Mangrove Services Research Articles

Mapping and valuation of ecosystem services of mangroves: a detailed study from the Andaman island

Mapping and valuation of ecosystem services of mangroves: a detailed study from the Andaman island

Perception of Mangrove Social–Ecological System Governance in Southeastern Cuba

This study examined local communities’ perceptions of mangroves in coastal southeastern Cuba. A variety of methods were employed, including mixed and structured questionnaire surveys, interviews with key informants, and document reviews. Data were gathered from 334 respondents living in communities adjacent to four mangrove social–ecological systems (SESs). The analysis focused on five variables: community use of mangrove resources, ecosystem services, threats to the ecosystem, management activities, and social–ecological relationships. To qualitatively assess the influence of social–ecological relationships and governance, a matrix was created based on anthropogenic activities identified by respondents and their perceptions of ecosystem services. A Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was performed between demographic variables and identified mangrove uses. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the frequency of mangrove uses and the perception of ecosystem services among the studied areas. The results indicate that, while local people recognise the uses and ecosystem services of mangroves, they do not rely on them for their livelihoods. Perceptions of ecosystem services vary significantly depending on the occupation of the respondents and the locality. They also showed moderate to full awareness of management responsibilities and activities at each site. The most commonly identified threats were climate change, drought, and deforestation. Three types of social–ecological relationships were identified based on the characteristics of the communities, their economic activities, and their impacts on the mangroves: urban–industrial, rural–agricultural, and rural–agricultural/tourism. Based on the results, recommendations are made for ecosystem governance in the southeast of Cuba.

Sustainable management model and ecosystem services of mangroves based on socio-ecological system on the coast of Batu Bara Regency, Indonesia

The coastal areas of Batu Bara Regency, Indonesia, face significant challenges due to the conversion of mangrove ecosystems into ponds and tourist destinations. This transformation not only results in the loss of natural coastal protection but also disrupts hydro-oceanography patterns, necessitating comprehensive management solutions that address ecological, economic, and social aspects. To this end, a research was carried out during June to August 2023 developing an integrated management model for sustainable preservation of mangrove ecosystems in Batu Bara Regency. The research aims to evaluate the economic benefits of mangrove ecosystems, particularly emphasizing on regulating, provisioning, and cultural services. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) method is employed to determine priority management strategies by considering the interrelationships between ecological, economic, social, and institutional factors. The model construction incorporates insights from literature reviews and expert interviews, facilitating the formulation of solutions for various aspects of mangrove ecosystem management. The economic value of mangrove ecosystems is estimated in three districts of Batu Bara Regency, with significant contributions to both provisioning and regulating services. In conclusion, the research underscores the importance of strategies such as mangrove area rehabilitation, ecotourism development, outreach and assistance, and community involvement in ensuring the sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems. These strategies hold the potential to preserve these valuable ecosystems, benefiting the environment and local communities alike.

Mangrove vegetation and fish diversity in Kaledupa Island, Wakatobi National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract. Hewindati YT, Yuliana E, Winata A, Adimu HE, Djatmiko WA. 2023. Mangrove vegetation and fish diversity in Kaledupa Island, Wakatobi National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 1766-1772. The purpose of the study is to analyze the association of mangrove ecosystems with fish diversity at Kaledupa Island, Wakatobi National Park (WNP), Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study was conducted around the mangrove areas of Balasuna and Tampara villages. Observations and measurements of mangrove vegetation were collected using quadrats of 10×10 m2. In addition, fish data were collected on the fish catches of fishermen who used a sero (a set net). The mangrove data was analyzed using the Importance Value Index (IVI), whereas the fish diversity was analyzed descriptively and length-weight correlation. The results indicated that the Tampara mangrove was dominated by Bruguiera gymnorrhiza with an IV of 172.31, followed by akkapanda (Rhizophora apiculata) and ongke (R. mucronata) with an IVI of 68.15 and 59.54, respectively. The Balasuna mangrove was dominated by R. apiculata, followed by B. gymnorrhiza and R. mucronata, with IVI of 143.67, 93.25, and 45.84, respectively. A total of 74 fish species were found at the two sites, including 63 species of reef fish and 11 species of non-reef fish. Based on the analysis of the length-weight correlation, it was found that the fish captured around the mangrove were not well-fed. From this result, it is presumed that food availability in the study location is reducing due to anthropogenic activities like tourism and transportation. Hence, it is proposed that periodic monitoring should be carried out to enhance the ecological health of the mangroves to ensure the fishery production services of mangroves.

