Mangrove Forest Development Determined For Ecotourism InMangunharjo Village Semarang

Yulizar Ihrami Rahmila1*, M. Arief Rahman Halim 1

Master Program of Environmental Science, School of Postgraduate Studies, Diponegoro University, Semarang - Indonesia

Abstract. Mangrove forest which has a primary function to prevent abrasion, protection against wind, sea water intrusionprevention, and as an energy producer, in the last few years many have been converted to non-forest land, such asagriculture and fisheries. Therefore it is necessary for an attempt to save mangrove forests one of them is by developingenvironmental concept based mangrove forest ecotourism. This research aims to develop the potential ecotourism ofmangrove forests in Mangunharjo Village, through mangrove condition and interest of the people in Mangunharjo. Themethods used were vegetation analysis, ecotourism suitability analysis, interviews, observation, and literature studies.The results of the research shows that Mangunharjo Village mangrove forests have the potential of tourist sites such asfishing, boating and enjoying the natural beauty of the mangrove forest with an ecotourism suitability index of 74.36%.The potential of flora Mangrove Mangunharjo have low biodiversity as it is an artificial mangrove ecosystem, but hasthe potential of abundant bird diversity that can be done for birdwatching Perception of some of the community supportsthe tourist development of mangrove forests in Mangunharjo Village because there motivated to improve people'swelfare. This research is expected to be an information material about the ecotourism which will be expected as amangrove conservation management

Keywords: Mangrove, Ecotourism, Mangunharjo

1. INTRODUCTION

Mangrove ecosystem belongs to complexecosystem consisting of various types of biologicalresources. According to Duke (1992) referred to inHasibuan (2011), that is because the forest alwayshas sufficient water influenced by the salinity andwater level fluctuations due to the tide. Mangroveecosystem can be utilized for human welfare bothecologically and economically. Ghufran and Kordi(2012) [1] stated the ecological advantages ofmangrove are as habitat biota, transit for the migrantfauna, coastal protection, sediment corner, and as thespawning, caring and places for the fauna to eat. Thepotential, both in biological resources, standstructure and processed products from mangroveforests, can be an attraction for tourists. The benefitof ecotourism, according to Saparinto (2007) [2] canproduce foreign exchange for country.

Coastal areas as transitional areas between landand marine ecosystems have unique physical,biological, social, and economic characteristics thatare feasible to maintain. The potential variety of thenatural resources in coastal areas is grace from GodAlmighty with very significant role in economic,social, cultural and environmental development(Soerianegara 1987) [3] . With the consideration thatthe condition of coastal area has high complexity, sothe development of coastal area involve the relatedcomponents, such as central government institution,local government, and other stakeholders by

considering the environmental support and capacity.The area of mangrove in coastal area in Semarang is84.47 ha, with the largest area is in Kecamatan Tugu,while the area of aquaculture is 1,030.21 ha(Department of Marine and Fisheries of SemarangCity, 2010) [4]. Because of those potentials, thereare some problems in marine and coastal resourcesin Semarang including:1. The increased coastal area affected by coastalabrasion, especially in Kecamatan Tugu along 1.7km and Kecamatan Genuk along 2.54 km.2. The decreasing mangrove area in river bank andaround aquaculture area in Kecamatan Tugu andGenuk.3. The tendency to the decreased aquaculture area inKecamatan Tugu and Genuk due to the increasing ofcoastal abrasion.

The aquaculture area tends to decease because ofthe conversion of land for settlements and industriesand the occurrence of coastal abrasion due to therising sea levels, affecting the non-optimal use ofaquaculture areas. Mangrove rehabilitation andmanagement should be conducted to overcome thedamage of mangrove forest by involving someparties: community of Desa Mangunharjo, localgovernment, private party, and other stakeholders.The forest condition depends on the economicalsocial condition of the around community. Theperception, attitude, and behavior of the communitydetermine the forest condition in present and future.Private party can help the mangrove rehabilitationand management through mangrove management is

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© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

the mangrove ecotourism management anddevelopment. Mangrove ecotourism in DesaMangunharjo has potential to be managed anddeveloped because mangrove forest in DesaMangunharjo, there is interesting natural scenery toattract people and there are many kinds of birds andthe location is near to Semarang. Mangrove forestecotourism in Desa Mangunharjo can be developedby the management and plan of systematic program,so that the Mangrove Forest in Desa Mangunharjo isdeveloped to be a environmentally friendly-touristobject in Semarang. Thus, it requires conductingresearch to identify the mangrove potential value asthe tourist object in Desa Mangunharjo.

