Assessment of blue carbon sequestration potential of Avicennia marina in the semi-arid zone of Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat, India

Abstract

The mangrove ecosystem provides extensive socio-economic services and important role in blue carbon sequestration in the tropical forest. The present study aimed to assess the carbon sequestration potential of Avicennia marina in the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat, the state with second largest mangrove cover in India. The mean above-ground biomass and below-ground biomass were 96.9 Mg ha −1 and 19.6 Mg ha −1, respectively. The Gulf of Kutch’s mean total biomass was 116.5 Mg ha −1, and its corresponding vegetation and soil carbon stocks were 54.1 Mg C ha −1 and 25.87 Mg C ha −1, respectively. Among the five creeks, Navlakhi recorded the highest mean total biomass of 287.3 Mg ha −1 and vegetative carbon stock of 133.9 Mg C ha −1 followed by Tuna creek, Phan creek, Kandla creek and Jangi creek. The diameter at breast height (DBH) showed a significant positive correlation (R2 = 0.81, P<0.001) with above-ground biomass, followed by below-ground biomass (R2 = 0.82, P<0.001), total biomass (R2 = 0.81, P<0.001), and total vegetative carbon stock (R2 = 0.81, P<0.001). The Gulf of Kutch mangrove ecosystem faces natural and human-induced anthropogenic activity pressures, though it sequesters a substantial amount of carbon in terms of biomass. Realizing the importance of carbon storage, the government and NGOs planted mangroves in 76,838 ha during 2001–2019, increasing the total area of mangroves from 911 to 1178 km 2. Further, it is contemplated that establishment of multispecies mangrove biodiversity park will serve as a seed bank and encourage the development of multispecies in the semi-arid zone of the Kutch region.