Community Structure Dynamics and Carbon Stock Change of Rehabilitated Mangrove Forests in Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

This project assessed and compared the relative success of mangrove rehabilitation as a carbon sequestration strategy within the framework of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The scope of research involved three separate treatments (disused aquaculture ponds, rehabilitating sites, and reference forests) in two distinct locations, which enabled a comparison across the full spectrum of land-use change. Results emphasize that geomorphology and biophysical site attributes are key factors in selecting rehabilitation sites conducive to maximizing carbon sequestration. Findings from this project will have widespread appeal to coastal researchers, policy makers, and land managers involved in decision making around halting on-going mangrove loss and restoring ecosystem functioning of degraded habitats. Photo credit: Dr. Aaron Burton. Photo credit: Dr. Aaron Burton. Photo credit: Dr. Aaron Burton. Photo credit: Dr. Aaron Burton. These photographs illustrate the article “Community structure dynamics and carbon stock change of rehabilitated mangrove forests in Sulawesi, Indonesia” by Clint Cameron, Lindsay B. Hutley, Daniel A. Friess, and Benjamin Brown published in Ecological Applications. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1810