Utilization of UAV technology for mapping of mangrove ecosystem at Belawan, Medan City, North Sumatera, Indonesia

Abstract

As the largest archipelagic state in the world, Indonesia has the largest mangrove forest in the world. Unfortunately, Indonesia is also listed as the country with the largest mangrove loss in the world. Mangrove forests in Belawan and their surroundings are also damaged and need restoration. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a technology that can assist monitor mangrove ecosystems in more detail. The objective of this study was to identify land cover in the Belawan Mangrove Ecosystem restoration area. The land cover analysis used aerial photo analysis from drones using the maximum likelihood classification method. Field surveys were conducted to obtain the accuracy of land cover analysis from aerial photographs. They were also conducted to find the types of trees that grow in the Belawan Mangrove Ecosystem, Medan. There are four types of land cover based on the classification results using the maximum likelihood method, including mangroves, water bodies, ponds, and settlements. The classification results obtained an overall accuracy test result of 92%. Restoration efforts are needed by mangrove area managers considering that non-forest land in the form of ponds and water bodies is still quite wide.