Study on Mangrove Land Coverage during 2013 and 2023 in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia

The coastal area is a complex and interconnected network of various ecosystems, with mangrove ecosystems being highly productive in carbon absorption. Mangroves play a crucial role in capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, making them an essential component in climate change mitigation. This study aims to analyze the changes in mangrove land cover in Langkat Regency from 2013 to 2023. The research was conducted in the villages of Pulau Kampai, Pangkalan Siata, Halaban, and Salahaji in Langkat Regency. Data on mangrove cover changes for the years 2013, 2018, and 2023 were obtained using Landsat 8 OLI imagery. The method used in this study was the Supervised Maximum Likelihood Classification method with a composite of bands 8, 11, and 4. The results of the study showed that the area of mangrove forests was 3,696.97 hectares in 2013, 3,259.40 hectares in 2018, and 3,755.59 hectares in 2023. There was a decrease of 437.58 hectares between 2013 and 2018. Conversely, between 2018 and 2023, there was an increase of 496.19 hectares. Overall, mangrove land cover in Langkat Regency showed an increasing trend from 2013 to 2023, with the largest increase in Pulau Pulau Kampai village at 259.79 hectares, and the largest decrease in Pangkalan Siata village at 299.57 hectares.