Global patterns in mangrove soil carbon stocks and losses

Author Identifier (ORCID)

Paul Lavery

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5162-273X

Oscar Serrano

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5973-0046

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.

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2017

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

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1038/nclimate3326

Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1038/nclimate3326