Bangko-bangkoang Island Stores Up to 111.85 Tonnes of Carbon per Hectare

Image: article cover, from Nasir et al. (2025), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY 4.0.

A research team from Universitas Islam Makassar has revealed patterns of mangrove carbon stocks on Bangko-bangkoang Island, Mattiro Uleng Village, Pangkajene District, Pangkep Regency, South Sulawesi. Published in Jurnal Wasian, the study found that high-density mangroves store far more carbon than low-density mangroves. These findings are important because mangroves on the island are under continuous pressure from aquaculture expansion and logging for fuel and construction materials.

Analysis of Sentinel-2 imagery showed that mangrove cover on the island covers 16.04 hectares. The majority, 8.97 hectares or 56 per cent, is classified as low density. Only 3.34 hectares or 21 per cent is high density. Average carbon stocks in the low-density class were 22.35 tonnes C/ha, the medium-density class 67.1 tonnes C/ha, and the high-density class 111.85 tonnes C/ha. Field surveys identified three mangrove species: red mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata), stilt mangrove (Rhizophora stylosa), and Sonneratia alba (pidada). Red mangrove was the most abundant and was considered the most effective at storing carbon.

According to the study, these results confirm the role of mangroves in climate change mitigation and provide a scientific basis for conservation efforts. Increasing vegetation density is key to optimising carbon storage. However, the researchers noted that the ecosystem condition on the island is declining due to wood exploitation and marine debris, which threaten more sensitive mangrove species such as Sonneratia alba and Rhizophora stylosa.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article Revealing Carbon Patterns Across Mangrove Density Variations Using Sentinel-2 NDVI by Anugrahandini Nasir, Herawaty Herawaty, Ismail Ismail and Muh Izzul Muslimin Syah, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 12 No. 02 (2025). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Nasir, A., Herawaty, H., Ismail, I., & Syah, M. I. M. (2025). Revealing Carbon Patterns Across Mangrove Density Variations Using Sentinel-2 NDVI. Jurnal Wasian, 12(02), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.62142/rbh1zd16

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 4.0.