2. MANGROVE ECOUTORISM2.1 Definition of Mangrove

Mangrove forests are tropical coastal vegetationcommunities, which are dominated by severalspecies of mangrove trees that are able to grow anddevelop in tidal areas of muddy beaches. Thisvegetation community is generally grown inintertidal and supratidal areas with sufficient flow ofwater, and is protected from strong waves and strongtidal currents. Therefore, mangrove forests are foundin shallow bay beaches, estuaries, delta andsheltered coastal areas [5]. According to Bengen(2004) in Feronika (2011)[6] , the characteristics ofmangrove forests are as follows:

a. Generally grown in intertidal areas ofmuddy, clay and sandy soils.

b. The area is inundated periodically, eitherdaily or only flooded during full moon. Thefrequency of inundation determines thecomposition of mangrove forestvegetation.

c. Receive sufficient fresh water supply fromland.

d. Shielded from strong waves and strongtidal currents.

e. Brackish salinity (2-22 per mil) to saline(38 per mile).

2.2 Definition of EcotourismEcotourism is defined as a form of tourism that

suppresses responsibility for nature sustainability,benefits the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).One of the economically and maintains culturalintegrity for local communities. If examined, thisdefinition emphasizes the importance of theconservation movement. Along with the growingconservation intention and improving the welfare ofthe community, the new definition of ecotourism isa form of tourist trip to the natural area that is donewith the aim of conserving the environment andpreserving the life and welfare of the local people[7].

3. METHODOLOGY3.1. Time and place

This research was located in the coastal area inKecamatan Tugu, Semarang. The field survey wasconducted on March 12 and 14, 2018. The researchmethod consisted of vegetation analysis method,ecotourism suitability index, observation, interview,and literature study. The unstructured interview wasdone with the related parties (The Administrator ofMangrove Forest in Mangunharjo). The observationwas conducted to observe the condition ofMangrove Forest in Mangunharjo and literaturestudy was used to support the research. Respondentselection was done by using purposive samplingmethods, in which the samples were chosenrandomly for a certain purpose. Prioritydetermination applied in the development ofecotourism in Mangrove Forest Area inMangunharjo, Semarang was done based onprofessional judgment, according to the result dataof the research and researcher’s knowledge based onthe literatures and documents that can supportecotourism development. The research location canbe seen in Fig 1.

Fig 1. Research Study Location in the district Tugu,Semarang (Source: Google Earth ImagePro 2018

3.2. Materials and toolsThe tools used in the research were stationary,

camera, Global Positioning System (GPS), fieldguide, rope, meter, and materials includingsecondary data. The material used in this researchwas Citra Google Earth Pro from 2018. That datawas then given layout using software ArcGIS 10 4.

4. RESULT AND DISCUSSION4.1. The Condition of Mangrove Forest Area

Mangrove Forest Area in Mangunharjo islocated between rivers that become its ecologicalborder: Sungai Beringin is a unique ecosystem.Mangrove Forest Area is associated with saltywaters ecosystem in Coastal Area of Mangunharjo.Physically, it consists of coastal land and thesedimentation result of Sungai Beringin.Ecologically, it consists of mangrove forest area,aquaculture area, flora and fauna habitat, and a lot ofsocial economical and cultural activities of thepeople in Mangunharjo coastal area. Those

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environmental components interacts with each otherto make a unique ecosystem with great potential todevelop as the income source of the people inMangunharjo coastal area.

