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Environmental valuation studies in developing countries often focus on popular tourist destinations. However, their relevance to less visited sites must also be demonstrated to value and protect diverse natural habitats effectively. This article evaluates the economic value of mangrove tourism services in the Sinjai District of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Data were collected from local households and tourists. Although the annual value of mangrove tourism in the Sinjai District of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, is approximately US$32,000, it significantly lags behind the direct yearly use value of mangrove extraction activities, which totals around US$720,000. These findings highlight the imperative to boost the economic contribution of mangrove tourism as a viable alternative income source to fishing and aquaculture. Enhancing the value of mangrove tourism fosters sustainable development and safeguards critical ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessments of seawater level, substrate elevation, and inundation duration are known to contribute to the success of mangrove rehabilitation programs. However, the majority of such programs have disregarded the need for these assessments. The objectives of this study are to assess seawater level and inundation duration, and subsequently determine suitable substrate elevation ranges for specific mangrove species used at a mangrove rehabilitation program in the Sagara Island of Spermonde Archipelago, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. During field surveys, substrate elevation and seawater levels were measured, and inundation patterns observed for 24 hours. The mangrove species found at each elevation level were identified. To predict seawater levels during 2016, tidal prediction data for the area were obtained from the Hydro- Oceanographic Department (DISHIDROS) of the Indonesian Navy. The seawater inundation frequency varied between once and twice a day, with the highest inundation duration (21-24 hours) at the Mean Lower Low Water Spring (MLLWS) level. The appropriate planting range for most mangrove species, concerning seawater level and seaward to landward substrate elevation, were between Mean Lower Low Water Spring (MLLWS) and Mean Highest High Water Spring (MHHWS) tidal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a combined Laplace transform and boundary element method is used to find numerical solutions to unsteady problems of anisotropic functionally graded materials governed by a Laplace type equation. A mathematical transformation is used to transform the variable coefficients equation to a constant coefficients equation from which a boundary-only integral equation is obtained. In addition, the analysis also results in several classes of inhomogeneity functions for the functionally graded materials. Some examples are considered to show the validity of the analysis and accuracy of the numerical solutions. A verification for the effect of the anisotropy and inhomogeneity of the material on the solutions is also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]