Above-Ground Biomass and Carbon Stock of Ciletuh Mangrove Forest, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Mangrove forest is a unique ecosystem that plays important roles to climate change control, as carbon sink and CO2 absorbing from the atmosphere. This research was aimed to estimate the potential of above-ground biomass and carbon stocks of Ciletuh mangrove forest, West Java, Indonesia. Mangrove forest area and occupation of dominant species were mapped using Geographical Information System, meanwhile species composition and forest structure was sampled using 198 plots (20 m × 20 m each) systematically spread out at studied forest area. Vegetation analysis data were used to estimate the potential of above-ground biomass and carbon stocks. Above-ground biomass and carbon stock of mangrove species was estimated using allometric models that already available. The results showed that mangrove forest in Ciletuh covered an area amounted to 8 ha. There were 18 tree mangrove species dominated by species of non-Rhizophoraceae belonging to 14 genera of 11 families. Above-ground biomass of Ciletuh mangrove forest was estimated at 31.78 t ha-1, carbon stock at 14.93 t C ha-1, and CO2 absorption at 54.68 t ha-1.