Mangrove Production Research Articles

Kawasan Konservasi Mangrove sebagai Penggerak Ekonomi Masyarakat Desa Budeng Kabupaten Jembrana Bali

Budeng Village, located in Jembrana Regency, is home to a significant mangrove conservation area featuring 32 species of mangroves with substantial potential for utilization. Conservation activities in this region are led by the Wana Merta Group, which aims to engage the local community of Budeng Village in these deeds. However, the residents have yet to show much interest due to the lack of perceived economic benefits from conservation activities. The purpose of the community service activities conducted in Budeng Village is to enhance the knowledge and skills of the community in transforming mangroves into economically valuable enterprises. These activities comprised three stages: technical guidance, training sessions, and questionnaire distribution. The activities were attended by 15 participants from the Wana Mertha Forest Farmer Group (KTH), which manages the mangrove conservation area in Budeng Village. The technical guidance included institutional strengthening materials for the group. The training sessions covered topics such as mangrove product diversification, processing Brugueira sp. into mangrove chips, processing Xylocarpus granatum into scrubs, processing shrimp and fish into siomay, as well as packaging and digital marketing to support the group's business endeavors. Throughout the technical guidance and training, participants actively engaged in discussions and followed the sessions diligently. The questionnaire results indicated a significant increase in participants' knowledge, from 40% to 73.76%, reflecting an improvement of 34.67% after the activities.

Drivers of adoption for integrated mangrove aquaculture: Its application for extensive smallholder shrimp farmers in Bangladesh

Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture (IMA) has the potential to simultaneously address the challenges of environmental degradation arising from conventional shrimp production, the expected impacts of climate change, and the growing global demand for shrimp. These challenges affect coastal livelihoods in Satkhira and Khulna districts of Bangladesh. However, IMA adoption in coastal Bangladesh so far remains low. This study explores the factors that influence IMA adoption by extensive smallholder shrimp farmers in Bangladesh using a questionnaire-based survey of 128 farmers. We identified potential drivers of adoption by combining exploratory data analysis and a logit regression analysis. Key findings were that lack of adoption appeared to be mainly attributed to a lack of awareness of IMA (65% of non-adopters were not aware of the existence of IMA), as well as a lack of trust in own required management skills and technical know-how. On the other hand, positive evaluation of IMA benefits and its main use as a risk mitigating strategy were the main enablers. The logit regression analysis indicated that perceived suitability of the pond to integrate IMA and availability of technical assistance were the factors most important to adoption, explaining respectively 30% and 26% of adoption. To enhance adoption of IMA and reduce the need for new pond excavation in mangrove stands, tailored technical training and social learning opportunities are required to increase awareness of IMA and its potential benefits, as well as for effective IMA management. Additionally, the development of new market opportunities for novel mangrove products is vital to foster incentives for adoption. Further work is needed on how to maximize the potential of IMA by thorough study of its various implementation options.

Variations in litterfall dynamics, root biomass, and sediment accretion in restored and recolonized mangroves in Leyte, Philippines

Litterfall production and decay, root biomass, and sediment accretion dynamics were investigated from restored ‘planted’ (R5, R8, R15, and R30 stands) and recolonized stands (C5, C12, and C20 stands) to investigate patterns in primary productivity, belowground biomass, and sediment accretion dynamics. Litterfall data was collected using litter traps over 12 months, while decay kinetics was investigated using a litterbag experiment. Root biomass and sediment accretion data were collected using makeshift acrylic corers. Litterfall production increased as stands aged, and tended to stabilize as it matured in restored (R8: 10.05 Mg/ha/yr; R30: 6.1 Mg/ha/yr) and recolonized stands (C5: 18.75 Mg/ha/yr; C20: 9.05 Mg/ha/yr). Leaf litter decay rates (K/d) showed no pattern with stand age, although the recolonized stands (range: 0.059–0.113 K/d) had lower decay rates compared to the restored (range: 0.073–0.123 K/d) and natural stands (range: 0.064–0.123 K/d). Root biomass declined with age in restored stands (R5: 67.16 Mg/ha, R30: 49.67 Mg/ha), but increased in recolonized stands (C5: 5.41 Mg/ha, C20: 19.50 Mg/ha). Very high rates of sediment accretion were found in younger restored (R5: 10.1 cm/yr) and recolonized stands (C5: 8.1 cm/yr) than mature stands (R30: 6.3 cm/yr; C20: 4.3 cm/yr). Our results showed disparities of patterns in mangrove vegetation growth in recolonized stands and huge potential contribution on mangrove productivity when these areas are effectively restored.

