GEOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF LARUT MATANG AND KUALA SEPETANG MANGROVE FOREST

This paper will focus on the geology and ecology of Larut Matang and Kuala Sepetang mangrove forest and their evolution and development in relation to Holocene sea level change. The fluctuation of the sea level during Holocene period had caused Peninsular Malaysia to be inundated and during this time the coastal plain has evolved. The palynological results done by previous researchers had documented periods of high, falling and smooth rise on sea level. The inland mangrove edge is interpreted as the position of the shoreline in the research area corresponding to the base of peat from boreholes analysis. From the historical records of the shorelines from topographic maps starting from the year 1914 until 1986, a series of prograding mangrove shore can be seen clearly corresponding to the receding of the sea to its present level.