Gaps, challenges, and opportunities in mangrove blue carbon research: A biogeographic perspective

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2020

Abstract

The high carbon (C) sequestration and storage capacity of mangroves place these ecosystems in the center of the scientific community interests. As a result, publication of articles on mangrove C stocks has escalated over the last decade. Few among these publications have attempted to deliver global C stocks in mangroves. Despite methodological intricacies, these global assessments converge in being constrained by the data availability and quality. Recent global analyses have highlighted that about 50% of the countries where mangroves thrive lack data on C stored in both biomass and soils. For below-ground biomass (roots), the number of reliable estimates is even more limited. These issues with data availability and quality pose challenges to coastal wetlands scientists to account for the spatial variability of blue C stocks in mangroves, particularly when using predictive models based on environmental correlates. We collated extensive data sets on mangrove biomass and soil organic C and used a worldwide classification of coastline typologies to rank mangroves into distinct types of coastal environmental settings, including river-dominated (large river and small deltas), tidal systems, lagoons, carbonate, and arheic settings. We examined trends in mangrove C storage and sequestration rates across biogeographic provinces and show how the coastal environmental setting framework can improve global estimates. Finally, we deliver a biogeographic perspective on gaps and opportunities that we hope assist coastal wetlands scientists defining research strategies to address current challenges in mangrove blue C macroecology.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Dynamic Sedimentary Environments of Mangrove Coasts

First Page

295

Last Page

334

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