Economic Valuation of Mangrove Ecosystem Services in Sembilang National Park of South Sumatra, Indonesia

An ecosystem services valuation could provide significant improvements for the policy maker to monitor the mangrove ecosystem changes in coastal ecosystems. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the value of ecosystem service in Sembilang National Park (NSP), Banyuasin District, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Data collection used questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the target respondents being fishermen, farmers, and stakeholders who live in the mangrove ecosystem area. The total economic value (TEV) was used as an approach for calculating the various values of the mangrove services. Several methods have been developed to estimate the ecosystem services value. In this study, the market price method, benefits transfer method, replacement method, and travel cost method were applied to estimate the benefit value for provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. The result showed that the TEV of mangrove ecosystem services with an area of 88,556 ha was IDR 6,961,126,186,194 year-1 (US$ 467,974,555.06 year-1) or IDR 78,607,444 ha-1year-1 (US$ 5,284.5 ha-1year-1). The annual benefit values for provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services were IDR 267,301,712,200, IDR 6,401,520,094,447, IDR 292,120,962,048, and IDR 183,417,500, respectively. The benefit value of regulating services (coastline protection and carbon sequestration) dominated the TEV of mangrove ecosystems in the SNP. To avoid the lost value of these mangrove services, conservation and restoration should receive a high priority in mangrove management and planning in the future. These research results could be used as baseline data for local governments in managing mangrove ecosystems through the establishment of a mangrove working group in South Sumatra Province. Therefore, the novelty of this research resided in the first economic valuation in the SNP using the TEV approach, as illustrated.

The contributions of mangroves to physiological health in Ghana: Insights from a qualitative study of key informants

Informative data for public health reform against impacts of unsustainable environmental degradation is fragmented across disciplines, while discreet and spatial evidence is particularly limited for marine and coastal ecosystems. For poor, marginal communities experiencing limitations in health sector interventions, such knowledge could be vital. We investigated mangrove-health relationships in Ghana to inform identification and design of most suitable health-supporting ecosystem interventions in such societies.Academic, health, media, and conservation key informants were interviewed alongside mangrove residents, about influences of human-mangrove interactions on health, and consequences of ecosystem and health sector interventions. Reports show that mangroves diversely supply vital health-impacting ecosystem services, support services for fisheries being the strongest health link. Efficacies and constituents of mangrove-sourced medicines remain unverified, and while reliance on these has declined over time, some minimal indigenous knowledge yet survives. Little knowledge about pollution remediation services of mangroves emerged, with disease vector and pathogen regulation perceived as health disservices. These findings elucidate and reaffirm aspects of the neglected but crucial mangrove-health nexus, for which further exploration constitutes a compelling nature-based opportunity to enhance wellbeing in marginal societies.Mangrove ecosystem interventions maximise economic benefits that expand access to wider health improvement options, but social and rural-urban public health success disparities persist. Customization of conservation strategies can elicit preferred health impacts, offset shortfalls in non-uniform implementation of health sector interventions and guarantee more equitable and sustainable cross-sector outcomes.

Relationship between organic carbon and sediment properties in mangrove forests of three Bushehr coastal areas

One of the main ecosystem services of mangroves is enhancing carbon sequestration, most of which is done by sediments. Therefore, recognizing sediment properties is useful to evaluate the factors affecting carbon uptake in mangrove sediments. To identify the relationship between sediment organic carbon (SOC) content and sediment properties, sampling from three mangrove forests in Bushehr (Iran) coastal regions (Asalouyeh, Basatin, and Malegonzeh) was performed at 6 different stations, and the SOC of the samples were measured by Walkley and Black method. The particle diameters were performed by the sieving and hydrometer method and the results were analyzed (Gradistat. v8). The results showed that the highest percent of particles were silt, ranging from 93.6 to 96.6%. Several sediment grain size properties were correlated with SOC. Two factors were analyzed in principal component analyses, which were responsible for 75.8% of the samples attrinbutes. Factor 1 was organic carbon (SOC), skewness, sand, mean size, sediment density, clay, and silt summation (clay & silt). Factor 2 included clay, sorting, and kurtosis. Organic carbon was positively correlated to sorting, clay & silt percent, and grain size (ɸ). Meanwhile, the SOC was negatively correlated to sediment density, C, sand percent, and skewness. Generally, by decreasing the size of the sediment particles, the amount of SOC increased. Areas with fine-grained sediments appear to be able to absorb more organic carbon.

