EVALUASI KUALITAS VISUAL LANSKAP DI KAWASAN HUTAN MANGROVE SUKADANA KABUPATEN KAYONG UTARA

Abstract

Mangrove forests are specific vegetation structures and grow along coastlines in the tropics, river mouths, and are affected by tides. Its existence supports many ecosystems such as nutrient cycling and fisheries production. This condition is supported by high visual potential and natural resources that make mangrove forests a tourist destination. In the Sukadana Mangrove forest, visitors have different preferences regarding interesting spots. This is evidenced by the accumulation of the number of visitors at a certain point. According to preliminary data obtained, there has been a decrease in the number of visitors since the opening of the tourist sites in 2017, approximately 50% per year. The contributing factor is the lack of development, so the visual impression tends to be monotonous. The problem in this study is the need for evaluation efforts in the form of an assessment of the visual quality of the Sukadana Mangrove Forest landscape. The purpose of this study is the presence of visual quality values can facilitate efforts to preserve certain areas in order to achieve sustainable ecotourism. The analytical method used Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE), is a quantitative method for assessing the aesthetics of the landscape based on visitors’ perceptions by comparing one point to another. The results obtained are that visitors prefer landscapes with natural ambience and boardwalk facilities for taking selfies, while dirty, dry and damaged facilities will be avoided. The conclusion of this study is that the Sukadana mangrove forest has a certain area of interest to visitors, as evidenced by the values in the SBE analysis.