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This work quantified the total carbon and 12 other sediment characteristics at 10 soil depths, in planted and or natural mangrove forests in comparison with non-vegetated soil for four seasons of the year 2009-2010 in the Vellar-Coleroon estuarine complex, India. The sediment characteristics varied significantly between mangrove-vegetatedand non-vegetated habitats or seasons of analysis, but not between soil depths. The mangrove sediments were rich in total carbon and total organic carbon as compared to non-mangrove sediments (p <0.01). Total carbon was 98.2% higher in mature mangroves and 41.8% in planted mangroves than that in non-mangrove soil. Total organic carbon was as much as 2.5 times greater in mature mangroves and 2 times greater in planted mangroves than that in unvegetated soil. Carbon contents also varied many fold by season. Total carbon content was 8.6 times greater during pre-monsoon, 4.1 times greater during post-monsoon and 2.5 times greater during monsoon than during summer (p <0.01 in all cases).Similarly, total organic carbon was 5.9 times greater during pre-monsoon, 3.1 times greater during post-monsoon and 69% greater during monsoon than during summer. In general, higher levels of sediment carbon were recorded during pre and post-monsoon seasons than during other seasons.Total carbon concentration was correlated negatively to temperature, sand and phosphorus (p <0.01); positively correlated with redox potential, silt, clay, C/N ratio, potassium (p <0.01) and nitrogen (p <0.05); but not correlated with soil depth, pH or salinity. This work revealed that the carbon burial was rapid at the annual rate of 2.8% for total carbon, and 6.7% for total organic carbon in mangrove-planted sediment. Clearing of mangroves can result in significantly and rapidly reduced carbon stores.

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