Produksi dan Laju Dekomposisi Serasah Ceriops tagal di Cagar Alam Tanjung Panjang (The Production and Decomposition Rate of Ceriops tagal Litter in Tanjung Panjang Nature Reserve)

Abstract

Mangrove vegetation growsalong the coastal line and iscapable of thriving in salty water. Therefore, the study reported in this articlesought to describe the production and decomposition rate of Ceriops tagal litter in Tanjung Panjang Nature Reserve in Randangan Sub-District, Pohuwato District, Gorontalo Province. A survey method was employed, and a purposive sampling technique was used for selecting the research site. The data of litter production was collected using a litter trap of 2m x 1m. Decomposition data was collected using a litter bag sized of 1m x 1m. The results showed that litter production containing leaves at Station I reached 46%, twigs 40%, and fruits 14%. At Station II, the production of litter containing leaves reached 42%, twigs 45%, and fruits 13%. At Station III, the production of litter containing leaves reached 48%, twigs 43%, and fruits 9%. The decomposition rate (R) of C. tagal litter at each station was obtained with an average on the 14th day of 0.42 g, 0.75 g, and 0.77 g, respectively. On the 28th day, it was 0.75 g, 1.00 g, and 0.89 g; on the 42nd day was 1.13 g, 1.27 g, and 1.22 g; and on the 56th day was 1.48 g, 1.62 g, and 1.59 g. The ratio of the decomposition rate of C. tagal litter on day 14 to day 56 increased. This condition was influenced by several environmental factors, including salinity, which ranged from 4.5-6.3‰, ambient temperature at 27-28°C, dissolved oxygen at 2.0-5.0 mg/L, and soil pH between 5.9-8.0. Keywords: Ceriops tagal, decomposition rate, litter production, Pohuwato