The development of wetland conservation and management plan for Sungai Pulai

• Main Author: Mohd. Hosnan, Mohd. Husaini
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/32588/1/MohdHusainiMohdHosnanMFKA2012.pdf; http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/32588/; http://dms.library.utm.my:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:70402?site_name=Restricted Repository

Wetland is one of the most important ecosystems on earth as it improve water quality, control floods, regulate global carbon levels, have significant cultural and recreational values, and also provide habitat for plants and animals uniquely adapted to living in the wet conditions. The basic concern of this study is to identify conservation and compatible wetland areas in Sungai Pulai Johor Ramsar Sites. In other words the study intends to address the conservation principle of sustainable mangrove management.This study evaluates the environmental and land use changes of mangrove forest wetland. The data collection procedure was based on secondary and primary sources. Beside that, there are many acts, enactments and guidelines relevant to the planning and management of mangrove forests and wetlands used. The study area covers Sungai Pulai Mangrove Forest (SPMV) that is the largest riverine mangrove forest in Malaysia. Few developments are taking place rapidly in this sensitive wetland environment with modes concern to the environment. The study identifies areas is SMFR that need to be conserved in the wetlands area; these area areas of high biodiversity that are highly sensitive to human interference. Sungai Pulai determined into Biosphere Zone through regulation and guideline justification. The Biosphere Zone included the core zone, buffer zone and transition zone. The core zone can be categorized into three main area that is protection zone, public zone and conservation zone. For this study, there are three main stages in the production of zoning plans and guidelines for the management of wetlands. Approach adopted in the analysis is an approach to PFCA (Properly functioning Assessment Criteria). This technique involves a set of criteria selected wetlands of potential impacts on habitat and biological. Profiling and analysis for these study covers five (5) major environment variables ; Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), Buffer Zones, Land use, Biological Environment (Fauna ; mammal, bird, fish, mollusc, crustacean and macrobenthos assessment) (Flora : Mangrove, seagrass) and Physical Environment (Water quality and air quality). Matrix analysis was carried out in helping to facilitate the determination of the criteria for each zone. This analysis measures the importance of an area based on the seven main factors, namely the importance of biogeography, natural, ecological importance, economic importance, social importance, planning and scientific interest. The study found that 5,613.921 hectare (26 percent) of the area should belongs to conservation zone, while 6,650.025 hectares (30 percent) can be develop (public zone).