Global patterns in mangrove soil carbon stocks and losses

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Nature Climate Change

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

School

School of Science / Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research

RAS ID

24937

Funders

Australian Research Council

Grant Number

ARC Number : DE170101524

Comments

Atwood, T. B., Connolly, R. M., Almahasheer, H., Carnell, P. E., Duarte, C. M., Lewis, . . . Lovelock, C. E. (2017). Global patterns in mangrove soil carbon stocks and losses. Nature Climate Change, 7(7), 523-528. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3326

Abstract

Mangrove soils represent a large sink for otherwise rapidly recycled carbon (C). However, widespread deforestation threatens the preservation of this important C stock. It is therefore imperative that global patterns in mangrove soil C stocks and their susceptibility to remineralization are understood. Here, we present patterns in mangrove soil C stocks across hemispheres, latitudes, countries and mangrove community compositions, and estimate potential annual CO2 emissions for countries where mangroves occur. Global potential CO2 emissions from soils as a result of mangrove loss were estimated to be ∼7.0 Tg CO2 e yr-1. Countries with the highest potential CO2 emissions from soils are Indonesia (3,410 Gg CO2 e yr-1) and Malaysia (1,288 Gg CO2 e yr-1). The patterns described serve as a baseline by which countries can assess their mangrove soil C stocks and potential emissions from mangrove deforestation. © 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved.

DOI

10.1038/nclimate3326

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