Hydrogeomorphic controls on soil C:N:P stoichiometry and mangrove vertical growth: Implications for site selection and monitoring

Abstrak

Hydrogeomorphic gradients shape habitat heterogeneity in coastal ecosystems, yet rehabilitation in degraded coastal landscapes often neglects geomorphic suitability, resulting in suboptimal soil recovery and vegetation development. This study evaluated how hydrogeomorphic settings regulated soil physicochemical properties, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) stoichiometry, and vertical growth in a rehabilitated mangrove forest on the north coast of Java, Indonesia. Physicochemical variables, soil nutrient concentrations, and vegetation structural metrics were collected at seven stations and analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with effect size estimation and hierarchical linear mixed-effects models. Significant spatial differences in stoichiometric ratios, particularly C:P and N:P (?² = 0.77). Total nitrogen explained approximately 13% of the variance in the C:P ratio, while soil organic carbon significantly influenced the N:P ratio. The N:P ratio significantly influenced tree height (explaining 22% of the variation), whereas diameter at breast height was not significantly correlated. This study found that hydrogeomorphic factors played a dominant role in these patterns, with a conditional coefficient of determination of 0.75. These findings confirm that geomorphic suitability and nutrient stoichiometry should be considered in mangrove rehabilitation planning and monitoring to enhance their effectiveness in degraded coastal areas.

Kata kunci

• degraded coastal land
• ecosystem restoration
• hydrogeomorphic setting
• mangrove rehabilitation
• soil nutrient stoichiometry