteworthy Fauna
gt200 species of birds
many migratory
16 endemic species
10 fish species
5 introduced
41 species of herptiles
14 species of amphibians
22 species of lizards
7 species of snakes
Crocodylus porosus
Crocodylus mindorensis
http//www.sommerlad.de/kroko-pic/img0013.jpg
http//www.zoo.utoronto.ca/kjackson/gomek.jpg
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Ecological Significance of Agusan Marsh
Home of the indigenous people Manobo
Wildlife Sanctuary under the National
Integrated Protected Areas System
Ramsar Site (Convention of Ecologically
Significant Wetlands)
Noteworthy Fauna
gt200 species of birds
many migratory
16 endemic species
10 fish species
5 introduced
41 species of herptiles
14 species of amphibians
22 species of lizards
Macaca fascicularis
7 species of snakes
http//www.azfotos.com/animals/mammals/monkeys/L48
-324781_long-tailed_macaques_preening.jpg
10 species of mammals
65 species of butterflies
Noteworthy Flora
31 species of flowering plants and ferns
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Ecological Significance of Agusan Marsh
Seven (7) major wetland habitat types identified
in Agusan Marsh
open water (oxbow lakes, flood plain lakes and
ponds)
flowing water
herbaceous swamp
scrub swamp
swamp forest
river bank habitat
inundated forest
Source Google Earth
SEAFDEC, 2005
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Major threats to the Agusan River System
1. Logging
http//www.greatestcities.com/4033pic/895/CP6895.j
pg/Magsaysay_Bridge-BUTUAN.jpg
http//www.mekonginfo.org/mrc_en/doclib.nsf/0/
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Major threats to the Agusan River System
1. Logging
2. Clearing of swamp forest
3. Siltation due to deforestation in the
catchment area
4. Land conversion into aquaculture ponds or
agriculture
http//home.iae.nl/users/piepenbr/butuan/butuan1.h
tm
Source Google Earth
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Major threats to the Agusan River System
1. Logging
2. Clearing of swamp forest
3. Siltation due to deforestation in the
catchment area
4. Land conversion into aquaculture ponds or
agriculture
5. Anthropogenic strengthening of river banks
using dikes
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Major threats to the Agusan River System
1. Logging
2. Clearing of swamp forest
3. Siltation due to deforestation in the
catchment area
4. Land conversion into aquaculture ponds or
agriculture
5. Anthropogenic strengthening of river banks
using dikes
6. Mercury pollution from small scale mining
operations in the upstream
7. Human occupancy
8. Increase number of migrants
9. Hunting and trapping of endangered wildlife
10. Dam constructions for agricultural irrigation
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Existing Opportunities to address the threats
Strong national drive to develop the full
potential of the Agusan River as food basket of
the country
Master Plan for the Agusan River Basin
promote Integrated River Basin Management
Agusan River Wetland (Mangrove) Restoration
Project
Source Google Earth
http//www.travelsmart.net/article/102081/?PHPSESS
ID
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The Agusan River System has been the source of
life for countless generations of people since
the early centuries.
To let it die for the greed of the present users
is a grave sin for both the past and future
generations.
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References
Asian Development Bank. 2004. Technical
assistance to the Republic of the Philippines for
a Master Plan for the Agusan River Basin.
Information Sheet on RAMSAR Wetlands. Categories
approved by Recommendation 4 .7 of the Conference
of the Contracting Parties .
Pe-Montebon, J., E.F.B. Miclat,,and J. N. Dumaup
(eds.). 2003. A Biophysical Assessment of the
Philippine Territory of the Sulu-Sulawesi
Marine Ecoregion. WWF.US. 271 pp.
South East Asian Fisheries Development Council
(SEAFDEC). 2005. AQD Matters. Internal newsletter
of the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department. Volume 2,
Number 11, 30 November 2005
Images
http//www.azfotos.com/animals/mammals/monkeys/L48
-324781_long-tailed_macaques_preening.jpg
http//www.botolanwildlifefarm.com/to/Images/anas_
luzonica.gif
http//www.caraga13.gov.ph/butuancity/
http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/sh
ownh.php3?img_id13374
http//www.ecoboot.nl/artikelen/WeblogTiesFloating
Communities.html.php
http//floridafisheries.com/images/fish-pic/cla-ba
t.jpg
http//www.greatestcities.com/4033pic/895/CP6895.j
pg/Magsaysay_Bridge-BUTUAN.jpg
http//home.iae.nl/users/piepenbr/fotodagboek/foto
blad-80.htm
http//home.iae.nl/users/piepenbr/butuan/butuan1.h
tm
http//www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/warm_freshwater
/channa_striata2.jpg
http//photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/images/Da
rter3_Dabb.jpg
http//www.sommerlad.de/kroko-pic/img0013.jpg
http//www.users.bigpond.com/ian.montgomery/Anseri
formes/WanderingWhistlingDuck9218.jpg
http//p.vtourist.com/2463172-Wooden_Balanghay_Rel
ics-Butuan_City.jpg
http//www.zoo.utoronto.ca/kjackson/gomek.jpg
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Maraming Salamat Po!
Muito Obrigado!