NUTRIENT VARIABILITY IN MANGROVE SOIL: ANTHROPOGENIC, SEASONAL AND DEPTH VARIATION FACTORS

The aim of this study is to assess the soil texture and nutrient components across three seasons at three different mangroves habitat according to the land used types; Kelantan (human settlement area); Johor (protected Ramsar's site) and Selangor (agricultural). The soils were sampled one-meter deep and divided into five segments for analysis. The pH of surface water for Selangor and Kelantan were slightly acidic ranging from 6.4 to 6.9. In Johor, the water was basic with value ranging from 8.3 to 8.7 across all seasons. Salinity in Selangor (26 ppm) was higher than in Johor (16 ppm) and in Kelantan (11 ppm). Johor and Selangor soils were dominated by silty loam, while Kelantan was dominated by sandy loam. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium analysis showed that they were significantly different in all locations but not between seasons. Except for phosphorus in Johor, consecutive depth did not influence the nutrient availability in mangrove soil. The results for carbon and nitrogen were following this order; Johor > Kelantan > Selangor, phosphorus; Selangor > Johor > Kelantan, potassium; Johor>Selangor>Kelantan. The protected mangroves habitat in Johor has siltier and clayey component and can retain more nutrients for the plant growth. Therefore, the conservation and preservation of mangroves habitat is crucial for the stable coastal ecosystems.