High-Resolution UAV-Based Mapping and Species Identification of Mangroves in Pasar Banggi, Rembang, Central Java

Abstract This research examines the use of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) with a resolution of 4 cm/pixel for the precise identification of mangrove species in the Pasar Banggi and Tireman regions of Rembang, Central Java, covering an area of 36.2 hectares. Utilising high-resolution aerial imagery and Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA), six mangrove species were identified: Avicennia marina (6.26 ha), Excoecaria agallocha (2.09 ha), Rhizophora apiculata (12.3 ha), Rhizophora mucronata (8.56 ha), Rhizophora stylosa (2.79 ha), Sonneratia (0.0068 ha), and water bodies (4.2 ha). The study attained a Cohen’s Kappa accuracy of 0.8450, signifying near-perfect concordance (>0.8) in species identification. This research fills a void in localized mangrove monitoring by offering species-specific mapping, in contrast to other large-scale studies that lacked this level of specificity. The utilisation of UAVs and advanced image processing demonstrates the efficacy of remote sensing for environmental surveillance, offering a scalable and time-efficient alternative to traditional field surveys. The results underscore the capability of UAVs to improve localized conservation initiatives and optimize mangrove management approaches.