Analyses of the inputs and exports of carbon and nitrogen organics by mangroves’s litterfall in the coastal area of Tinanggea, South Konawe Regency

Abstract

This study aimed to elucidate the inputs and exports of carbon and nitrogen organics by mangrove of Tinanggea, Southeast Sulawesi. The contents of carbon and nitrogen organics in mangrove litters were determined from twice monthly of litterfall collection at the Biology Laboratory of FMIPA, UHO. The inputs and exports of carbon and nitrogen organics by mangroves were calculated based on the monthly litterfall production of mangroves in each stasiun. The input of carbon and nitrogen organics from mangrove litter ranges from 11,72 to 14,30 ton/ha/year for carbon, and ranges from 0,007 to 0,16 ton/ha/year for nitrogen, while they were higher at station T5 and the lower on the T2 station. The mangrove exports organic carbon ranging from 3,52 to 4,29 ton/ha/year, while its organic nitrogen export ranges from 0,07-0,16 ton/ha/year. This study results realized that the inputs and exports of carbon and nitrogen organics are very dynamic in the mangrove ecosystem that indicated their important role on maintaining the productivity of the coastal environment in the Tinanggea and its surrounding areas.