Estimation of biomass, carbon stocks and soil sequestration of Gowatr mangrove forests, Gulf of Oman

Abstract

The mangrove forest ecosystem is known to possess a variety of ecosystem services, including high rates of carbon sequestration, storage and mitigating climate change through reduced deforestation. This study was carried out in the mangrove forests of Gowatr Bay, Gulf of Oman during 2017-18 to quantify biomass and carbon stocks of all components of this forest, including live and dead trees, soil, pneumatophores, herbaceous and litter in three stations during post-monsoon and pre-monsoon. We examined that biomass, carbon stocks and soil carbon varied significantly with spatial locations (<em>p</em><0.05) abut not with seasons (<em>p</em>>0.05). The mean of biomass and carbon stock were estimated 125.54±19.31 and 129.21±19.64 Mg ha^-1, and 48.48±7.51 and 49.9±7.5 Mg ha^-1, in post-monsoon and pre-monsoon, respectively. Also, Soil carbon was determined 227.1±11.86 and 227.3±11.71 Mg ha^-1in post-monsoon and pre-monsoon, respectively. A positive correlation was found between the vegetation biomass and soil organic carbon in post-monsoon (r=0.905) and pre-monsoon (r=0.914), indicating the role of vegetation in building soil organic carbon. The mean carbon stock value for the total area of mangroves in post-monsoon and pre-monsoon was extrapolated as 43.9 and 44.2 Kt of C, equivalent to 161.13 and 162.102 Kt of CO2e, respectively. This data reveals that Gowatr mangroves store a substantial amount of atmospheric carbon, and therefore need to be conserved and sustainably managed to maintain as well as to increase carbon storage.<br />