Assessment of species diversity, biomass and carbon sequestration potential of a natural mangrove stand in Samar, the Philippines

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the species diversity and carbon sequestration potential of a natural mangrove stand in Botoc, Pinabacdao, Samar, the Philippines. Using the quadrat sampling technique, 12 plots with a size of 100 m2 were established to facilitate inventory and measurement of trees. Shannon-Wiener index and allometric equations were used to determine species diversity, and biomass and tree carbon storage, respectively. The community's species diversity (H′ = 1.6365) was very low with a total of eight true mangrove species recorded, dominated by Avicennia officinalis with an importance value of 134.80%. Among the plots, a greater percentage of the total biomass was accounted to the above-ground biomass, corresponding to 74% (297.20 t ha−1), while the remaining 26% (103.87 t ha−1) was credited to the root biomass. The total carbon sequestered and stored in the biomass of the natural mangrove stand was 188.50 t C ha−1 equivalent to 691.81 t CO2 ha−1. The biomass and carbon density estimates acquired in this study suggest that natural mangrove forests in Botoc have the potential to sequester and store a huge amount of atmospheric carbon regardless of the very low species diversity.