The Impact of Land Cover Density on the Water Infiltration Process in the Nyadeng Lake Area, Merabu Village Berau District, East Kalimantan

Abstract

The sustainability of water resources depends on the state of the nearby forest. Land cover is essential for sustaining life systems in a region; the higher the quality of the land cover or forest vegetation, the greater the biodiversity value of the region. This research attempts to determine whether or not the vegetation in the Merabu Village area of Nyadeng Lake has the capacity to process the infiltration rate. The vegetation was sampled using simple random sampling, and a 20 m x 20 m plot was used to represent the area under investigation. Data collection was accomplished by establishing research plots that can represent the entire area or research area, with the size of the plot varying according to plant class. This research utilized a total of six plots. Three plots on the west and three on the east were laid out at a distance of five meters from the lake’s shore. The infiltration rate was measured by creating 0.5 m x 0.5 m infiltration subplots with five replicates per sample plot. These locations have been established approximately five metres away from the shore of the lake. High vegetation cover has a tremendously positive effect on infiltration. The coefficient of determination, with a value of 72%, indicates that the infiltration ability is influenced by the existence of vegetation to a significant degree.