Mangrove Diversity in South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia: A Community Analysis

Abstract

The threat of climate change to coastal areas' existence encourages efforts to protect the balance of mangrove ecosystems, especially in small island areas. This study was conducted in the Protected Mangrove Forest of Molinese Village, Lainea Subdistrict, South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi, to describe species composition and mangrove diversity levels. Data collection using the transect method, perpendicular to the coastline, at a 1% intensity within the 170.59 ha research area, yielded 42 plots across six transects. Vegetation analysis included density, frequency, dominance, importance value index (IVI), and Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’). There are 12 true mangrove species, comprising 251 saplings, 274 poles, and 830 trees. The three species with the highest IVI values and the largest number of individuals are in a row: Rhizophora apiculate, Rhizophora mucronata, and Sonneratia alba. The unbalanced distribution of species has an impact on the diversity index (H') across all strata, relatively low, with values of 1.85 for trees, 1.77 for poles, and 1.76 for saplings. These findings highlight the need for rehabilitation-based management and species enrichment strategies to enhance the stability and resilience of mangrove ecosystems in Molinese Village. Keywords: Ecosystem balance, mangrove diversity, conservation, carbon sequester, protected forests, Molinese village, anthropogenic threats.