29 research outputs found
Thinning practices in rehabilitated mangroves: Opportunity to synergize climate change mitigation and adaptation
Mangrove trees act important roles in the coastal ecosystems, protecting community against high-tide and\ud
storms, controlling land erosion and providing fish breeding ground. In the last few decades, the massive area has\ud
devastated due to commercial shrimp and fish ponds development. To rehabilitate the coastal ecosystems, some\ud
mangrove has been planted with spacing distances of 1x1 m with minimal forest management. Those dense-spaced\ud
stands enhanced light competitions and inhibit growth. These poor quality and immature stands that reach an early\ud
climax in 10-15 years were observed in two adjacent sites near Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa in northern Vietnam, where\ud
Kandelia candel were planted. To cultivate the resurgent stands and increase their growth, thinning mangrove is\ud
essential. Stand densities of the mangrove trees with and without the thinning practice were 17,800 and 5,200 trees ha-1,\ud
respectively. Their potential of the maximum above-ground biomass were 303 and 239 Mg ha-1, respectively. However,\ud
quality of the single tree was largely different whether or not thinning practice is conducted, as the thinned one of 46 kg\ud
tree-1 was about three times higher than the non-thinned of 17 kg tree-1. The thinning practice enhances stand biomass\ud
growth with improved growth condition in the forest, which advances carbon sequestration for the climate change\ud
mitigation. The cultivated trees also ensure the climate change adaptation of coastal protection, fishery products and\ud
bio-diversity. Synergizing mitigation and adaptation strategies with the mangrove thinning would enhance the benefits\ud
for coastal communities most vulnerable to climate change
A cost-efficient method to assess carbon stocks in tropical peat soil
Estimation of belowground carbon stocks in tropical wetland forests requires funding for laboratory analyses and suitable facilities, which are often lacking in developing nations where most tropical wetlands are found. It is therefore beneficial to develop simple analytical tools to assist belowground carbon estimation where financial and technical limitations are common. Here we use published and original data to describe soil carbon density (kgC m<sup>ā3</sup>; C<sub>d</sub>) as a function of bulk density (gC cm<sup>ā3</sup>; <i>B</i><sub>d</sub>), which can be used to rapidly estimate belowground carbon storage using <i>B</i><sub>d</sub> measurements only. Predicted carbon densities and stocks are compared with those obtained from direct carbon analysis for ten peat swamp forest stands in three national parks of Indonesia. Analysis of soil carbon density and bulk density from the literature indicated a strong linear relationship (C<sub>d</sub> = <i>B</i><sub>d</sub> &times; 495.14 + 5.41, <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.93, <i>n</i> = 151) for soils with organic C content > 40%. As organic C content decreases, the relationship between C<sub>d</sub> and <i>B</i><sub>d</sub> becomes less predictable as soil texture becomes an important determinant of C<sub>d</sub>. The equation predicted belowground C stocks to within 0.92% to 9.57% of observed values. Average bulk density of collected peat samples was 0.127 g cm<sup>ā3</sup>, which is in the upper range of previous reports for Southeast Asian peatlands. When original data were included, the revised equation C<sub>d</sub> = <i>B</i><sub>d</sub> &times; 468.76 + 5.82, with <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.95 and <i>n</i> = 712, was slightly below the lower 95% confidence interval of the original equation, and tended to decrease C<sub>d</sub> estimates. We recommend this last equation for a rapid estimation of soil C stocks for well-developed peat soils where C content > 40%
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Impacts of land use on Indian mangrove forest carbon stocks: Implications for conservation and management
Globally, mangrove forests represents only 0.7% of world's tropical forested area but are highly threatened due to susceptibility to climate change, sea level rise, and increasing pressures from human population growth in coastal regions. Our study was carried out in the Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (BCA), the second-largest mangrove area in eastern India. We assessed total ecosystem carbon (C) stocks at four land use types representing varying degree of disturbances. Ranked in order of increasing impacts, these sites included dense mangrove forests, scrub mangroves, restored/planted mangroves, and abandoned aquaculture ponds. These impacts include both natural and/or anthropogenic disturbances causing stress, degradation, and destruction of mangroves. Mean vegetation C stocks (including both above- and belowground pools; mean Ā± standard error) in aquaculture, planted, scrub, and dense mangroves were 0, 7 Ā± 4, 65 Ā± 11 and 100 Ā± 11 Mg C/ha, respectively. Average soil C pools for aquaculture, planted, scrub, and dense mangroves were 61 Ā± 8, 92 Ā± 20, 177 Ā± 14, and 134 Ā± 17 Mg C/ha, respectively. Mangrove soils constituted largest fraction of total ecosystem C stocks at all sampled sites (aquaculture [100%], planted [90%], scrub [72%], and dense mangrove [57%]). Within BCA, the four studied land use types covered an area of ~167 kmĀ² and the total ecosystem C stocks were 0.07 Tg C for aquaculture (~12 kmĀ²), 0.25 Tg C for planted/ restored mangrove (~24 kmĀ²), 2.29 teragrams (Tg) Tg C for scrub (~93 kmĀ²), and 0.89 Tg C for dense mangroves (~38 kmĀ²). Although BCA is protected under Indian wildlife protection and conservation laws, ~150 000 people inhabit this area and are directly or indirectly dependent on mangrove resources for sustenance. Estimates of C stocks of Bhitarkanika mangroves and recognition of their role as a C repository could provide an additional reason to support conservation and restoration of Bhitarkanika mangroves. Harvesting or destructive exploitation of mangroves by local communities for economic gains can potentially be minimized by enabling these communities to avail themselves of carbon offset/conservation payments under approved climate change mitigation strategies and actions.KEYWORDS: climate change mitigation, Indian mangroves, Bhitarkanika Conservation Area, India, coastal ecosystems, carbon stocks, blue carbo
