COMPARISON OF DBH (DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT) AND BASAL AREA OF MANGROVE STANDS AT ESTUARY AND RIPARIAN IN TIMIKA, PAPUA

• Main Author: Nababan, Josua
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/55259
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Vegetation in mangrove ecosystems is able to grow and develop well in muddy coastal tidal areas, precisely in protected coastal areas such as estuaries, deltas and riparian areas around the deltas. Mangrove ecosystems have a role as a life support in coastal and marine areas that provide ecological functions and benefits for the environment as well as socio-economic benefits for the surrounding community. The growth of mangrove vegetation is naturally influenced by many factors so that it has the potential to create variations between vegetation communities. This study aims to compare the condition of estuary and riparian mangrove vegetation, with the parameters compared in the form of trunk diameter, basal area, and the relationship between the number of individuals on DBH and basal area. This study uses secondary data published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Data collection was carried out in 2011 using stratified sampling method. The number of samples for estuary and riparian mangroves were 12 square plots measuring 0.5 ha each. Differences in trunk diameter and basal area in the two mangrove communities were analyzed by one way ANOVA, while the relationship between the number of individuals with DBH and basal area was analyzed by correlation test using Microsoft Excel 2016. The results showed that the two communities did not have a significant difference, both for DBH parameters (p-value 0.25; alpha=0.05) and basal area (p-value 0.467; alpha=0.05). For riparian mangroves, the number of individuals was interpreted to be moderately and negatively correlated with basal area (r= -0.68) and weakly and negatively correlated with DBH (r= -0.36). For estuary mangroves, the number of individuals was interpreted to have a weak and negative correlation with basal area (r= -0.37) and DBH (r= -0.42). Correlation results show that the greater the number of individuals, the average DBH and basal area decreases. The results of this study are expected to be one of the considerations in designing mangrove forest restoration by paying attention to aspects of different locations.