Climate Change
Integrated mangrove-shrimp cultivation: Potential for blue carbon sequestrationBackgroundMangrove deforestation and degradation have increased due to the growth of shrimp farming in tropical coastal environments. This has serious implications for global climate change mitigation, since mangroves are the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics, and converting mangroves into aquaculture ponds increases blue carbon emissions. Integrated mangrove-shrimp cultivation systems can help to prevent mangrove loss and curb blue carbon emissions through pairing shrimp aquaculture with mangrove restoration. 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 |
Belize National Forest Monitoring System 2001-2020BackgroundBelize’s diverse ecosystems, land tenure systems, and land-use dynamics require a robust and flexible National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). Early efforts focused on establishing permanent forest inventory plots in the late 1990s to address data gaps in forest structure and carbon dynamics. Over time, Belize has expanded its forest monitoring framework to integrate both ground-based and remote sensing approaches, ensuring transparency, consistency, and national ownership of forest data systems. Open access copy available |
Framework for National Forest Monitoring SystemBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Afforestation and Reforestation Have Varying Biodiversity Impacts Across and Within BiomesBackgroundAfforestation and reforestation (AR) are widely promoted as nature-based solutions (NbS) for carbon dioxide removal and climate mitigation. Global initiatives aim to expand forest cover significantly to meet climate targets. However, AR can produce unintended biodiversity impacts, particularly when implemented in ecosystems such as grasslands or savannas, where native species are not adapted to forest conditions. The ecological outcomes of AR vary across biomes and species, highlighting the need for spatially explicit, biodiversity-sensitive planning frameworks. Open access copy available |
Carbon sequestration in mangrove forestsBackgroundMangrove forests are highly valuable due to the ecological (e.g., sediment deposition, fish nurseries, protection from tropical storms) and economic (e.g., food, fuel) resources they provide. Carbon storage potential in mangroves is also a highly valuable characteristic, especially as a passive method of carbon dioxide capture and storage. In order to protect these important resources and services, it is necessary to create accurate analyses of the global potential and significance of carbon storage in mangroves. Open access copy available |
Valuing the Role of Mangroves in Storm Damage Reduction in Coastal Areas of OdishaBackgroundBuilding resilience has become a significant concern for coastal communities due to future sea level rise and more frequent tropical storms caused by climate change. Mangroves can provide coastal resilience by reducing lives lost and property damage from tropical storms. These benefits demonstrate how including these ecosystem services in sustainable land use planning could be an economically viable coastal resilience strategy. Open access copy available |
Mangroves protected villages and reduced death toll during Indian super cycloneBackgroundWhile protection against storm damage is discussed as an ecosystem service of mangroves, there is debate about whether there is sufficient evidence for these claims. Multiple studies on this topic use small sample sizes and have a lack of controls for confounding factors. However, quality research exists that effectively demonstrates mangroves’ ability to protect coastal communities from tropical storm surge. Thus, it is necessary that future studies focusing on mangroves’ protective capabilities from tropical storms follow higher research standards to effectively provide evidence for this ecosystem service. Open access copy available |
Mangroves protect coastal economic activity from hurricanesBackgroundWith more frequent and severe weather events anticipated due to climate change, coastal communities are interested in practical coastal defense interventions to protect their public and private assets and prevent disruptions to economic activity from tropical storms. Studies have documented mangrove forests’ ability to reduce wave action, wind velocity, and storm surge, making mangroves a cost-effective form of coastal protection. Yet, the relationship between how large a mangrove belt must be to provide significant protection and how mangroves mitigate tropical storm effects and economic damages is still unknown. Open access copy available |