Strengthened multi-stakeholder linkages in valuation studies is critical for improved decision making outcomes for valuable mangroves – The Malaysian case study

Mangrove forests in Southeast Asia are continuously declining as a result of unsustainable practices, partly due to limited recognition of the value of mangrove services in land use decision making. Valuation practitioners have assumed that monetary valuation should inform local and national decision makers to ensure sustainable management of mangrove resources. For ecosystem service valuation to be of use to decision makers, best practices should be adhered to such as having straightforward policy questions and strong stakeholder engagement from the onset of valuation studies, suitable choice of valuation methodologies, and the ability to effectively demonstrate causal links between drivers of ecosystem health, change, and resource users. This study, focusing on the Malaysian case study, assessed the effectiveness and challenges of local ecosystem service valuation studies in informing mangrove management decisions against a set of global best practices. A systematic review approach was undertaken to identify relevant Malaysian mangrove ecosystem service valuation studies. Of 184 studies identified, only 17 provided monetary values for mangrove ecosystem services. These studies valued nine different mangrove ecosystem services, with the cultural ecosystem services of tourism being the most frequently valued. Most of the valuation studies were designed to raise awareness of the value of ecosystems (64.7%). Other intended uses included determining appropriate charging rates for mangrove uses (17.6%), comparing the costs and benefits of different environmental uses (11.8%), and providing a justification and support for certain decision making (5.9%). Overall, mangrove valuation studies in Malaysia were characterized by weak multi-stakeholder engagement, non-standardized valuation units across the whole country, limited dissemination of the valuation outcome, and cursory references to the potential use of mangrove ecosystem services. Most of the studies did not exert apparent influence on mangrove management. Future valuation studies in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region should aim to build more robust engagement between valuation practitioners and key stakeholder groups, especially decision makers, at all stages of the study process and incorporate a clear dissemination strategy for sharing results.

Fish habitat use in a Caribbean mangrove lagoon system

One of the most important ecosystem services of mangroves is their role as fish habitat. While this function has been studied in many Caribbean Islands, Indo-West Pacific areas and lagoon systems in the Americas, studies in turbid estuarine lagoon systems in the Caribbean are scarce. We surveyed fish in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM), Colombian Caribbean, at five sites which had different mangrove and physicochemical characteristics. Three gillnets, parallel to the mangroves, were set at each site over six sampling cycles (n = 84); one in the mangrove, one further (∼250 m) from the mangrove and a third one furthest from the mangrove (∼400 m). We hypothesized that fish abundance and diversity, would be higher in mangrove habitats compared to mudflats, whereas biomass would be higher away from mangroves. Total fish abundance and juvenile fish abundance differed across habitats and sites, while fish biomass and fish diversity differed across sites, but not across habitats. While mangroves may be critical habitats for fish in the CGSM, mudflats may be of similar importance. Some sites had very high salinity values that together with other anthropogenic activities may limit the benefits of mangrove as critical habitats. The proportion of juveniles (67%) relative to adults of estuarine species is of concern. We recommend urgent implementation of management strategies that focus on maintaining freshwater inputs and mitigate the impact of fisheries the system is suffering.

Ecosystem Services of Mangroves: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Contemporary Scientific Literature

The paper narrates a systematic literature review on ‘’mangrove ecosystem services’’ to identify their typology, distribution, and utilization within the contemporary scientific literature. We performed a systematic review of 76 research articles derived from the Scopus database, and the dataset was scrutinized and classified against the four major categories of ecosystem services, namely provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, as per the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). We attempted to determine the existing state of the interconnectedness of mangrove ecosystem services by mapping the potential synergies and trade-offs. Further, an attempt was made to understand the critical linkages between mangrove ecosystem services and their contribution to the localization/achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results suggest disproportionate distribution of scientific literature, where nearly 56 of the studies were concentrated in Asia. The recognition of regulating the services of mangroves, particularly in carbon storage and disaster risk reduction, outnumbered the other types of ecosystem services. In particular, studies related to mangroves’ cultural ecosystem services remain underrepresented. The results show a strong correlation in terms of synergies between the coastal protection ecosystem services and the high carbon sequestration ability of mangroves; and the trade-off between facilitating water transport services and the provision of fresh water. Of the 17 SDGs, three SDGs, namely, SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 14 and 15 (life below water and life on land) showed close interrelationships with the existing database. As such, the results are beneficial for coastal planners to better integrate and mainstream mangrove ecosystem services into coastal and regional planning, by maximizing synergies, encouraging the involvement of coastal communities as well as elaborating ameliorative adaptive measures.

