Global distribution of seagrasses, tidal marshes, and mangroves.

<p>Data sources: Seagrass and saltmarsh coverage data are from the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); mangrove coverage data are from UNEP-WCMC in collaboration with the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME).</p

Estimates of carbon released by land-use change in coastal ecosystems globally and associated economic impact.

<p>Notes: 1 Pg = 1 billion metric tons. To obtain values per km², multiply by 100. See <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043542#s2" target="_blank">Methods</a> section for detailed description of inputs and their sources. In brief, data for global extent and conversion rate are recently published ranges (minimum - maximum, and central estimate in parentheses). For near-surface carbon susceptible to land-use conversion (expressed in potential CO₂ emissions <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043542#pone.0043542-Intergovernmental2" target="_blank">[48]</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043542#pone.0043542-Pearson2" target="_blank">[50]</a>), uncertainty range is based on assumption of 25–100% loss C upon land-use impact; thus, the high-end estimate is the literature-derived global mean carbon storage in vegetation and the top meter of sediment only (central estimate is thus 63% loss). Results for carbon loss are non-parametric 90% confidence intervals (median in parentheses) from Monte Carlo uncertainty propagation of the three input variables (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043542#s2" target="_blank">Methods</a>). Economic estimates apply a multiplier of US$ 41 per ton of CO₂ to lower, upper, and central emission estimates (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0043542#s2" target="_blank">Methods</a>).</p