Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Mangrove Habitat Quality Changes and Key Threats (Case Study: Khorkhorān, Hormozgan Province)

Document Type : Research Article - Case Study

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Hormoz Studies and Research Center, University of Hormozgan, Bandar-Abbas, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Hormoz Studies and Research Center, University of Hormozgan, Bandar-Abbas, Iran.

10.22124/gscaj.2025.30665.1359

Abstract

Mangrove forests, as vital coastal ecosystems, play a key role in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and supporting the livelihoods of local communities. This study investigated concerning trends in habitat quality changes and identified key influencing factors, providing insights into the spatial displacement of high- and low-quality habitat clusters of Avicennia marina (mangrove) within the protected area of Khorkhorān, Hormozgan Province. To assess habitat quality, the study utilized the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. Spatial clustering patterns were analyzed using Global Moran’s I index, and changes in the extent of hot and cold spots (in hectares) as well as boundary shifts of these clusters between 2019 and 2024 were quantified. Additionally, Pearson correlation, t-test, and Wilcoxon test were employed to evaluate the influence of environmental variables on mangrove habitat quality and its temporal variation. All environmental data were sourced from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The results revealed a statistically significant clustering pattern in the spatial distribution of habitat quality. A notable decrease in ecological integrity and an increase in random tree dispersion were observed, with patch sizes expanding from 16.93 hectares in 2019 to 31.55 hectares in 2024. Over the six-year period, the boundary of dense mangrove zones retreated an average of 100 meters toward the central areas of the habitat. Furthermore, the area of highly dense mangrove zones decreased by 134.6 hectares, while cold spots (areas with low habitat quality) expanded by 326.24 hectares. Among the environmental drivers, freshwater scarcity in the soil had the most significant impact on habitat quality, with correlation coefficients of 0.6 in 2019 and 0.8 in 2024. Although the results of the t-test and Wilcoxon test did not indicate statistically significant overall changes in environmental threats, several critical variables—particularly freshwater scarcity and aerosol concentration—exhibited alarming trends that call for urgent management interventions.

Highlights

- The InVEST model and Moran index were used to assess the habitat quality of the Khorkhorān mangrove forest between 2019 and 2024.

- The border of dense mangrove forests has retreated by about 100 meters between 2019 and 2024.

- The poor quality of the mangrove habitat has increased by 326 hectares, and the lack of fresh water in the soil has been the main factor in the decline in habitat quality.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Geographical Studies of Coastal Areas Journal
Volume 6, Issue 4 - Serial Number 23
November 2026
Pages 79-99

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