Identifying Shoreline Changes in Tanjung Burung Forest Reserve and its Impact on Mangrove Stands Using Geospatial Technique

Abstract

The Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM) has received reports of coastal erosion and the death of mangrove trees in some parts of Tanjung Burung Forest Reserve, in the Kinta/Manjung area. This forest reserve especially on the southern part serves as a natural protector to Pantai Remis – an economically important coastal town in that area. To investigate the shoreline changes and its impact on mangrove stands, eight scenes of Landsat and SPOT-6 images from 1988 to 2020 were used. Shoreline extraction was performed using the classification technique and reclassify function, while statistics of shoreline change rate were measured using Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool. Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis was also conducted to assess the condition of mangrove stands in the study area. Shoreline changes in the study area showed an erosion trend of up to 733.33 m with rate of change from -3.01 m/y to -23.43 m/y. This indicates many areas are experiencing critical erosion according to National Coastal Erosion Study (NCES) 2015. The results of this study can provide an overview of the current coastal erosion as well as an input for the authorities in taking appropriate necessary measures to protect this forest reserve.