Distribution characteristics of microplastics in the soil of mangrove restoration wetland and the effects of microplastics on soil characteristics

Microplastics that enter the soil environment are transformed by migration and can affect soil properties, which in turn have an impact on soil function and biodiversity. In this study, we investigated the distribution of soil microplastics at different planting densities and their effects on soil properties in a mangrove restoration wetland. The results showed that the average abundance of soil microplastics in the study area was 2177.5 n/500g, with the largest proportion of 0.038-0.05 mm diameter microplastics accounting for 70.9% and the rest of the diameter microplastics accounting for less than 20%, indicating that the smaller the diameter microplastics are easy to accumulate in the wetland soil. The abundance of microplastics in the restored area by planting density was ranked as 0.5×0.5m > 1.0×0.5m > 1.0×1.0m > control area. Three microplastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET, accounted for 52%), polyethylene (PE, accounted for 24%), and polypropylene (PP, accounted for 15%), were the most prevalent and dominant microplastics in the soils of the area. SEM images showed that fractures, tears, EDS spectroscopy showed that a large number of metals were detected on the surface of microplastics. PET can influence the distribution of soil particle size due to its adsorptive viscosity, which may affect soil structure. Apart from soil pH, all other physicochemical factors changed significantly in response to PET. Besides, the results of the CV analysis reflect that soils in vegetated areas are more susceptible to the effects of PET than bare ground soils resulting in greater variability in the properties.

Community Perception of the Value of the Ecosystems of the Bons Sinais Estuary, Mozambique, Southern Africa

Understanding the community’s perceptions of, and beliefs about, the value of ecosystems and natural resources is important for designing effective environmental education and awareness campaigns and for the adoption of sustainable natural resources management. The present paper examines the perceptions of the natural resource users in the Bons Sinais Estuary and gauges their willingness to contribute to mangrove ecosystem restoration and management. 169 natural resource users, including fishermen, farmers, and forest produce users, from five villages along the Estuary (Marrubune, Gazelas, Icidua, Chuabo Dembe and Inhangome), were interviewed. The interviewees assigned high value to the estuary as a source of fish, as agricultural land and as productive forest. They considered the estuary important for provision of clean water and air and for its potential for tourism development. There were strong similarities, across the region, with regard to the value of the estuary ecosystem (0.6 Keywords: Ecosystem services, natural resource management, livelihood activities, mangrove restoration, co-management.

Government, the private sector, and local communities in ecosystem restoration governance and practices

Ecosystem restoration is not only a concern for countries such as Indonesia, but has become a global concern, as the UN has announced the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration for 2021-2030. Ecosystem restoration is an important way of restoring degraded landscapes, ensuring the sustainability of biodiversity, as well as being an effective pathway for reducing emissions in the land-based sector. Indonesia has committed to ecosystem restoration through national statutory law since 2004, although it is no longer explicitly listed in the Omnibus Las No. 11 of 2020 and Government Regulation No. 23 of 2021 on Forestry Stewardship. Indonesia has demonstrated good progress in the implementation of ecosystem restoration in several priority provinces coordinated by the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency, as well as in initiatives led by the private sector. Although both involved rural communities in restoration activities, I propose here that an innovative ecosystem restoration business model is necessary to make their participation more financially attractive to local communities. This paper provides an analysis of progress and the needs for ecosystem restoration improvement in Indonesia.Restorasi ekosistem tidak hanya menjadi perhatian negara-negara seperti Indonesia, tetapi telah menjadi perhatian global, karena PBB telah mengumumkan Dekade Restorasi Ekosistem untuk 2021-2030. Restorasi ekosistem merupakan cara penting untuk memulihkan bentang alam yang terdegradasi, memastikan keberlanjutan keanekaragaman hayati, serta menjadi jalur yang efektif untuk mengurangi emisi di sektor berbasis lahan. Indonesia telah berkomitmen untuk melakukan restorasi ekosistem melalui peraturan perundang-undangan nasional sejak tahun 2004, meskipun tidak lagi secara eksplisit tercantum dalam Omnibus Las No. 11 Tahun 2020 dan Peraturan Pemerintah No. 23 Tahun 2021 tentang Penatagunaan Kehutanan. Indonesia telah menunjukkan kemajuan yang baik dalam pelaksanaan restorasi ekosistem di beberapa provinsi prioritas yang dikoordinasikan oleh Badan Restorasi Gambut dan Mangrove, serta inisiatif yang dipimpin oleh sektor swasta. Meskipun sama-sama melibatkan masyarakat lokal dalam kegiatan restorasi, saya mengusulkan di sini bahwa model bisnis restorasi ekosistem yang inovatif diperlukan untuk membuat partisipasi mereka lebih menarik secara finansial bagi masyarakat lokal. Makalah ini memberikan analisis kemajuan dan kebutuhan perbaikan restorasi ekosistem di Indonesia.

