East Asia and Pacific
A Water Quality Evaluation of Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture System for Water Treatment in Super-Intensive White Leg Shrimp PondBackgroundWhite leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farming is an integral part of Indonesia’s international market. Economic pressure to expand white leg shrimp aquaculture ponds leads to deforestation and degradation of mangroves. However, integrating shrimp aquaculture with mangroves can be a way to improve pond sustainability and environmental quality, especially in super-intensive aquaculture systems, which are highly controlled, technology-based aquaculture ponds that have high stocking densities to maximize shrimp yields. Open access copy available |
Exploring environmental condition of silvofishery pond to support the sustainability of mangrove management in Berau Regency, IndonesiaBackgroundOn the islands of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, Indonesia, mangroves are threatened by conversion into brackish water aquaculture ponds. To combat mangrove deforestation, government ministries and academia have promoted silvofishery ponds as a method of sustainably combining fish or shrimp aquaculture with mangrove restoration and protection. Understanding the biotic and abiotic factors impacting silvofishery ponds is important to inform management decisions and increase support for silvofishery ponds. Open access copy available |
Effects of different management regimes on mangrove ecosystem services in Java, IndonesiaBackgroundIndonesia’s mangrove forests have decreased from 4.5 million hectares (ha) to under 3 million ha since the 1980s, largely due to the lack of monetary value attributed to mangrove ecosystem services, leading to conversion into aquaculture. Developing a valuation system for mangroves that includes both economically valuable products (i.e., timber, food) and ecosystem services allows decision makers to better assess the impacts of management decisions on the important ecosystem services and properties provided by mangroves. Open access copy available |
Conservation for production? The benefits of mangroves for sustainable shrimp aquacultureBackgroundIncreasing shrimp demand and declining annual shrimp harvests threaten mangroves in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, due to deforestation from shrimp aquaculture expansion. Silvofishery practices that combine shrimp aquaculture with mangrove conservation are promoted to prevent further mangrove deforestation while still protecting the shrimp farming industry. Mangrove ecosystem services are essential for aquaculture systems to thrive, so it is important to determine successful biophysical elements of silvofishery systems to encourage the development of more sustainable aquaculture practices. Open access copy available |
Strong Climate Mitigation Potential of Rewetting Oil Palm Plantations on Tropical PeatlandsBackgroundTropical peatlands store vast quantities of carbon and therefore play a crucial role in global climate regulation. In Indonesia, extensive areas of peatland have been drained and converted to oil palm plantations and other agricultural uses. Drainage exposes peat to oxygen, accelerating decomposition and releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Since degraded peatlands are estimated to contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, restoration strategies such as peatland rewetting have gained increasing attention as potential natural climate solutions. Open access copy available |
Asian dryland ecohealth progress for land degradation neutralityBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Harnessing Biomass and Blue Carbon Potential: Estimating Carbon Stocks in the Vital Wetlands of Eastern Sumatra, IndonesiaBackgroundMangrove 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. Open access copy available |
Assessing the Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Mangrove Loss in Indonesia: A Synthesis for Science-Based PolicyBackgroundIndonesia’s rate of mangrove loss has accelerated to about 40% over the past 30 years. Despite the government’s policies and investments for mitigating mangrove degradation, low seedling survival, and poor site suitability have impeded restoration progress. This study aims to review mangrove loss in Indonesia and assess the negative impacts of mangrove loss on carbon stocks, local livelihoods, and ecosystem benefits (e.g., fisheries, coastal protection, biodiversity). Open access copy available |
Global Significance of Mangrove Blue Carbon in Climate Change MitigationBackgroundMangrove forests sequester proportionately greater amounts of carbon than most terrestrial environments. However, natural greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from these ecosystems and the carbon released when they are degraded counteract their carbon sequestration potential. Therefore, it is necessary to examine carbon stocks, rates of carbon sequestration, and carbon losses from these environments to clarify the global and regional potential of mangrove forests to mitigate climate change. Open access copy available |
Global potential and limits of mangrove blue carbon for climate change mitigationBackgroundDespite national and international policy organizations’ interest in blue carbon financing for mangrove conservation, there is a lack of investment in payments for ecosystem services from the commercial sector. To encourage future investments and scale up blue carbon projects, it is necessary to address knowledge gaps on the financial return on investment for blue carbon projects. Open access copy available |