4.2. Potential of Mangrove Forest4.2.1.Flora in Mangrove Forest in Mangunharjo

One component of mangrove forest that has asignificant role in maintaining its sustainability isthe various types of flora contained in there. Besidesas a protector of the coastline and embankment ofthe aquaculture area, the various types of flora alsoincrease the aquaculture productivity associatedwith it. Therefore, the flora should be given attentionto maintain the ecological sustainability ofmangrove forests, taking into account theirecological functions for short time and long time.Because it is located in the border between land andsea, mangrove forest ecosystem is a complexecosystem and mutually associated with land andcoastal ecosystem The flora composition containedin the mangrove ecosystem is determined by severalimportant factors such as soil type and tides. Someof mangrove trees in Mangrove Forest Area inMangunharjo are Rhizophora mucronata,Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera, Sonneratia ovata,Sonneratia alba, Avicennia alba, and Avicenniamarina.4.2.2. Fauna in Mangrove Forest inMangunharjo

Mangrove Forest Area in Mangunharjo is a goodhabitat for various types of fauna, especially waterbird species. During the observation, the researcherlooked at several bird species using the modifiedpoint count method from Bibby et al. (1992) who aredoing various activities. 89 individuals wereobtained from 12 species of birds are: Sikatan besi(Muscicapa ferruginea), Bangau bluwok (Mycteriacinerea), Belibis Batu (Dendrocygna javanica),Trinil ekor kelabu (Tringa brevipes), Tekukur biasa(Streptopelia chinensis), Cangak laut (Ardeasumatrana), Srigunting kelabu (Dicrurusleucophaeus) Kuntul Besar (Egretta alba), BurungKowak malam kelabu (Nyticorax nycticorax),Bambangan hitam (Dupetor flavicollis), Blekoksawah (Ardeola speciosa), Walet sarang-hitam(Collocalia maxima) and others. Types ofherpetofauna found are lizard (Dasia olivacea) andbiawak (Varanus albigularis). The existence ofthese fauna can be the potential for the othermangrove tourist alternative development. Theexamples of the alternative are bird watching andphotography. Types of mangrove trees associatedare Cemara laut (Casuarina equisetifolia), Ketapang(Terminalia cattapa), Trembsi (Samanea saman),dan Burahol (Stelechocarpus burahol). Based on theresult of vegetation analysis using Point-CenteredQuarter (Muller-Dombois dan Ellenberg, 1974.4.2.3. Attraction (Tourism resources)

Tourism is closely related to attraction, becauseattraction is a factor that makes people want to go toa place to visit. What becomes the attractionincludes natural beauty, the alternative ofrecreational activities, and the diversity of naturalresources. Natural beauty of mangrove ecotourismin Mangunharjo includes the mangrove forestlandscape giving the refreshing impression andattracting visitors to explore it. The atmosphereinside the mangrove area is quite impressing at somepoints between the trees the sunlight only comesbetween the leaves and combined with the birdshumming make the natural impression. The visitorscan also see some types of mangroves and roots andfruit of the mangrove. The attractions in ecotourismmangrove can be seen in Table 1.Table 1. Attractions in Mangunharjo MangroveForest

No Tourismclassification

Attractions

1 Naturetourism

-Boating down the river-Wisata Education(Observation mangroves,-Bird Watching)

2 Artificialtourism

- Cottage retreat-Tracing a pond andwatching the fishermencatch fish

Natural scenery in mangrove ecotourism inMangunharjo is a major tourist attraction, alongSungai Beringin, the tourists will see various typesof mangrove plants, associated biota, and green riverwater and many other attractions, it is an educationfor tourists who visit the ecotourism mangrove areain Mangunharjo.4.2.4 Amenity

Tourism industry includes all matters relating tothe needs of tourists. These include lodging,restaurants, shopping and souvenirs, arranging trips,tourist objects management, tour guides,performance packages, brochures and informationdealing with the beauty and richness of the culture,and others. Based on survey of ecotourism conditionof mangrove in Mangunharjo about the supportingfacilities was presented in Table 2.Tabel 2.Procurement of facilities, facilities andinfrastructure mangrove Mangunharjo

No RegionalInformation

Facilities andInfrastructure

1 RegionPromotion

- Internet (Social media,website)- Travel Guide Book,Brochure- The annual event inSemarang City

2 Ecoturismtariff

- Weekday Package=Rp.100.000,-/Person

- Weekend Package= Rp.150.000,-/Person

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3 Facilities intheMangroveArea

