KONEKTIVITAS STRUKTUR VEGETASI MANGROVE DENGAN KEASAMAN DAN BAHAN ORGANIK TOTAL PADA SEDIMEN DI KECAMATAN WONOMULYO KABUPATEN POLEWALI MANDAR

Abstract

Mangrove forest ecosystem is one of coastal ecosystem having significant roles as habitat for diverse organisms, as barrier of

seawater intrusion, sediment trap, protection to the shore from abrasion and as nutrient supplier in form of detritus to other

coastal ecosystems i.e. seagrass beds and coral reefs. However, mangrove has experienced degradation caused by natural and

anthropogenic factors. One effort to recover the mangrove’s function is by rehabilitating this ecosystem through controlling

its total organic matter and the soil acidity (pH). Therefore, it is urgent to conduct a study in order to know the relationship

between mangrove growth and the total organic matter and pH. The study was conducted May 2014. The study area was located

in Mampie, Wonomulyo Sub-District, Polewali Mandar Regency. The benefit gained from this study was giving information on

dissolved organic matter related to the mangrove rehabilitation. Method used was field survey by determining three observation

stations with different environmental condition. Data were presented as tables and pictures. Results of this study indicated that

increasing of mangrove density and coverage was followed by the increasing of total organic matter percentage within sediment

at station II. Whereas, the higher the acidity, the lower the content of the total organic matter within sediment was found in

Station I. In contrast, the organic matter within sediment was high when the acidity value decrease was observed at Station III.

Keywords: Vegetation structure, mangrove, environmental factors, Dissolved Organic Matter, pH.