THE COMMUNITY PERCEPTION OF MANGROVE CULTURAL SERVICES IN XUAN THUY NATIONAL PARK VIETNAM

The need to save mangroves is growing, however, debasement has persisted for decades, because the processes of decision-making are inefficient, found solely on economic factors. This study provides a tool for mangrove conservation and management to explore the socio-cultural values of mangrove ecosystem services through research in Xuan Thuy National Park, one of nine Ramsars in Vietnam, and also an area heavily affected by shrimp farming. 150 households were selected for an interview, 5 focus group discussions in 5 buffer zone communes, 10 in-depth interviews were carried out to find out the ecosystem services that mangroves provide, compared with literature review, and 3 cultural services listed by the local people as the characteristics of the mangroves here are lifestyle change, strengthening family relationship, implicit division of labor in the community. This proves that local people are ambassadors connecting the mangroves and the government. This finding suggests that the socio-cultural aspect of mangrove services should be deliberated by policymakers as a measure of great concern when facing the challenges of wetland ecosystem conservation.

Ruminant keeping around mangrove forests in Benin (West Africa): herders\u2019 perceptions of threats and opportunities for conservation of mangroves

In the Republic of Benin, mangroves are an essential resource for the coastal populations who use them for firewood, salt production, and ruminant feeding. However, little information exists on livestock keepers’ particular threats to mangroves. This study aims to understand the use of mangrove species by ruminant keepers to identify sustainable actions for mangroves conservation in the coastal area of Benin. Ethno-botanical and socio-economical surveys were conducted on ninety (90) ruminant farmers in fifteen (15) villages close to mangroves along the coastal belt using a semi-structured questionnaire. The herders provide their animals with different mangrove plant species for feeding and health care. Rhizophora racemosa, Avicennia africana, Paspalum vaginatum, Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Blutaparon vermiculare were the primary species used for ruminants. Local communities of herders were aware of the need to restore and ensure the sustainable use of mangrove ecosystems. The main restoration and conservation strategy suggested was planting the true mangroves plant species. Others strategies were rational use of mangroves resources and avoiding burning mangroves. These strategies varied with the ethnical group of the herder and the mangrove status (degraded or restoring) in their location. The study also revealed the willingness of ruminant breeders to participate in actions to conserve mangroves. This participation in mangrove restoration was influenced by the ethnical group and age of the herder. Therefore, it is important to involve more ruminant farmers in activities and projects for mangroves restoration. Further study could evaluate whether grazing could enhance the other ecosystem services of mangroves.

Assessing the coastal protection services of natural mangrove forests and artificial rock revetments

Coastal flooding and erosion cause significant social and economic impacts, globally. There is a growing interest in using natural habitats such as mangroves to defend coastlines. The protective services of mangroves, however, have not been assessed in the same rigorous engineering and socio-economic terms as rock revetments, and therefore are often overlooked by coastal managers. We used field measurements, a social science survey and economic valuation to compare the coastal protection services of mangroves and rock revetments, at five locations across Victoria, Australia. The results showed, in sheltered locations, both mangroves and rock revetments attenuated waves, however, the wave attenuation (per metre) of rock revetments was greater than mangroves, at two of the five locations. Only a small proportion of the survey respondents had observed flooding or erosion in their suburb but most agreed that mangroves provide important coastal protection benefits. Coastal landowners visited areas with mangroves more often than the public but were less likely to worry about the links between climate change and coastal erosion and flooding, or to agree that the coast was well protected with existing artificial coastal infrastructure, than other respondents. There were much higher up-front costs associated with building rock revetments, than planting mangroves, but rock revetments required less land than mangroves. Mangroves covered a larger area and averted more damages than rock revetments. Coastal managers and policy makers will have more success in advocating for nature-based solutions for coastal protection, if they are implemented in locations where they are eco-engineering and socio-economically acceptable options for climate change adaptation.