A Data‐Driven Approach to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on a Tropical Mangrove in India

AbstractAs a potential carbon sink, mangroves play an important role in climate mitigation. India houses several major global mangrove patches, which remain vulnerable to climate change. The ecosystem‐atmosphere CO2 exchange is most accurately measured by the eddy covariance method, whereas satellites provide the biophysical parameters for a wider area. In the present study, the Sentinel‐2 satellite data is used to map the land cover types in the Pichavaram mangrove forest and identify two major dominant species (Rhizophora spp. and Avicennia marina), which indicated more than 95% classification accuracy. We used 2 years (2017 and 2018) of in situ gross primary productivity (GPP) and leaf area index (LAI) measurements and rectified the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) GPP and LAI products from 2010 to 2018. The modified MODIS GPP and LAI products were used to develop machine learning models, that is, Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) to study the climate influence on mangrove productivity. The RF model (R2 = 0.85 and root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.2) outperformed the XGBoost model (R2 = 0.75 and RMSE = 0.26) and was used to project the impact of climate change on the mangrove GPP for two extreme climate change scenarios, namely SSP1‐1.26 and SSP5‐8.5. The GPP increases and decreases in future during wet and dry periods, respectively. Overall, the projected GPP indicated a reduction of 3.73%–20.3% from 2050 to 2060 and of 4.82%–28.15% from 2090 to 2100, compared to its current average (from 2010 to 2018).

Ecological Perspective, Perception, and Attitude of Local Communities Toward Managing and Utilizing the Mangrove Ecosystem in Lampung Province, Indonesia

Mangrove damage is caused by environmental changes in the surrounding area as well as direct and indirect pressures on the existence of mangroves. The preservation of mangrove forests is inseparable from the perceptions and behavior of the community in managing and utilizing mangrove forests. Community decisions to take action in the environment will be rooted in the reciprocal relationship created between humans and their environment. This research investigates the history of mangrove management and the ecological perspectives, attitudes, and perceptions of communities toward managing and utilizing mangroves and compares the management and ecology of two mangrove areas in Lampung Province, Indonesia. This study used structured questionnaires with 97 respondents in Margasari and 48 in Sidodadi who live around mangrove forests. The question related to utilizing mangrove ecology, community perceptions of mangrove forests, and participation in mangrove management. The results showed that the people of Margasari and Sidodadi had positive perceptions of mangrove forests. The number and frequency of people participating in mangrove management in Sidodadi were higher than those in Margasari, but in general, the participation in both villages was low. Neither village utilizes mangrove timber. The utilization of nontimber mangrove products in Margasari is more diverse than in Sidodadi; Margasari has ten types of utilization, while Sidodadi has only four types. The condition of mangrove vegetation cover during the last ten years has the same trend; mangrove cover area has decreased, although there was a slight increase in Sidodadi. Different factors influence the decrease; in Margasari, it is influenced by natural factors, while in Sidodadi, it is influenced by human factors.

Ethnobotanical Analysis of Mangroves as Food Resources in East Lampung

The world is experiencing a food crisis due to climate change, and mangroves as a blue ecosystem have a significant potential to mitigate this crisis. This research seeks to record the ethnobotanical practices of utilising mangroves, as a food source in East Lampung. We employed the snowball sampling method in Margasari village, Purwerejo village, and Karya Makmur village. In addition, we gathered data on mangrove species, parts of used, processing methods, products, and their properties, through interviews and observations. Also, we analysed the data using descriptive analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of the varieties of mangroves, their processing, and the resulting products. This research revealed that the communities employs five distinct varieties of mangroves as sustenance sources. Mangroves produce various food products from their four components: fruit, juvenile leaves, old leaves, and propagules. Notably, processed products, including pidada fruit (Sonneratia caseolaris), are anti-hypertensive, canker sores, and heartburn treatments. Jeruju leaves (Acanthus ilicifolius) are known to improve stamina, and seeds without the root of Rhizophora mucronata propagules act as anti-gastritis agents, improve blood circulation, and prevent anaemia. Although there are ten processed mangrove products, they are still considered traditional and are not as popular among the newer generation.

