Mangroves are coastal wetland ecosystems with significant ecological and economic values, and their accurate monitoring is crucial for ecological restoration and conservation. To support the protection and artificial restoration of the Guangxi Shankou Mangrove Ecological National Nature Reserve, this study used the low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry equipped with a visible-light camera. Under favorable weather conditions and during the theoretical lowest tidal stage, digital orthophoto maps with a spatial resolution of 0.1 meter were obtained. Combined with manual visual interpretation, spatial distribution data of typical ecological elements such as mangroves, Enteromorpha, artificial aquaculture areas, and Spartina alterniflora were obtained. During data production, rigorous procedures including image registration, interpretation consistency check, and quality assessment were carried out to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data. This dataset covers unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial images and interpretation results from four observation periods— November 2023, February 2024, May 2024, and November 2024—and captures the spatiotemporal dynamics of typical ecological elements within the reserve. It provides scientific support for evaluating the effectiveness of ecological protection and restoration in the Beihai coastal wetlands, and serves as an important data foundation for the long-term tracking of mangrove restoration and regional ecological management. Furthermore, the establishment of detailed records on mangrove growth and restoration processes is of far-reaching significance for the long-term protection and scientific management of the reserve.
QI et al. (2026) studied this question.