Carbon emissions are expected to rise at an annual rate of nearly 50,000% by the end of the century due to the degradation of mangrove carbon stocks, a new study shows. The study highlights the importance of protecting existing mangrove forests, especially in areas with high population densities.
Mangrove forests store large amounts of carbon, especially in the soil. However, human development in these areas has led to the degradation of these carbon stocks. Over the past 20 years, large amounts of mangrove forests have been replaced by agriculture, aquaculture, and urban land management, resulting in a 1% reduction in global mangrove carbon stocks58.4 billion tons, releasing the equivalent of flying the entire U.S. population from New York to London.
The study was led by Jennifer Krumins, a professor of biology at Montclair State University, and two PhD candidates, Shih-Chieh Chien and Charles Knoble. They focused on the relationship between population density and soil carbon stocks in urban mangrove forests to quantify their role in the global carbon budget.
The findings suggest that when the population density reaches 300 people per square kilometre (similar to the average population density in the UK or Japan), the carbon stored in mangrove soils in close to populated areas is estimated to be 37% lower than in isolated mangroves. At the same time, the current annual rate of carbon emissions from mangrove forest loss is estimated at 70 terek, at the current rate, will rise to 3392 tergs by the end of the century as the population density increases.
This is despite the fact that mangroves cover only about 0 percent of the Earth's land surface1%, but they play a vital role in providing wildlife habitat and regulating global climate stability. These mangroves store large amounts of carbon in their soils and are key to regulating the global carbon cycle. The amount of carbon in mangrove soils is typically three to four times higher than that of boreal, temperate or tropical forests.
"This work underscores the importance of protecting existing mangrove forests, especially in areas with high population density," said Professor Krumins. Mangroves are essential for the regulation of carbon sequestration, and we must protect them. The first step is to understand the impact of human populations and activities on carbon storage in mangrove forests. ”