Productivity and carbon dynamics in mangrove wetlands

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the net primary productivity and carbon (C) dynamics of mangrove wetlands as related to the potential to sequester atmospheric C in above- and belowground biomass and in the soil. We discuss the large variation in ecosystem properties across different coastal environmental settings and pay particular attention to global patterns of these ecosystem processes comparing the Atlantic-East-Pacific and Indo-West-Pacific biogeographic regions. Deltaic coasts have higher aboveground biomass (AGB) compared to other continental settings, but the highest average AGB was found in high oceanic islands. The global average rates of litter fall (NPPL) and (NPPW) wood production are about 6 t ha-1 yr-1 for aboveground net primary productivity (NPPA) of about 12 t ha-1 yr-1. The relative contribution of belowground allocation to soil C storage and wood production to total net primary productivity (NPPT) in mangrove wetlands has significant implications to net C exchange in these coastal forested wetlands. Examples are given to demonstrate that net ecosystem production (NEP) and net ecosystem carbon exchange for mangrove wetlands have implications to the debate on how coastal ecosystems influence the global C budget. Wood production is about 600 g dry mass m yr or about 300 gC m-2 yr-1. The average C sequestration in mangroves soils org(∆Sorg) is about 224 gC m yr. The sum of these two measures (NPPW + ∆Sorg) is an estimate of NEP at about 525 gC m-2 yr-1. A general conclusion based on these different approaches, and reviewing the existing global literature, is that NEP accumulates about 500 gC m-2 yr-1, equally distributed between wood production and soil C accumulation. The importance of above and belowground contributions to global estimates of C sequestration above- and belowground reinforces the need for a better understanding of biomass allocation in these systems. The net tidal exchange of inorganic and organic carbon is about 400 gC m-2 yr-1 with nearly equal distribution in these forms of carbon to coastal waters. It is not clear how the fate of this material may influence net carbon exchange in the coastal zone, which is a very active area of research. We also suggest that more information is needed on how the disturbance of mangrove wetlands, including their recovery, may influence net carbon flux in the coastal zone.

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Twilley, R. R., Castañeda-Moya, E., Rivera-Monroy, V. H., & Rovai, A. (2017). Productivity and carbon dynamics in mangrove wetlands. In Mangrove Ecosystems: A Global Biogeographic Perspective: Structure, Function, and Services (pp. 113–162). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62206-4_5

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