Contribution of Aerobic Cellulolytic Gut Bacteria to Cellulose Digestion in Fifteen Coastal Grapsoid Crabs Underpins Potential for Mineralization of Mangrove Production

Grapsoid crabs (Decapoda: Grapsoidea) inhabiting along the land-sea transition provided various amounts and quality of vascular plant carbon (e.g., fresh mangrove leaf, leaf litter, and mangrove-derived organic carbon) and perform differing levels of herbivory. Other than endogenous cellulase, symbiotic cellulolytic bacteria could also contribute to the crabs’ vascular plant carbon assimilation and mineralization. In this study, we isolated culturable cellulolytic bacteria from three gut regions (i.e., stomach, midgut, and hindgut) of 15 species of grapsoid crabs that inhabit in various coastal habitats (i.e., land margin, mangrove forest, tidal flat, and subtidal area). Bacillus, which was isolated from 11 out of the 15 grapsoid crabs, was the most common genus of culturable prominently cellulolytic bacteria among the target species. Seventy to ninety nine percent of culturable cellulolytic bacteria were removed, and the endoglucanase activity of five species was significantly reduced by 14.4–27.7% after antibiotic treatment. These results suggest that cellulolytic bacteria play a role in assisting mangrove carbon utilization in coastal grapsoid crabs, especially those inhabiting mangrove, mudflat, and subtidal areas. The significantly higher abundance of cellulolytic bacteria and the generally higher hydrolytic capacity of the bacteria in mangrove crab species suggest that they receive more contribution from symbionts for mangrove carbon utilization, while semi-terrestrial crabs seem to depend little on symbiotic cellulase due to the lower abundances.

Training on the Utilization of E-Commerce Technology and Product Design for Processed Mangrove Products at LKP Walidayna

Training on the Utilization of E-Commerce Technology and Product Design for Processed Mangrove Products at LKP Walidayna

Coupling use of stable isotopes and functional genes as indicators for the impacts of artificial restoration on the carbon storage of a coastal wetland invaded by Spartina alterniflora, southeastern China

Coastal wetlands are characterized by high production and thus play an important role in global climate change. In past decades, the invasion of Spartina alterniflora has caused many problems of coastal wetlands in southeastern China, and the restoration of such areas was mainly conducted by replacing Spartina alterniflora with mangrove plants. This may impact the carbon storage dynamics in such areas. In this study, stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) and molecular analysis were used to reveal the impact of artificial restoration on the carbon storage of Quanzhou Bay Estuary Wetland Natural Reserve. The major results are as follows: (1) the change in dominant plants results in a changing major source of soil organic matter, from external sources to mangrove plants; (2) the decrease in soil organic matter following the removal of Spartina alterniflora may be primarily caused by the loss of external organic matter, while the production of mangroves may offset such loss and enhance the content and stability of carbon storage over the long term; (3) microbial CO2 assimilation may serve as an alternative source of bioavailable carbon and thus support the activity of benthic community. Our results revealed the long-term benefits of such restoration on the carbon storage function of wetlands invaded by Spartina alterniflora. Furthermore, the integrating of isotopic tracers and molecular technology may provide new insights in understanding the response of the carbon storage in coastal areas to human activity.

Seabird nutrient subsidies enrich mangrove ecosystems and are exported to nearby coastal habitats

Eutrophication by human-derived nutrient enrichment is a major threat to mangroves, impacting productivity, ecological functions, resilience, and ecosystem services. Natural mangrove nutrient enrichment processes, however, remain largely uninvestigated. Mobile consumers such as seabirds are important vectors of cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies to islands but how they influence mangrove ecosystems is poorly known. We assessed the contribution, uptake, cycling, and transfer of nutrients from seabird colonies in remote mangrove systems free of human stressors. We found that nutrients from seabird guano enrich mangrove plants, reduce nutrient limitations, enhance mangrove invertebrate food webs, and are exported to nearby coastal habitats through tidal flow. We show that seabird nutrient subsidies in mangroves can be substantial, improving the nutrient status and health of mangroves and adjacent coastal habitats. Conserving mobile consumers, such as seabirds, is therefore vital to preserve and enhance their role in mangrove productivity, resilience, and provision of diverse functions and services.

