The Potential of Blue Carbon Stocks and Carbon Dioxide Absorption in Mangrove Forests to Support Low Carbon Emission Development in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is a country with the second-longest coastline globally and has the most extensive mangrove forests in the world. Mangrove forests are included in the blue carbon group, which per hectare store up to four times more carbon storage than tropical forests. Mangrove forests play an essential role in absorbing carbon emissions in the air and storing a lot of carbon compared to natural forests. This study aims to determine carbon storage and CO2 absorption in mangrove forests in Kabaena Barat Subdistrict, Bombana Regency. The data comes from direct measurements in the field, namely above-ground carbon, carried out without damaging trees, only covering carbon in tree vegetation. It is the largest proportion of carbon storage on land. The data collection used a survey method to identify mangrove species, circumference, tree trunk diameter at breast height (dbh), biomass, carbon storage, CO2 absorption, and 22 plots of plotted line method with eight transects. The results showed that 10 types of mangrove species were found on the transect observation, namely Avicennia alba, Avicennia marina, Avicennia lanata, Avicennia sp., Bruguiera cylindrica, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, and Xylocarpus granatum. With the total amount of biomass stored in Kabaena Barat Subdistrict's mangrove forests, Bombana Regency, is 6,664.93 tons ha-1 with carbon storage of 3,065.85 tons ha-1 and carbon dioxide absorption of 11,241.55 tons ha-1.