Physical and chemical characteristics of soil in mangrove ecosystem based on differences habitat in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar

Abstract

Abstract Mangrove is a plant type influenced by tides action along the tropical coastlines. The tidal type will affect the soil properties, growth of soil microorganisms, and mangrove distribution. The purposes of the study were to analyzing the characteristics of mangrove soil in different habitat type including physical and chemical properties. The research was conducted in mangrove rehabilitation as site 1 and non-rehabilitation as site 2. This research was conducted from April 2020 to September 2020. Analysis of soil properties were consisted of substrate texture, pH, salinity, Organic Carbon, N-total, and P-available. These analyses carried out in Soil Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala. The determining of sampling location was done by using random stratified sampling method. Data were collected at 6 stations divided into 3 stations each site. The criteria for each station was based on tidal inundation. Each station was sampled randomly at three depths, namely 0-15 cm (top layer), 15-30 (sub layer) cm, and 30-45 cm (bottom). Soil textures in study areas were loamy sand, sandy loam, dusty loam, and clay in site 1, while in site 2 the soil textures were sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loamy sand, and dusty loam. The high sand and low clay percentage produce the average of organic carbon in the medium, low and very low categories, the organic carbon ranged from 0.25% to 2.18% in site 1 and 0.62% to 1.73% in site 2. The N and P content in site 1 and site 2 were ranged from 0.02% to 0.13%; 25.30% to 68.15% and from 0.04% to 0.11%; 2.60% to 37.85%, respectively. The pH average of mangrove soils indicated that the pH category was neutral, slightly alkaline, slightly acidic in site 1. In site 2 the pH categories were slighly alkaline, neutral, slightly acidic, and acidic. The soil salinity values at different sites indicated high and very high salinity.