Ecological Sensitivity Index in the Suso and Suli Watershed, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi Province

Abstract

Abstract Ecosystem sensitivity denotes an ecosystem’s capacity to adapt to alterations in the natural environment and to disturbances induced by anthropogenic activities. The Suso and Suli watersheds, situated in Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, are potentially susceptible to annual flooding attributed to human activities, leading to a reduction in land cover and degradation of ecosystem conditions. This study aimed to develop an ecological sensitivity index model for the Suso and Suli watersheds. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed, utilizing five parameters: land cover, slope, vegetation density, rainfall, and soil type. The findings indicated that the most influential parameters in the Suso watershed were slope (0.931), land cover (0.764), vegetation density (0.749), soil type (0.715), and rainfall (0.690). In the Suli watershed, the most influential parameters were vegetation density (0.866), slope (0.811), land cover (0.793), soil type (0.721), and rainfall (0.687). The predominant sensitivity class in both the Suso and Suli watersheds was the highsensitivity class, encompassing areas of 51.73% and 58.69%, respectively. Both watershed areas are characterized by land cover comprising dryland forests, agriculture, and water bodies, with steep-to-very steep slopes and high vegetation density.

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