Biomass and vegetation carbon stock in mangrove forests of the Andaman Islands, India

Abstract

The present study estimated plant biomass in mangrove forests of the Andaman Islands, India. The mean above-ground biomass was 469.20 ± 41.25 Mega-gram/ha (Mg ha -1 ), while the mean belowground biomass was 166.78 ± 12.79 Mg ha -1 . The total mean biomass of Andaman mangrove forest was 635.98 ± 12.79 Mg ha -1 and its corresponding vegetation carbon stock was 290.26 ± 24.75 Mg C ha -1. Among the 6 forest divisions, Little Andaman recorded the highest mean biomass per unit area (1,081.26 ± 424.67 Mg ha -1 ) and vegetation carbon stock (494.50 ± 194.56 Mg C ha -1 ) followed by Middle Andaman, North Andaman, Havelock, South Andaman and Baratang. Among the 25 mangrove species, Rhizophora apiculata was found to contribute the highest biomass (152.78 Mg ha -1 ) and vegetation carbon stock (69.58 Mg C ha -1 ) followed by Bruguiera gymnorhiza, and Rhizophora mucronata. High vegetation carbon stock in mangrove forests of the Andaman Island could be attributed to high structural complexity, high precipitation rate ([ 300 cm year -1 ), and comparatively fewer anthropogenic disturbances in the mangrove forest of the Andaman Islands. However, the Andaman Islands are increasingly vulnerable to natural calamities, like sealevel rise and associated soil erosion and increasing frequency of tropical cyclones, which call for immediate attention on preserving the island mangroves to sustain its extraordinary carbon storage capacity.

Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Storage in Mangrove Forests in Southeastern Mexico

“…On the other hand, the aboveground carbon content was double that reported in Nayarit, Mexico, for fringe and riverine mangroves (36.22 Mg C ha −1 ) [15] and 48 to 77% higher than that reported in Baja California Sur, Mexico, dwarf mangroves of R. mangle, L. racemosa, and A. germinans (13.6-31.6 Mg C ha −1 ) [78]. The lower carbon contents at these sites could be because they were inhabited by species with small DBHs and low densities, agreeing with Ragavan et al [68], who mentioned that larger diameter trees contain more carbon reserves due to the positive correlation between the density of trees with biomass and carbon, while Velázquez-Pérez et al [10] concluded that a higher number of juvenile trees is associated with lower carbon content. Carbon storage also varies with climatic conditions, hydrogeomorphic configurations, and mangrove species [79].…”

“…The biomass generated in the mangroves of Úrsulo Galván (120.5 Mg ha −1 at a density of 3515 ind ha −1 ) was lower than that reported in the Gulf of Montijo, Panama (176 Mg ha −1 at a density of 8267 ind ha −1 ) [67], the Andaman Islands, India (469.20 Mg ha −1 at a density of 1767 ind ha −1 ) [68], in Bangladesh (157 Mg ha −1 at a density of 255 ind ha −1 ) [69], and in the Amazon region, Brazil (145 Mg ha −1 ) [70]. The results are close to those recorded in the La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, of 131.8 Mg ha −1 [14] and Peninsular Malaysia of 108.27-155.58 Mg ha −1 [19] and higher than those found in Kelantan, Malaysia, of 2.66 Mg ha −1 at a density of 1170 ind ha −1 [71].…”

Impacts of Climate Change on Blue Carbon Stocks and Fluxes in Mangrove Forests

“…Mangrove forests have the largest organic carbon (C ORG ) stocks of any of earth's ecosystems, with a global mean total forest stock of 692.8 ± 23.1 (±1 SE) Mg C ORG ha −1 (updated from [8] with [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]). Soil standing stocks average 516.4 ± 19.8 Mg C ORG ha −1 over the upper 1 m depth, accounting for 74% of total ecosystem standing stocks.…”

“…These large amounts of C ORG reflect rapid rates of soil accumulation on the forest floor, sustained accumulation over long time periods, and high rates of primary productivity. In contrast, global mean aboveground and belowground mangrove biomass average 105.8 ± 4.2 Mg C ORG ha −1 (±1 SE) and 68 Mg C ORG ha −1 , respectively, as updated from Alongi [8] with new data [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28], which underscores the dominance of the soil component.…”

“…Table 1. Grand mean regional estimates of organic carbon stocks (Mg C ORG ha −1 ) in mangrove aboveground (AGBC ORG ) and belowground (BGBC ORG ) biomass and soil (SC ORG ) to a depth of 1 m. Updated [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] and summarized from [3]. TEC ORG = total ecosystem C ORG stock (Mg C ORG ha −1 ).…”