Harnessing Biomass and Blue Carbon Potential: Estimating Carbon Stocks in the Vital Wetlands of Eastern Sumatra, Indonesia

Background

Mangrove forests can store significantly more carbon per hectare than other tropical forests, making mangrove conservation an important strategy for climate change mitigation. Since mangrove forests are highly heterogeneous, site-specific observations and models are important to inform mangrove conservation. This study combines field observations of living biomass and soil carbon stocks with mathematical models to document the potential for mangrove conservation to sustain important carbon sinks in Indonesia.

Goals and Methods

From October to December 2023, the authors collected data on mangrove species composition and measurements, deadwood size and distribution, and soil samples at five sites along the east coast of Aceh and North Sumatra Provinces, Indonesia. They conducted sampling using transects, applying intersection methods for deadwood samples and plots along the transect for soil and vegetation samples. After data collection, mathematical models were used to calculate above-ground biomass (AGB), below-ground biomass (BGB), vegetation carbon storage, deadwood carbon stock, and soil carbon content.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Across the five sites, AGB ranged from 95.64 MgC/ha to 355.99 MgC/ha and BGB ranged from 28.41 MgC/ha to 153.32 MgC/ha, with a total biomass of 1,512.22 MgC/ha across all sites. Soil carbon content ranged from 1,175.72 MgC/ha to 2,505.86 MgC/ha, and deadwood carbon content ranged from 49.94 MgC/ha to 91.08 MgC/ha. These biomass and blue carbon estimates demonstrate the significant carbon storage potential of mangroves in Indonesia, indicating that mangrove conservation could be an important technique for national climate mitigation goals. Additionally, the authors highlight the challenges in sampling and quantifying mangrove biomass and blue carbon stocks, and advocate for more robust and standardized data collection methods and improved modeling techniques.