ECOLOGICAL INDICES OF MANGROVE GASTROPODS COMMUNITY IN NICKEL MINING IMPACTED AREA OF POMALAA, SOUTHEAST SULAWESI
Article Highlights
- Gastropods (Invertebrates: Mollusca) have the potential to be developed as biological indicators of the health of coastal aquatic environments
- The development of gastropod communities has been proven to provide a significant ecological response in assessing environmental quality in the mangrove in relation to overburden waste input from nickel mining activities.
- Overburden waste systemically degrades the ground floor (substrate) of the mangrove ecosystem as an area where the entire life cycle of the gastropod community is carried out.
Abstract
This research aimed to determine the structure of gastropod community in the nickel mining impact area in the mangrove ecosystem of Tambea Village, Pomalaa District, Southeast Sulawesi Province. The scope of this research was gastropod community influenced by nickel mining activities, especially the impact of overburden waste input (reddish-orange colored sediment) toward the health status of the aquatic environment based on the ecological indices of the gastropod community in the mangrove ecosystem of Tambea Village. Two sampling methods were adopted in this research: (1) purposive sampling method to determine stations (locus) and (2) simple random sampling method to determine the distribution of substations or sampling points. Gastropod samples were taken using handpicking techniques. The structure of gastropod community in mangrove area affected by overburden waste showed low diversity index values (H’ = 0.81), low species richness (R = 1.75), moderate evenness (E = 0.50), and dominance of certain species (C = 0.54). The results of this research showed the massive impact of overburdened waste, which can systemically degrade the life of the typical fauna that make up the mangrove ecosystem. Three gastropods species were observed to live in the research location, namely Telescopium telescopium, Terebralia sulcata, and Terebralia palustris having low abundance (1-9 ind./m2) which can survive in environment exposed to overburden waste. Many of gastropod species were found dead, indicated by the finding of 2 shells of Ellobium aurisjudae. The input of overburdened waste may imply degradation system of the aquatic environment, especially in the mangrove ecosystem. This research offers outlooks of overburden waste on aquatic biota in mangrove ecosystems and other complimentary ecosystems. In the end, the condition of the gastropod community in a watered area becomes a basis of the health status of the water environment.
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INTRODUCTION
Coastal area is vulnerable to environmental changes, and so are the organisms living in the environment(Boruff et al., 2005)(Wahyudi, 2009)(Basir et al., 2010). The decline in environmental quality in this region is caused by anthropogenic activities which tend to be environmentally unfriendly(Singer & Battin, 2007);(Norris & Thoms, 1999);(Dziock et al., 2006). Tambea Village is one of the active open-cut nickel mining system operating in Pomalaa District, Southeast Sulawesi Province. The impact of nickel mining activities in Tambea Village is visible from changes in the environmental tone around the mangrove ecosystem and coastal areas in general. The condition of the substrate, water, and mangrove roots is orange-reddish, due to the input of overburden waste or waste rock in the form of acid mine sludge/Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) which contains low minerals(Hamzah et al., 2015);(Hamzah, 2009);(Zubayr, 2009).
Overburden waste has polluted the Tambea mangrove area for the last 2 decades and has accumulated ± 10-30 cm overburden waste covering the original (natural) substrate(Hamzah, 2009);(Zubayr, 2009). The overburden phenomenon that has been occurring for a long time, and continues to this day, can massively degrade the habitat of gastropod communities and has implications for the decline of taxa (species) and their abundance in waters as well as resulting in the loss of species that are classified as sensitive(Timm et al., 2001);(Chakrabarty & Das, 2006).
The input of overburden waste into the Tambea mangrove ecosystem does not only disturb the mangrove vegetation and other coastal plants, but also threatens the life stability of the gastropod community as part of the association(Purnama et al., 2024);(Purnama et al., 2024). Mangrove gastropods are known as benthic organisms (dominantly epifauna), spending the entire life cycle at the bottom of the waters or occupying the substrate as their life niche. The bottom water substrate in the mangrove ecosystem is the habitat of the gastropod community(Chukaeva & Petrov, 2023);(Menon et al., 2023);(Laraswati et al., 2020);(Wahyudi et al., 2015);(Campbell et al., 2008). Therefore, any disturbances arising from various anthropogenic activities, especially exposure to overburden waste,
can cause loss of habitat and ecological niche of gastropod communities(Purnama et al., 2024). In the end, the phenomenon of overburden waste exposure can eliminate the existence of the gastropod community as one of the keystone species in its ecological environment(Purnama et al., 2024).
Accordingly, empirical research regarding the ecological indices of gastropods in areas with exposure to overburden waste in the mangrove ecosystem of Tambea Village is very important to carry out, considering that research related to this has never been carried out in Southeast Sulawesi in particular and Indonesia in general. Apart from that, this research has important value as a source of renewable novel scientific information about gastropod communities that can survive in areas exposed to overburden waste from nickel mining activity. This research aimed to determine the ecological indices of gastropod communities in mangrove areas exposed to overburden waste in Tambea Village, Pomalaa District, Southeast Sulawesi Province.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials and Tools
Materials used in this research were distilled water and 70% alcohol (to preserve the samples). Meanwhile, tools used in this research were quadrat transects, gloves, hand scoops, plastic bags to store samples, sample baskets, label paper, and an instrument for taking samples in the field.
Research Sites
The research was carried out in mangrove ecosystem in Tambea Village, Pomalaa District, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province. The research location is directly connected to the upstream flow, where the existing nickel mining area is located, which carries overburden waste. The research location (-4.219927, 121.584465) was transformed into station dimensions, totaling 5 sample areas spread across the Tambea Village mangrove ecosystem. These 5 stations were representatives of the entire extent of the mangrove ecosystem at the research location. An overview of the research location is presented inFigure 1.
Figure 1.Research location in the Tambea mangrove ecosystem which is exposed to overburden waste from nickel mining activities
Description of the Problem or Reason for the Research
Gastropods live in their natural environment as fungivores, carnivores, omnivores scavengers, and detritivores based on their food habits and have a role as prey or food for several fish species (mangrove jack), birds (poultry), and crustaceans in the mangrove ecosystem(Lalita, 2016)(Alongi, 2009)(Cappenberg et al., 2006). All biological activities related to food habits and ecological roles take place on the ground floor or substrate of the mangrove ecosystem (benthos-epifauna)(Chukaeva & Petrov, 2023);(Menon et al., 2023). Continuous exposure to overburden waste can permanently damage the residential habitat of most gastropod communities(Purnama et al., 2024). Moreover, the input of overburden waste has been ongoing for approximately 2 decades. In other words, the loss of natural substrate which is covered by overburden sediment waste, directly affects the life system of gastropod community, considering that the activities that support the gastropod’s survival are carried out at the bottom of the waters(Purnama et al., 2024);(Purnama et al., 2024). Therefore, this research needs to be carried out as updated empirical information regarding taxa and ecological indices of gastropod communities that live in mangrove areas with overburden waste exposure. Gastropods exposed to overburden waste has
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