Regulatory role of sesarmid crabs in nutrient dynamics and implications for the productivity of mangroves

The ecological role of brachyuran crabs in mangroves has been extensively studied, but their role as mediators of biogeochemical processes of essential nutrients remains unclear. We hypothesized that speciose sesarmid crabs in tropical mangroves can improve nutrient transfer rate (NTR) and enhance primary productivity by reducing nutrient recycling bottlenecks. Using stable isotope labels and tidal mesocosms simulating the mangrove environment (with and without crabs), we traced the transfer of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) across the system (from mangrove leaf litter to mangrove seedlings, the microphytobenthos (MPB), and sediment). We compared NTR between the two treatments by measuring the 13C and 15N enrichment levels (as a proxy for NTR) of mangrove seedlings, MPB, and sediment. The significantly higher enrichment level of sediment, MPB and seedlings (for N) in mesocosms with crabs indicated higher NTR driven by these animals. Such increased NTR also led to higher primary productivity, supporting our hypothesis. A consumer-driven nutrient dynamics (CND) framework was established to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of sesarmid crabs in mediating biogeochemical processes. It is clear that the reciprocal nutrient flow between MPB and sesarmid crabs, and the biogeochemical hotspots created in surface sediment underpin this CND effect. A system picture emerges whereby nutrient flow is strongly regulated by sesarmid crabs promoting the productivity of mangroves by (1) enhancing nutrient remineralization; (2) retaining nutrients; (3) creating biogeochemical hotspots; and (4) improving overall nutrient transfer rate.

How Pollution and Climate Change Affect the Future of Mangrove Forest—A Simulation Study on the Mangrove Area in the Thi Vai Catchment, Vietnam

Environmental pollution and climate change have been reported to severely affect the growth and productivity of mangroves. However, it is still unclear how the mangroves will fare if stressed by these adverse conditions, and how the mangroves might fare if these conditions improve. In this study, the trends of mangrove forests in the Thi Vai catchment (Vietnam) were assessed using mathematical models, addressing the polluted environment under climate change conditions. This simulated study was conducted based on the analysis of different types of data. Data on 18 elements’ concentrations accumulated in mangrove tissues in this catchment were analyzed in relation to the states of tree growth rates. Data on the economic productivity and water quality of the Thi Vai River in the five years from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed to detect the main sources of pollution that induced damage to mangrove forests. The results achieved from data analysis are the linear and nonlinear interactions between the concentrations of tissue-accumulated substances and the growth rates of trees. Concentrations of P, Mg, and Sr in mangrove leaves have a linear relationship with plant growth while Cr, Cu, and Ni accumulated in roots have a nonlinear relationship. The mining industry and accommodation and food services are the main contributing sources of Cr and Cu, which affect mangrove health. Information supplied from the data analysis helped in designing the scenarios of different combined environmental conditions for model simulations. Our previously developed mangrove dynamics model was applied to predict the trajectory of the mangrove forest in this area under a total of 16 combined environmental condition scenarios.

Stronger increases but greater variability in global mangrove productivity compared to that of adjacent terrestrial forests.

Mangrove forests are a highly productive ecosystem with important potential to offset anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Mangroves are expected to respond differently to climate change compared to terrestrial forests owing to their location in the tidal environment and unique ecophysiological characteristics, but the magnitude of difference remains uncertain at the global scale. Here we use satellite observations to examine mean trends and interannual variability in the productivity of global mangrove forests and nearby terrestrial evergreen broadleaf forests from 2001 to 2020. Although both types of ecosystem experienced significant recent increases in productivity, mangroves exhibited a stronger increasing trend and greater interannual variability in productivity than evergreen broadleaf forests on three-quarters of their co-occurring coasts. The difference in productivity trends is attributed to the stronger CO2 fertilization effect on mangrove photosynthesis, while the discrepancy in interannual variability is attributed to the higher sensitivities to variations in precipitation and sea level. Our results indicate that mangroves will have a faster increase in productivity than terrestrial forests in a CO2-rich future but may suffer more from deficits in water availability, highlighting a key difference between terrestrial and tidal ecosystems in their responses to climate change.