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A cost-efficient method to assess carbon stocks in tropical peat soil
Estimation of belowground carbon stocks in tropical wetland forests requires funding for laboratory analyses and suitable facilities, which are often lacking in developing nations where most tropical wetlands are found. It is therefore beneficial to develop simple analytical tools to assist belowground carbon estimation where financial and technical limitations are common. Here we use published and original data to describe soil carbon density (kgC mā»Ā³; C[subscript d]) as a function of bulk density (gC cmā»Ā³; B[subscript d]), which can be used to rapidly estimate belowground carbon storage using B[subscript d] measurements only. Predicted carbon densities and stocks are compared with those obtained from direct carbon analysis for ten peat swamp forest stands in three national parks of Indonesia. Analysis of soil carbon density and bulk density from the literature indicated a strong linear relationship (C[subscript d] = B[subscript d] Ć 495.14 + 5.41, RĀ² = 0.93, n = 151) for soils with organic C content > 40%. As organic C content decreases, the relationship between C[subscript d] and B[subscript d] becomes less predictable as soil texture becomes an important determinant of C[subscript d]. The equation predicted belowground C stocks to within 0.92% to 9.57% of observed values. Average bulk density of collected peat samples was 0.127 g cmā»Ā³, which is in the upper range of previous reports for Southeast Asian peatlands. When original data were included, the revised equation C[subscript d] = B[subscript d] Ć 468.76 + 5.82, with RĀ² = 0.95 and n = 712, was slightly below the lower 95% confidence interval of the original equation, and tended to decrease C[subscript d] estimates. We recommend this last equation for a rapid estimation of soil C stocks for well-developed peat soils where C content > 40%
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The potential of Indonesian mangrove forests for global climate change mitigation
Mangroves provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling, soil formation, wood production, fish spawning grounds, ecotourism and carbon (C) storageĀ¹. High rates of tree and plant growth, coupled with anaerobic, water-logged soils that slow decomposition, result in large long-term C storage. Given their global significance as large sinks of C, preventing mangrove loss would be an effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy. It has been reported that C stocks in the Indo-Pacific region contain on average 1,023 MgC haā»Ā¹ (ref. 2). Here, we estimate that Indonesian mangrove C stocks are 1,083 Ā± 378 MgC haā»Ā¹. Scaled up to the country-level mangrove extent of 2.9 Mha (ref. 3), Indonesiaās mangroves contained on average 3.14 PgC. In three decades Indonesia has lost 40% of its mangrovesā“, mainly as a result of aquaculture developmentāµ. This has resulted in annual emissions of 0.07ā0.21 Pg COāe. Annual mangrove deforestation in Indonesia is only 6% of its total forest lossā¶; however, if this were halted, total emissions would be reduced by an amount equal to 10ā31% of estimated annual emissions from land-use sectors at present. Conservation of carbon-rich mangroves in the Indonesian archipelago should be a high-priority component of strategies to mitigate climate change
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Kauffman JFishWildlifePotentialIndonesianMangrove.pdf
Mangroves provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling, soil formation, wood production, fish spawning grounds, ecotourism and carbon (C) storageĀ¹. High rates of tree and plant growth, coupled with anaerobic, water-logged soils that slow decomposition, result in large long-term C storage. Given their global significance as large sinks of C, preventing mangrove loss would be an effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy. It has been reported that C stocks in the Indo-Pacific region contain on average 1,023 MgC haā»Ā¹ (ref. 2). Here, we estimate that Indonesian mangrove C stocks are 1,083 Ā± 378 MgC haā»Ā¹. Scaled up to the country-level mangrove extent of 2.9 Mha (ref. 3), Indonesiaās mangroves contained on average 3.14 PgC. In three decades Indonesia has lost 40% of its mangrovesā“, mainly as a result of aquaculture developmentāµ. This has resulted in annual emissions of 0.07ā0.21 Pg COāe. Annual mangrove deforestation in Indonesia is only 6% of its total forest lossā¶; however, if this were halted, total emissions would be reduced by an amount equal to 10ā31% of estimated annual emissions from land-use sectors at present. Conservation of carbon-rich mangroves in the Indonesian archipelago should be a high-priority component of strategies to mitigate climate change.Keywords: Climate change, Climate-change mitigatio