CARBON STOCK AND WATER QUALITY IN REHABILITATION MANGROVE FORESTAT IN SINJAI DISTRICT, INDONESIA

Erna Kaseng* and Early Septiningsih**

The information of the effects of rehabilitation period in mangrove forest on sedimentation rate and water quality particularly on sediment texture and contents of carbon and nitrogen in mangrove forest are rare. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the environment factors that could affect on sedimentation rate of mangrove forest Rhizopora mucronata at Desa Tongke-tongke, Kecamatan Samataring and Kecamatan Lappa, Kabupaten Sinjai.

Samples were collected by purposive sampling method. Six sites were chosen to collect the sedimentsin 1) Non-vegetation site, 2) 1 year mangrove rehabilitation period site, 3) 5 yearsmangrove rehabilitation period site, 4) 10 years mangrove rehabilitation period site, 5) 27 years mangrove rehabilitation period site, and 6) 30 years mangrove rehabilitation period site. Water quality in mangrove forest were checked, and vegetation which associated with mangrove ecosystem were recorded. Organic matter contents in sediment including carbon and nitrogen were also measured (Table 1). The results showed that carbon and nitrogen contents in sediment in all sites in the ranged from 30.36 tons-1 Hectare-1 year to 31.14 tons-1 Hectare-1year and from 14.40 tons-1 Hectare-1year to 28.80 tons-1Hectare-1Year, respectively. The highest carbon and nitrogen contentswere found in 27 and 30 years mangrove rehabilitation period sites, respectively. Environment factors such as physic and chemical were effect on the growth and availability of macrozoobenthos in the rehabilitation mangrove forest at Tongke-tongke and Samatriang mangrove forest. Turbidity, salinity, pH and phosphorous content have significantly effect on macrozoobenthos density in mangrove ecosystem.