Evaluation of Aboveground Biomass in Mangrove Biosphere Reserves from 1993 to 2023 Under the Influence of Landscape Fragmentation

Mangrove forests, located at the interface between land and ocean, play a crucial role in carbon storage and have significant conservation value. This study examines the Can Gio mangrove forest, which faces substantial pressure from human activities such as resource extraction, timber harvesting, and aquaculture. These activities have led to habitat fragmentation, resulting in biodiversity loss and a decline in forest biomass. Using high-resolution SPOT satellite imagery from 1993 to 2023, this study estimates Above-Ground Biomass (AGB) in the Can Gio region with a hybrid ASO-ANFIS algorithm. The findings reveal that reforestation programs contributed to AGB recovery in 2003. However, urbanization pressures have caused significant fluctuations and a decline in AGB from 2003 to 2023, decreasing from over 6.85 million tons to over 6.35 million tons. The Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) model demonstrated high accuracy in land cover classification, showing that urban development and agricultural expansion, particularly aquaculture, have replaced forest patches. The study highlights the detrimental effects of urbanization on mangrove ecosystems, showing how urban development and agricultural expansion have led to the loss of forest patches and increased landscape fragmentation. The findings underscore the significant carbon storage potential of mangroves, emphasizing the importance of preserving and restoring these forests to mitigate climate change. The observed decline in AGB from 2003 to 2023 provides crucial data for understanding long-term environmental changes and the impacts of human activities on mangrove ecosystems. The study’s results can inform policymakers and conservationists about the need for sustainable urban planning and effective reforestation programs.