Species Diversity, Mangrove Density, and Socio-Ecological Resilience of Mangrove Ecosystems in East Seram Regency, Indonesia: Implications for Sustainable Management

The analysis of species diversity, stand density, and socio-ecological resilience of mangroves in East Seram Regency was conducted to assess the sustainability of biodiversity. Ecological data were collected using quadrat plots (10 × 10 m²), while social data were obtained through questionnaires and interviews with 135 respondents across four sites. The analysis included the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, vegetation density, recruitment index (RI), and the calculation of the Ecological Resilience Index (ERI), Social Resilience Index (SRI), and Integrated Socio-Ecological Resilience Index (SERI). The results revealed 16 mangrove species with varying levels of diversity among sites. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′) ranged from 0.98 to 1.75, with evenness (E) values between 0.58 and 0.84. Stand density was highest in Tutuk Tolu (1,300 stands/ha) and loEast in Parang Island (791 stands/ha). Recruitment Index values were generally negative, indicating limited regeneration, except for certain species such as Rhizophora apiculata and Sonneratia alba . On the social dimension, most respondents demonstrated good understanding of mangrove functions and practiced non-destructive resource use, reflected in relatively high SRI values (0.61–0.73). The integration of both dimensions showed that three sites (DTW, DTT, and PI) were categorized as Resilient with SERI values greater than 0.61, while Akat Island was classified as Moderate (0.52). These findings highlight the need for socio-ecological system-based management through adaptive species restoration, strengthening of local regulations, and diversification of mangrove utilization via ecotourism.