Assessing the Perception and Contribution of Mangrove Ecosystem Services to the Well-Being of Coastal Communities of Chwaka and Menai Bays, Zanzibar

The mangroves in Zanzibar are crucial to the survival of the local population, as they provide essential ecosystem goods and services. However, the actual value of mangrove products is not easily recognized. As a result, it is chiefly concluded that mangrove forests should be converted to uses that generate directly marketable products. This research sought to assess the perception and value of mangrove ecosystem services to the local communities around the Chwaka and Menai Bays. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys were used to collect data. The chi-squared test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the awareness and perception of mangrove ecosystem services, respectively. The results show that provisioning services were the mangrove ecosystem services most identified by the household surveys, i.e., c. 84%. Supporting, regulating, and cultural services were rated in that order by 46.2%, 45.4%, and 21.0% of the respondents, respectively. This study found that there were statistically significant differences between Chwaka, Charawe, Ukongoroni, Unguja Ukuu, and Uzi wards in terms of households’ awareness of regulating services (χ2 = 6.061, p = 0.014) and supporting services (χ2 = 6.006, p = 0.014). There were no significant differences in the identification of provisioning (χ2 = 1.510, p = 0.919) and cultural (χ2 = 1.601, p = 0.901) services. Occupations did not determine the reliance on mangrove ecosystem services (χ2 = 8.015; p = 0.1554). The approach used in this study can provide policymakers and land planners with a framework for the sustainable management of the ecosystem services provided by mangroves.

Functional composition outweighs taxonomic and functional diversity in maintaining ecosystem properties and processes of mangrove forests

AbstractBiodiversity loss can have significant consequences for human well‐being, as it can affect multiple ecosystem properties and processes (MEPP) that drive ecosystem services. However, a comprehensive understanding of the link between environmental factors, biodiversity, and MEPP remains elusive, especially in mangrove ecosystems that millions of people along tropical coastlines worldwide depend upon. Here, we collated a comprehensive dataset on forest inventory, plant traits, and environmental factors across 93 plots in the Sundarbans Reserved Forests, Bangladesh. The functional composition (FC) of leaf area showed a stronger positive association with MEPP, being determined by total biomass and productivity of the mangroves, sediment organic carbon, and ammonium, phosphorus, and potassium contents of the sediment, than species richness (SR) or functional diversity (FD). Further, FC mediated a strong negative association of sediment salinity, and a positive association of SR, with MEPP. The similar but opposite total associations of SR and sediment salinity with MEPP suggest that species‐rich mangroves could offset the negative impacts of rising salinity on MEPP. When focusing on a single aspect of MEPP, both FD and FC mattered, with the FD of leaf area showing a strong association with mangrove productivity and sediment potassium content, while the FC of leaf litter nitrogen showed the strongest associations with sediment ammonium and phosphorus contents. Therefore, to sustain mangrove ecosystems as a reliable nature‐based solution for climate change mitigation, conservation and (re‐)establishment projects should prioritize regionally dominant species with high leaf area and nitrogen content, plus functionally different species to support the ecosystem processes and services provided by mangroves.

The Role of Coastal Women’s Empowerment in Achieving The Success of SDGs: A Study on The Kebaya Group, Bekasi

Land conversion has occurred in the coastal area of Kampung Beting, Pantai Bahagia Village, Bekasi Regency. What used to be a mangrove plantation has transformed into spaces for fish and shrimp ponds. This phenomenon took place from 2001 to the early 2010s. The promise of lucrative income led the community to compete in changing land use without considering the potential consequences. After 2011, the community gradually began to feel the negative impacts of this land conversion. To this day, the entire area that was once used for ponds has turned into the sea, causing the community to lose their livelihoods. Furthermore, not only have they lost their livelihoods, but they have also been confronted with land degradation, which threatens their sustainability. This study examines how coastal women's empowerment activities can contribute to sustainable development. The research employs a phenomenological approach, and data is collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings indicate that Coastal Women's Empowerment Contributes to Sustainable Goals in Climate Change Mitigation, Gender Equality, and Poverty Alleviation. In climate change mitigation activities, there are two key activities: 1) the development of women's behavior in efforts to improve and rehabilitate critical lands, and 2) women's involvement in the maintenance of mangrove trees. In gender equality activities, there is one main activity: 1) active participation of women in productive economic activities, allowing coastal women in Pantai Bahagia Village to have regular activities beyond their domestic responsibilities. The focus of poverty alleviation activities is 2) increasing income by utilizing non-timber mangrove products for food processing and crafts.

