Spatial Model of Canopy Density in Mangrove Forest of Percut Sei Tuan

Abstract

Information about canopy density is needed in many ways, for example, in estimating forest degradation and forest quality. Utilization of vegetation index values on satellite imagery can be used to predict canopy density distribution. This study aims to predict canopy density distribution in mangrove forests. The methodology used is using regression analysis by connecting Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) value with canopy density values in the field. The NDVI value is derived from Landsat 8 satellite images, while the canopy density percentage is obtained by using a camera. The spatial distribution of canopy density is obtained through spatial modeling using Geographic Information System (GIS). The results showed that the NDVI value of the linear regression model could be used to predict the density distribution of mangrove forest canopy with r square value of 59.0% and sig value <0.005.