Mangrove Forest at Air Telang Beach, Banyuasin, Shrinks by 10.72 Per Cent in 12 Years

Image: article cover, from Vina et al. (2017), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

The mangrove forest area in the Air Telang Beach Protected Forest, Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, contracted by 10.72 per cent over 12 years. A research team from Sriwijaya University, comprising Vina Fitriana, Rujito Agus Suwignyo and Siti Fauziyah, recorded that the mangrove area stood at 7,968.54 hectares in 2000 and fell to 7,147.12 hectares in 2012. The findings were published in the Journal Wasian in 2017.

The study used Landsat 7 imagery from 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012 to monitor changes in mangrove cover. The results showed that high-density mangrove still dominated the area, but its extent continued to decline. Conversely, medium-density mangrove actually increased. This means that the shrinkage is not only a matter of reduced area but also of changes in stand quality across parts of the region.

For communities living around the forest and for local government, these data underline the importance of regular monitoring of coastal protected forests. The mangrove at Air Telang Beach helps to hold back coastal erosion, provides habitat for various species of fish and crab, and sustains the livelihoods of coastal residents in Banyuasin. The study notes that satellite imagery-based monitoring can help reveal the direction of change in the area over time.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article The Changes in Vast Mangrove Area of Pantai Air Telang Protected Forest Banyuasin District using Landsat Imagery Data Time Series by Vina Fitriana Vina, Rujito Agus Suwignyo Rujito and Siti Fauziyah Siti, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 4 No. 2 (2017). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Vina, V. F., Rujito, R. A. S., & Siti, S. F. (2017). The Changes in Vast Mangrove Area of Pantai Air Telang Protected Forest Banyuasin District using Landsat Imagery Data Time Series. Jurnal Wasian, 4(2), 109–118. https://doi.org/10.62142/6qb11r81

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.