Pendampingan Teknologi Pengemasan Produk Olahan Mangrove dalam Mendukung Wirausaha Masyarakat

The activity partner is the Arrahmah women's group, a coastal community of Pinggir Papas who processes mangroves into cookies. This processed mangrove product has relatively low marketing where it is only produced when there is an order for an important exhibition or event. Generally, mangrove cookies are sold in bulk or without packaging. Where the packaging used is plastic packaging without labels or product information. One effort that can support the development of the mangrove cookies business is by providing attractive and informative packaging technology so that it can increase product purchasing power. Partners themselves do not yet have the skills to design attractive packaging that can increase product purchasing power. As is the problem with micro businesses, the skills possessed by partners in entrepreneurship and creating product attractiveness are still low. One effort to improve product marketing is by designing attractive packaging and providing entrepreneurial training to partners. The output of this activity is partner empowerment in the form of increasing entrepreneurial skills and increasing product attractiveness through attractive and informative packaging designs. Other outputs from service activities are online mass media publications and article publications in the national journal ISNN.]

Spatio-temporal dynamics of mangrove extent in coastal Bekasi Regency, Indonesia

One of West Java’s largest mangroves is found alongside the shore of Bekasi Regency. Nevertheless, the primary issues are the high degree of waste contamination, extraction of mangrove products, and conversion of mangrove forests into aquaculture ponds. To determine the present state of mangroves on the coast of Bekasi Regency, research on the dynamics of the mangrove extent spatio-temporally must be conducted. Mangrove mapping has made extensive use of machine learning and satellite images. This study aims to calculate the mangrove area in the villages of Pantaibahagia and Pantaibakti along the coast of Bekasi Regency using Random Forest (RF) classification based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) Platform. The RF classification results showed a significant loss in mangrove extent over a short period of time (seven years). In 2017, the tidal zone was primarily covered by mangroves. From the linear trend line, it is known that from to 2017-2023, the mangrove area tended to decrease, while in 2023, there was a decrease in the mangrove area, especially in the north coast area. In 2017, the total mangrove area was 305.03 ha. Until 2019, there has been a slight increment, reaching 366.41 ha of mangrove are. The most significant loss was found in 2020, in which the total loss reached 85.58 ha in one year. After 2020, the mangrove area has slightly improved, but it is not significant. We tested the produced map of the RF classification using a confusion matrix and kappa coefficient, which resulted in an Overall Accuracy (OA) of 90.50% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.8105.

The Potential of Mangrove Ecosystems as A Sustainable Ecotourism Product in The Mangrove Area of Kss Beach, Tangerang District

Mangrove forests have ecological, economic, research, educational and ecotourism functions. The decline in mangrove forest land has resulted in an increase in carbon in Indonesia and the loss of habitat for various types of marine biota and natural resources. Therefore, mangrove ecotourism is one way that can have a positive impact on protecting and preserving the environment and can improve the economy of the surrounding community. One of the potentials for mangrove ecotourism that can be developed is located at KSS Beach, Tangerang Regency. This research uses qualitative research by conducting observations, interviews and distributing questionnaires to the public and visitors at KSS beach. KSS Beach fulfills four elements in ecotourism, namely the element of education, the element of understanding, the element of conservation of natural resources and the element of increasing local community income, namely having mangrove forest exploration activities, mangrove education and mangrove planting. KSS Beach has three types of mangroves, namely Avicenniaceae, Rhizophoraceae, and Sonneratiaceae which can be a processed mangrove product that has sales value among the community. Therefore, KSS Beach requires further development and assistance from the government so that it can become a mangrove ecotourism that is widely known by the community.

Assessment of the Impacts of Climatic Factors and Economic Variables on Mangrove Ecosystem in Upenekang and Iwuochang, Southeastern Nigeria

The study assessed the impacts of climate change and economic variables on mangrove ecosystem in Upenekang and Iwuochang of Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State in a bid to understand the extent at which this ecological zone had contributed to the socio-economic well-being of the rural dwellers as well as its effects on the immediate environment. 200 copies of questionnaires were administered to respondents in the study area who were farmers, fishermen, fish traders, fuel wood dealers, boat builders and many others. Climatic variables like water temperature, salinity, rainfall, air pressure, pH, and tidal elevation were determined across ten sampling points. Questionnaires as well as semi-structured interviews were employed for the study in order to test for the hypotheses sets out for the study. The data generated from field study was further processed using chi-square to ascertain whether there is significant effect of rainfall on mangrove productivity using multiple regressions. The results indicated that the computed F value of 0.873 is greater than the significant F value of 0.151 and this indicates that there is a significant effect of rainfall and climate variability on mangrove productivity in the study area. The result produces Pearson Chi-Square value of 275.673a, degree of freedom (df) of 24 and a P-value (2-sided) of 0.000 indicating that there is significant impact of mangrove on economic development in the study area.