ASSESSMENT OF MANGROVE BLUE CARBON STOCKS IN NYEKE MANGROVE FOREST IN UNGUJA - ZANZIBAR
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Date
2022-12-12
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SUZA
Abstract
Blue carbon refers to carbon stored or sequestered in vegetated marinesincluding mangroves, sea grass, salt marsh and coral reef.Despite their benefits and services, blue carbon mangrove ecosystems are some of the most threatened ecosystems on the earth, they are disappearing three to five times faster than overall global forest losses, with serious ecological and socio-economic impacts. It is estimated that every year about 0.15 - 1.02 billion tons of carbon dioxide are being released from deforestation and degradation of blue carbon ecosystems, which account up to 19% of carbon emissions from global tropical deforestation. This field study was carried out to quantify the above ground and below ground blue carbon stocks of the three dominant mangroves: Avicenia marina (Mchu), Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (Msisi/Msinzi) and Rhizophora mucronata (Mkoko magondi). This study was conducted in March 2020, at Nyeke-Uzi mangrove forests in Zanzibar and employed field survey and explorative study design. It used an allometric method for biomass determination where diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (TH) were measured as dependent variables. Biomass were then used to calculate the carbon contents both above ground and below ground tree parties through zones. R. mucronata contributed higher value of carbon contents of 8323Mg C ha-1 (41.66%) followed by A. marinaof 5952 Mg C /ha (29.79%) and B. gymnorrhizaof 5705 Mg C /ha (28.55%). AGC was higher 12300 Mg C /ha (61.56%) than BGC 7681 Mg C /ha (38.44%). This is because carbon content is affected by size of DBH found in the upper zone contributed by Avicenia marina having greater mean value of DBH 36.2cm, max. DBH 250cm followed by 17cm (max.DBH 60cm) and 15cm (max. DBH 5cm) of R.m and B.g respectively.Lower zone contributed higher carbon content 7345 Mg C /ha (36.76%) followed by upper zone 6735 Mg C /ha (33.71%) and mid zone 5901 Mg C /ha (29.53%). This result is due to high distribution of R. mucronata with prop roots in the lower zone and lack of A. marina species. Trees with higher DBH and height had We conclude that for rising carbon stock capacity in mangrove ecosystem of Zanzibar, more conservation efforts are needed by the community including shifting to non-destructive forest demands such as bee keeping, eco-tourism, seaweed and fish farming confirmed having higher carbon contents than the rest lacking such characteristics. We conclude that for rising carbon stock capacity in mangrove ecosystem of Zanzibar, more conservation efforts are needed by the community including shifting to non-destructive forest demands such as bee keeping, eco-tourism, seaweed and fish farming so as to provide important chance for carbon stocking as well as improving blue economy
Description
This field study was carried out to quantify the above ground and below ground blue carbon stocks of the three dominant mangroves: Avicenia marina (Mchu), Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (Msisi/Msinzi) and Rhizophora mucronata (Mkoko magondi)