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 grow s along the coastal line and is capable of thriving in salt y water . Therefore, the study reported in this article sought to describe the production and decomposition rate of  Ceriops tagal litter in Tanjung Panjang N ature R eserve 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 2 m x 1 m . D ecomposition data was collected using a litter bag sized of 1 m x 1 m. 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 28 th day, it was 0.75 g, 1.00 g, and 0.89 g; on the 42 nd day was 1.13 g, 1.27 g, and 1.22 g; and on the 56 th 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