Rehabilitating mangrove ecosystem services: A case study on the relative benefits of abandoned pond reversion from Panay Island, Philippines

Julian R Thompson,Rona Joy A Loma,Nathalie Pettorelli,Jurgenne H Primavera,Heather J Koldewey,Clare Duncan

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.049

Abstract

Mangroves provide vital climate change mitigation and adaptation (CCMA) ecosystem services (ES), yet have suffered extensive tropics-wide declines. To mitigate losses, rehabilitation is high on the conservation agenda. However, the relative functionality and ES delivery of rehabilitated mangroves in different intertidal locations is rarely assessed. In a case study from Panay Island, Philippines, using field- and satellite-derived methods, we assess carbon stocks and coastal protection potential of rehabilitated low-intertidal seafront and mid- to upper-intertidal abandoned (leased) fishpond areas, against reference natural mangroves. Due to large sizes and appropriate site conditions, targeted abandoned fishpond reversion to former mangrove was found to be favourable for enhancing CCMA in the coastal zone. In a municipality-specific case study, 96.7% of abandoned fishponds with high potential for effective greenbelt rehabilitation had favourable tenure status for reversion. These findings have implications for coastal zone management in Asia in the face of climate change.

Highlights

Environmental management is placing increasing emphasis on the services provided by the world's ecosystems (Cardinale et al, 2012)
This study provides a quantitative analysis of relative climate change mitigation and adaptation (CCMA) ecosystem services (ES) delivery by different mangrove rehabilitation areas and adjacent natural
While per hectare carbon stocks were variable across both rehabilitated and natural areas, rehabilitation for enhanced CCMA goals appears more promising in abandoned fishponds

Summary

Introduction

Environmental management is placing increasing emphasis on the services provided by the world's ecosystems (Cardinale et al, 2012). Growing global policy emphasis on both emissions reduction and climate impact mitigation in vulnerable countries (UNFCCC, 2015) places ever higher significance on the climate change mitigation and adaptation (CCMA) properties of mangroves. High susceptibility to anthropogenic activities and climate change impacts (Primavera, 2005; Duke et al, 2007; Lovelock et al, 2015) has, led to mangrove areal declines of 30–50% globally (Field et al, 1998; Valiela et al, 2001), with continued losses of 0.16–0.39% per annum Extensive loss has left degraded and highly fragmented mangroves in many parts of their global distribution (Giri et al, 2011; Hamilton and Casey, 2016) that may have limited potential to deliver CCMA services into the future (Koch et al, 2009; Barbier et al, 2011; Lee et al, 2014)

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