Carbon stocks and potential carbon storage in the mangrove forests of China

• Mangrove forests store about 6.91 ± 0.57 (mean ± 95% CI) Tg C in China.
• The potential C stocks in Chinese mangrove forests are 28.81 ± 4.16 Tg C.
• C density in Chinese mangrove is consistent with the global latitudinal distribution.

Mangrove forests provide important ecosystem services, and play important roles in terrestrial and oceanic carbon (C) cycling. Although the C stocks or storage in terrestrial ecosystems in China have been frequently assessed, the C stocks in mangrove forests have often been overlooked. In this study, we estimated the C stocks and the potential C stocks in China's mangrove forests by combining our own field data with data from the National Mangrove Resource Inventory Report and from other published literature. The results indicate that mangrove forests in China store about 6.91 ± 0.57 Tg C, of which 81.74% is in the top 1 m soil, 18.12% in the biomass of mangrove trees, and 0.08% in the ground layer (i.e. mangrove litter and seedlings). The potential C stocks are as high as 28.81 ± 4.16 Tg C. On average, mangrove forests in China contain 355.25 ± 82.19 Mg C ha−1, which is consistent with the global average of mangrove C density at similar latitudes, but higher than the average C density in terrestrial forests in China. Our results suggest that C storage in mangroves can be increased by selecting high C-density species for afforestation and stand improvement, and even more by increasing the mangrove area. The information gained in this study will facilitate policy decisions concerning the restoration of mangrove forests in China.

Estimations of carbon (C) sequestration potential (Tg C) under three scenarios. Scenario 1: Only C density increases through species selection. Scenario 2: Only mangrove area increases through afforestation. Scenario 3: Both mangrove area and C density increase to its full potential through afforestation and species selection.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide