Carbon stock estimation in mangrove forest at Pitas, Sabah, Malaysia

Mangrove forests play a significant role in reducing tropical carbon emissions and preventing climate change. The objectives of this study are to estimate the aboveground, belowground, and soil carbon storage in mangrove forests. This study was conducted in a mangrove forest in Pitas, Sabah. A transect method for sampling design was used with a total of 3 transects and 15 sub-transects. Forest inventory was done to get the diameter breast height of standing trees and soil sampling with four different depths (0 - 15 cm, 15 - 30 cm, 30 - 50 cm and 50 - 100 cm) were taken for soil analysis and bulk density. Allometric equation was used to calculate aboveground and belowground biomass then its carbon stock was estimated as 50% from its total biomass. CHNS elemental analyzer was used to determine the soil carbon content. A total of 223 individual trees were measured with DBH classification. The AGB and BGB on the study site were 204.53 Mg/ha and 68.18 Mg/ha and estimated the carbon is 50% of the biomass which is AGC 102.26 Mg/ha and BGC 34.09 Mg/ha. The bulk density of the soil ranges from 1.03 - 1.11 g/cm3 and the soil carbon concentration from 15 - 30 cm depth shows the highest with 3.25%. The soil carbon shows the highest carbon storage in the total ecosystem carbon storage with 313.87 Mg/ha. this study reveals that the total carbon stock in mangrove forests at Pitas, Sabah, Malaysia, amounted to 450.22 Mg/ha which soil carbon contributes 69% of total carbon storage

Predicting coastal integrity vulnerability at selected shorelines of Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo Malaysia.

Achieving Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) measures is the Fourth Goal of the Malaysian National Plan of Action (NPOA) on the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CCF). Semi-quantitative scientific benchmarks in the Coastal Integrity Vulnerability Assessment Tool (CIVAT) enable the comparison between single or multiple study sites, whereby the vulnerability and adaptability of selected shorelines to change may be determined and ranked. Besides the socio-economic factors such as the economic and livelihood dependency of the local communities to the coastal and marine resources, environmental factors such as the health and ecological status of the coastal habitats are included. These pilot studies include the use of shoreline tracing methods, beach profiling, use of existing research literature and socio-economic questionnaires. Preliminary results in Sematan, Sarawak show medium vulnerability, whilst in the Semporna Priority Conservation Area (PCA), Sabah it ranges from medium to high vulnerability. Although there are a limited number of such pilot studies in Sarawak and Sabah, it is important to continue support of such research to address current and future development pressures, and support decision-making process in-line with the Malaysian National CCA measures