Pests of Sonneratia caseolaris seedlings in the mangrove restoration area nursery of Berbak-Sembilang National Park and its damage

Sonneratia caseolaris is one of the mangrove species that is widespread in Indonesia. It has important ecological functions to protect coastal foreshores. However, the S. caseolaris seedlings are rarely to be planted in mangrove restoration projects. One of the challenges in producing many S. caseolaris seedlings for mangrove restoration projects is pest infestation. However, the information on those pests is still limited. This study aimed to identify S. caseolaris pests that hinder the successfulness of cultivation. The incidence and intensity of pest infestation on S. caseolaris seedlings have also been assessed. This research was carried out in the nursery of the mangrove restoration area of Berbak-Sembilang National Park. The results showed that insect and rodentia were two major groups found infested S. caseolaris seedlings. Three species of insect pests were identified, namely Pteroma plagiophleps, Ooecophylla sp., and Sexava sp. The incidence and severity of P. plagiophleps, Ooecophylla sp., and Sexava sp. infestation were 16.38%; 21.02%; 6.68%; and 30.83%; 42.67%, 25.83%, respectively. For rodentia pest, the Rattus sp. was the only species found to infest the plant, with an incidence of 16.67%. These all pests significantly affect the growth performance of S. caseolaris seedlings.

Mangrove Dieback and Leaf Disease in Sonneratia apetala and Sonneratia caseolaris in Vietnam

Even though survival rates for mangrove restoration in Vietnam have often been low, there is no information on fungal pathogens associated with mangrove decline in Vietnam. Therefore, this research was undertaken to assess the overall health of mangrove afforestation in Thanh Hoa Province and fungal pathogens associated with tree decline. From a survey of 4800 Sonneratia trees, the incidence of disorders was in the order of pink leaf spot > shoot dieback > black leaf spot for S. caseolaris and black leaf spot > shoot dieback > pink leaf spot for S. apetala. Approximately 12% of S. caseolaris trees had both pink leaf spot and shoot dieback, while only 2% of S. apetala trees had black leaf spot and shoot dieback. Stem and leaf samples were taken from symptomatic trees and fungi were cultured in vitro. From ITS4 and ITS5 analysis, four main fungal genera causing leaf spots and shoot dieback on the two Sonneratia species were identified. The most frequently isolated fungal taxa were Curvularia aff. tsudae (from black leaf spot),Neopestalotiopsis sp.1 (from stem dieback), Pestalotiopsis sp.1 (from pink leaf spot), and Pestalotiopsis sp.4a (from black leaf spot). The pathogenicity of the four isolates was assessed by under-bark inoculation of S. apetala and S. caseolaris seedlings in a nursery in Thai Binh Province. All isolates caused stem lesions, and Neopestalotiopsis sp.1 was the most pathogenic. Thus, investigation of fungal pathogens and their impact on mangrove health should be extended to other afforestation projects in the region, and options for disease management need to be developed for mangrove nurseries.