Species Composition and Diversity: Baseline for Tree Conservation at Laguna State Polytechnic University, San Pablo, Philippines

The establishment and maintenance of urban forests are one of the most brilliant solutions in addressing biodiversity loss. Tree species help in providing green spaces in urban and populated areas. Assessing the tree diversity of an area can yield vital baseline information for the conservation and protection of the area. The assessment of trees in Laguna State Polytechnic University San Pablo City Campus showed a very low diversity (Shannon = 1.705). A total of 15 morphospecies with 295 individuals were found. The campus was found to be dominated by an invasive alien species, Swietenia macrophylla King with 131 individuals. Despite the dominance of an invasive species, the area was still home to 9 indigenous and endemic species, and 11 threatened species posing the need for conservation and protection of the area. Conservation and protection measures include improvement of diversity, addressing invasion, and protecting the ecologically important species