Recruitment Index as a Novel Approach to Assessing the Resilience of Natural Mangrove Ecosystems: A Case Study on the Coast of West Muna Regency

This study aims to determine the resilience of mangrove ecosystems with a recruitment index approach on the coast of West Muna Regency. The recruitment index in mangrove ecosystems reflects the comparison between the number of newly established mangrove seedlings and saplings and the number of mature mangroves. The research method used quadrant transects (10 x 10 m2). Analysis of the resilience index is based on the recruitment index (RI) with the equation RI = Ln ((0.7 x DSd/DT.)+ (DSp/DT)). The results showed that the mangrove ecosystem in all stations had a high resilience with an RI value of 1.43 for station I, 1.38 for station II, 1.07 for station III, and 1.05 for station IV. Meanwhile, mangrove species with very high resilience categories are B. gymnorrhiza (RI = 1.70) and B. cylindrica (RI = 1.63). In comparison, the resilience of S. alba (RI = 0.90) and R. stylosa (RI = 1.22) is classified as medium and high resilience, respectively. Based on the RI value, the mangrove ecosystem on the coast of West Muna Regency is in the high resilience category (RI = 1.25 ± 0.20). It indicates that the mangrove ecosystem on the coast of West Muna Regency has good regeneration and growth abilities, so it can recover even when under ecological pressure.