Abstract
Coastal wetlands can have exceptionally large carbon (C) stocks and their protection and restoration would constitute an effective mitigation strategy to climate change. Inclusion of coastal ecosystems in mitigation strategies requires quantification of carbon stocks in order to calculate emissions or sequestration through time. In this study, we quantified the ecosystem C stocks of coastal wetlands of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (SKBR) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. We stratified the SKBR into different vegetation types (tall, medium and dwarf mangroves, and marshes), and examined relationships of environmental variables with C stocks. At nine sites within SKBR, we quantified ecosystem C stocks through measurement of above and belowground biomass, downed wood, and soil C. Additionally, we measured nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the soil and interstitial salinity. Tall mangroves had the highest C stocks (987±338 Mg ha−1) followed by medium mangroves (623±41 Mg ha−1), dwarf mangroves (381±52 Mg ha−1) and marshes (177±73 Mg ha−1). At all sites, soil C comprised the majority of the ecosystem C stocks (78–99%). Highest C stocks were measured in soils that were relatively low in salinity, high in P and low in N∶P, suggesting that P limits C sequestration and accumulation potential. In this karstic area, coastal wetlands, especially mangroves, are important C stocks. At the landscape scale, the coastal wetlands of Sian Ka'an covering ≈172,176 ha may store 43.2 to 58.0 million Mg of C.
Highlights
Tropical wetlands are one of the most carbon (C) rich ecosystems in the world
Because of their large ecosystem C stocks, their vulnerabilities to land use, and the numerous other ecosystem services they provide, coastal wetlands are of increasing interest for participation in climate change mitigation strategies [12]
Coastal wetland plant communities in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve (SKBR) were separated following classifications of Lugo and Snedaker [26] and Murray et al [27] into the following: a) tall mangroves with a mean height .5 m, which can be associated with fresh water springs; b) medium mangroves that form dense stands of trees of 3 to 5 m in height, usually as fringing forest and c) dwarf mangroves, composed of dense stands of trees whose height is,1.5 m
Summary
Tropical wetlands are one of the most carbon (C) rich ecosystems in the world. The organic-rich soils of many mangroves and tidal marshes contain exceptionally large C stocks [1,2] that can be two to three times higher than those measured in most terrestrial forests. Dominant causes of deforestation and degradation include: agriculture and aquaculture conversion, pollution, coastal development, and hydrological disruptions [7,9]. Global climate change may affect mangrove cover and distribution through an increase in sea-level rise, changes in tropical storm intensity, and changes in stream and groundwater flows that discharge into mangroves [11]. Because of their large ecosystem C stocks, their vulnerabilities to land use, and the numerous other ecosystem services they provide, coastal wetlands are of increasing interest for participation in climate change mitigation strategies [12]. To participate in climate change mitigation strategies, such as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+ [13]), it is necessary to determine C stocks and emissions baselines
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