RESPONDENT ANALYSIS IN CONTEXT TO IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE REGULATING SERVICES OF MANGROVE VEGETATION

The mangrove ecosystem in the lower Gangetic delta is noted for providing several regulatory services. The major regulatory services include erosion, natural disaster, Phytoremediation, carbon sequestration, siltation, and sea-level rise. Here, we have attempted to develop a mechanism of assessing and ranking the magnitude of regulatory services offered by Sundarban mangroves based on stakeholder’s views on the subject. The respondents were categorized into five major classes namely policy level worker, researcher, fisherman, agriculturist, and local inhabitant. About 295 respondents belonging to these 5 categories were asked about the types of regulatory services and their respective magnitude by ranking the services between 1 and 6. Finally, based on data generated, three separate Combined Mangrove Regulating Service Scale (CMRSS) were assessed for three sectors (western, central, and eastern) of Indian Sundarbans. The basic root for such assessment is contrasting variations between these three sectors based on geographical features, salinity, and biodiversity. The present approach of analysis can be a road map to identify and empirically score the regulatory services of mangroves.

Assessment of The Various Type of Mangrove Areas by Avifaunal Diversity and Community in Tamban Beach, Sumbermanjing Wetan, East Java

The restoration effort in Tamban Beach may reflect the role services of mangroves as suitable habitats for those surrounding diversity, especially on avifauna. Here we assess the diversity and community of avifaunal throughout types of mangrove ecosystems. We surveyed the avifaunal within four stations (i.e., natural mangrove area, restored mangrove area since 2009 and 2014, and degraded mangrove area) in Tamban Beach, Sumbermanjing Wetan, East Java during March 2021 using Audiovisual Encounter Survey (AES) methods. We present the statistic descriptive analysis of α-diversity index (taxa diversity, dominance index, Simpson’s index, Evenness, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Brillouin index, and Margalef species richness) as diversity assessment also conservation status of each species. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to investigate the community variation within each site. We found 38 species from 22 families and 11 orders of avifaunal across the sites. The diversity of avifauna was high in a degraded area due to the mixture of habitats, although the natural and restored area yields some specialists. The type of mangroves might not be the sole factor affecting the avifauna diversity correlation, highlighting the importance of conservation strategies in the area.

Community knowledge and utilization of mangroves in Panabo Mangrove Park, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines

Abstract. Alimbon JA, Manseguiao MRS. 2021. Community knowledge and utilization of mangroves in Panabo Mangrove Park, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Philippines. Intl J Bonorowo Wetlands 11: 51-57. Awareness of community knowledge and utilization patterns of mangrove ecosystems and their services is integral to conservation and management. However, this aspect remains to be less explored, especially in the Philippines. Hence, this study assessed the community knowledge and utilization of mangroves in Panabo Mangrove Park, Panabo City, Davao del Norte Philippines, using a survey research design. Through a simple random sampling procedure, 154 residents living near the area were surveyed using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentages. Results revealed that the majority were knowledgeable of the existence and the services of mangroves except for their medicinal uses. It was also found out that many respondents have less to no knowledge of the different species of mangroves. Further, most respondents reported that they used the mangrove ecosystem as a food source on varying frequencies but never utilized it for other purposes such as fuelwood, medicine, dyeing agent, construction materials, fishing poles, household furniture, and other items.

Perceptions of coastal villagers on the non-market goods and services of mangroves in Cagayan province, Philippines

Household survey interviews were conducted to randomly selected 280 respondents in order to understand the socio-economic profile and livelihood structures of coastal villagers, as well as to evaluate the extent of their knowledge of, awareness of, and participation in mangrove rehabilitation projects in Cagayan Province, Philippines. The perceptions of the respondents of the non-market goods and services (i.e., the indirect and non-use values) of mangroves were evaluated through the use of proxy attitudinal statements. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were fishers, which confirmed that the households depended largely on coastal resources for their livelihoods. The respondents were from low-income households, with most of them below the poverty threshold level for the province. Despite this, the respondents displayed high levels of awareness and knowledge of mangroves in the area. The results further showed that the respondents recognized the value of protecting and preserving the mangrove ecosystem; however, there was an exposition of disagreement for statements that contained the phrases “pay”, “cost”, or “money”. This result inferred that respondents were reasonably sensitive with regards to conservation when it involves monetary payment, given their socio-economic conditions. Nevertheless, the possibility that contributions could be in-kind could be explored for further studies. The information generated from this study is an input to future valuation researches in the area.