- Tourist Gate- Parking Area- center of souvenirs- Culinary stalls- Mushola- Toilet- Observation tower

The facilities and infrastructure as well as thecomplementary services of tourism activities inorder to satisfy the tourists are necessary, such asculinary store, it is a resting place for tourists andthey can also enjoy seafood such as crab and fish andsquid, the availability of souvenir markets also helpvisitors to buy souvenirs after tourism activities. Onthe markets, there are some souvenirs such as t-shirts, hats, bags and knick-knacks such as hangerand pen with ecotourism mangrove design, and alsothere are other souvenirs such as snacks comingfrom Central Java.4.2.5. Accessibility

Good access for tourist object is one of thefactors considered in conducting tourism activities.When it is easy to reach the place, it will affect thepotential value of the region, in order to ensure goodvisit by the tourists, it requires some conditions thatmust be fulfilled, such as comfort, time and cost.Assessment of the level of the accessibility of atourist area is influenced by several components,including the condition of the road to the area, thetype and number of transport and departurefrequency and service convenience. The transportwith good service, and is available in sufficientquantities with a high frequency of departure willfacilitate tourists in visiting tourist destinations, Tovisit mangrove ecotourism areas in Mangunharjo,there are several ways, among others: for thosecoming from Jakarta can directly go by plane toSemarang (Ahmad Yani Airport), then they shouldgo to the west direction to Mangkang (about 8kilometers).

4.3 Index of Conformity of Mangrove TourTourism activities to be developed should be

tailored to the potential resources and allocation.Each tourism activity has the requirements ofresources and environment that fit the touristattraction to be developed [8]. Analysis of thesuitability of mangrove ecotourism adopted themethod of Yulianda (2007). Yulianda (2007)method was adopted with mangrove biologyapproach such as thickness, species density,mangrove species group, tidal and biota association.The analysis of the suitability of mangroveecotourism is shown in table 4 of the followingmatrix:

IKW : Tour suitability indexNi : Parameter Value I (weight x score)Nmaks : Maximum value of an ekowsiata category

Based on the calculation, the suitability indexvalue for ecotourism travel Mangunharjo mangrovevillage is 29. From the results of calculations basedon a matrix score of conformity ecotourismsuitability index by 74.36%. Overall, mangroveforests enter the appropriate criteria (S2) fordevelopment.

5. CONCLUSION

Mangrove ecotourism of Mangunharjo ispotential to be managed and developed by its naturalbeauty of mangrove forest with bird diversity, wavyplank roots, and Beringin river for fishing andboating around the mangrove. Moreover, Otherpotentials that can be developed such as culinarystalls, tour packages, souvenir shop and mangroveeducational tour in planting seeds of Rhizopora sp.community group should be developed to supportmangrove tourism in the form of making mangroveunique crafts and various foods from ManagroveForest. The result of vegetation analysis shows thatthe value of mangrove diversity in Mangunharjowas low (0-0.0143) because the mangroveecosystem in this area is artificial with the type andnumber of plants mostly consisting of Rhizophoramucronata and Avicennia marina. Therefore, localgovernment of Semarang and environmentalcommunities should give big attention to improveboth its biodiversity and its number of mangroveplant. In addition, planting mangrove trees in vacantpond. Aims to overcome the low density level ofmabgrove. The improvement of mangroveecosystem will encourage the quality of aquaculturein Mangunharjo Region. The analysis of tourismsuitability index with parameter of mangrovethickness, density, mangrove species, tidal, andmangrove biota object is 74,36%. it can be concludethat Mangrove forest in Mangunhrjo includes theappropriate category (S2) for ecotourismdevelopment. Thus, it is necessary to calculatecarrying capacity to develop mangrove ecotourismin Mangunharjo on how region can accommodatenewcomers or visitors in the calculation of otherlimiting factors. Furthermore, developer can alsobuild educational tour in inappropriate areas byplanting mangrove trees and others. To maintainand improve the economic value in the region, itrequires better management, additional facilitiesand the increased advertising to promote number oftourists in Mangunharjo, according to its carryingcapacity for the sake of mangrove sustainability.= Ó %

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