Growth performance of planted mangrove seedlings on an intertidal area of the Bali Sea

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystems have various services, one of them being a barrier to strong waves and seawater currents. Growing mangroves in the physical environment with sandy soil, high differences between high and low tides, big waves, and strong seawater currents such as in the Bali Sea under a highway interchange is not easy. To cope with this kind of less-understood environmental condition, the experiment planting was done by applying three kinds of planting techniques: mangrove incubator (guludan), strip line planting, and cluster planting using the mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) seedlings having sufficient tolerance to high salinity and sandy soils. Two months after planting, the tree planting techniques showed a high percentage of survival of planted seedlings (PSS=100%) and well healthy growing performance of seedlings (no infected by pest and disease), the average increments of seedling stem diameter ranged from 0.73 to 1.15 mm, height ranged from 8.70 to 10.98 cm, and the number of leaves ranged from 1.08 to 1.45 pieces in a month. Furthermore, the best planting technique was the mangrove incubator (guludan) in terms of stem diameter growth, while the strip line and cluster techniques were the best in terms of seedling height growth.