Economic valuation of the ecosystem services provided by the mangroves of the Gulf of Nicoya using a hybrid methodology

Due to the public good nature of many of mangrove’s ecosystem services, markets for them do not exist and there is limited potential to manage them with conventional markets. Moreover, because of the difficulties in estimating the value of these non-marketed services, mangroves are often undervalued in benefit cost analysis of conservation versus commercial land uses causing their degradation and loss. With the goal of supporting the current efforts of the government of Costa Rica to develop a new PES scheme that include these ecosystems, as well as other policy initiatives on wetlands conservation and restoration, we applied a hybrid approach to estimate the value of ecosystem services from mangrove forests in the Gulf of Nicoya. Our method consists of traditional benefit transfer and expert modified benefit transfer for 11 ecosystem services, and the application of more specific methods to estimate three of those ecosystem services (i.e. climate regulation, fisheries and coastal protection). Using traditional benefit transfer, we estimated the total economic value of ecosystem services of mangroves in the Gulf of Nicoya in $812 million per year (median=$88 million/year), and the total mean value of the ecosystem services provided by all the mangroves in Costa Rica as $1.5 billion per year (median=$160 million/year). By applying the expert modified benefit transfer we estimated that the mean total value of the mangrove forests of the Gulf of Nicoya is $470 million per year, and a median value of $75 million per year. Combining the three different valuation technics, we calculated the mean total value of the ecosystem services from mangrove forests in the Gulf of Nicoya in $408 million per year, and a median total value of $86 million. Considering the median total value of ecosystem services from mangroves, it represents 0.16% of the GDP in Costa Rica in 2015.

A Global Assessment of the Law and Policy of Ecosystem Services

This article assesses the approaches that different national governments have employed to provide and conserve ecosystem services, focusing on policy instruments and common-law court decisions. Applying the lessons learned from this review, we address strategies for conservation of mangrove ecosystem services in Australia, focusing on the importance of creating a strong political mandate and demonstrating a clear connection between mangrove conservation and the benefits provided by mangrove services. This requires further research on which beneficiaries would be harmed, and by how much, if the mangrove service flows are reduced. Policy uptake can be slow. It has taken years in other jurisdictions for policies protecting ecosystem services to be adopted, and this will likely be the path in Australia as well.

Characteristics of mangrove ecosystems in Weda Bay: Environment, Vegetation, and Aboveground Carbon Stocks

Weda Bay is one of the largest mangrove habitat in North Maluku and one of mega-biodiversity spots in Indonesia. However, data and information of mangrove vegetation and its ecosystem services particularly carbon stocks were limited. Mangroves were mapped using GIS-remote sensing and vegetation were sampled using transects in five sites of mangroves across Weda Bay. Tansects were extended from seaward to landward to cover all vegetation variation and hydrodynamic conditions. Environmental data (water and substrate): temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), particle size of sediment, and nutrient (phosphate and nitrate) were collected. The objective is to identify characteristics of mangrove landscape and vegetation, it is environment, and it ecosystem services in term of aboveground carbon stocks. The study showed that the characteristics of landscape and vegetation of mangrove varied among hydrodynamic conditions. The bay is important habitat for 8.5% (17 species) of mangrove species in Indonesia. Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza were the most dominant mangroves. The environmental conditions of Weda Bay particularly northern part of the bay were suitable for mangrove growth. Substrate of mangrove did not vary significantly with distance from the seaward which was mainly dominated by mud and clay (3.9 - 63 μm). Mean water temperature in the mangrove area was 29.3°C, salinity 34.1 psu, mean water suspension was 46 mg l−1, mean dissolved oxygen was 3.2 mg l−1, and water current was 10 m s−1. Aboveground carbon stock was considerable (752 ± 17.6 Mg C ha−1). Change in aboveground carbon stocks over the distance from the seaward edge to landward edge was not significantly different. In contrast, aboveground carbon stocks varied among hydrodynamic conditions: estuarine, delta, and riverine mangroves. Delta mangrove contained the highest carbon stock (993 ± 27.7 Mg C ha−1), followed by estuarine mangroves (645 ± 12.2 Mg C ha−1) and riverine mangroves (244 ± 8.6 Mg C ha−1). However, this ecosystem faced some threats such as mangrove extraction and plastic pollution. Better mangrove management e.g. reducing mangrove extraction and pollution are required to protect the functions and ecosystem services of mangroves. In addition, conserving mangrove forests will allow the government to achieve blue economy goals and to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration.