Physical and chemical variability of mangrove island: a case study of Pulau Kukup, Johor

Abstract

This paper highlights a preliminary review study on the species distribution using spatial analysis at the mangrove area. Fourteen sampling plots were established at the study area to determine the variability of physical and chemical properties of the soil. The interpolation process was conducted in ArcGIS spatial analysis to interpolate the value of elements where the field data collection is inaccessible. A number of tests were conducted on common soil physical and chemical parameters such as salinity, pH, conductivity, nutrient, and particle size distribution of soil. The results determined that soils are categorized as very saline-sodic, and most of the soil determined at the study area was classified as silt loam soil. In conclusion, this type of soil is most suitable for Brugueira cylindrica and Rhizophora mucronate species due to the high number of sapling species found in the plots. However, inaccessibility to the whole Pulau Kukup had led to the lack of sample collected during the sampling process. Therefore, for future improvement, it is suggested to use the data collected from the secondary and archive data while increasing the data input, thus producing a more precise interpolation output map.