Mangrove ecosystem data inventory using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Yogyakarta coastal area

Mangrove ecosystem is one of coastal resources that have many benefits for coastal communities. The mangrove ecosystem has very high economic and ecological functions if it is developed and preserved properly. Nowadays, many mangrove ecosystems are threatened by human activities. It is necessary to preserve and to develop the mangrove ecosystems to avoid the impact of human activity and to increase their usefulness. In the process of developing the mangrove ecosystems, detailed data are required to provide a comprehensive overview of the environmental and physical conditions of the mangrove ecosystems. The study aims at identifying and making the inventory of the existing condition of the mangrove ecosystems related to mangrove cover and biodiversity. The data are collected using aerial photography and UAVs, observation and field measurement. The data inventory making is the first step in the process of developing and preserving the mangrove ecosystems. It finds that the use of the UAVs for the mangrove ecosystem data inventory making can give high accuracy data. The mangrove cover can easily be identified using image segmentation or onscreen digitization analysis. Finally, the UAVs can be a promising technology in the management and the monitoring of the mangrove ecosystems.