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CARBON HIDING IN SALINE VEGETATION

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Abhijit Mitra at University of Calcutta
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Received: 5 November Revised: 13 November Accepted: 22 November
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Role of mangroves in carbon sequestration: A case study from Prentice island of
Indian Sundarbans
Sangita Agarwal1, Nabonita Pal2, Sufia Zaman2 and Abhijit Mitra3
1Department of Applied Science, RCC Institute of Information Technology, Beliaghata, Kolkata
700015, India
2Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, Salt Lake Campus, Kolkata-700091, India
3Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35 B.C. Road, Kolkata 700019, India
ABSTRACT: We conducted a study during August 2012 and 2017 at Prentice island of Indian
Sundarbans to estimate the rate of stored carbon (carbon sequestration) in the mangrove
vegetation of the island. On the basis of criterion prescribed for carbon sequestration study (DBH
≥ 5 cm), only 23 species were selected for the estimation. We focused on the stem biomass and
the carbon locked in this compartment as the other above ground structures (like leaves, twigs
and branches) are converted into litter and act as relatively temporary sink of carbon. The total
stem biomass of the documented species (except those whose DBH values are less than 5 cm)
were 130.21 t ha-1 and 201.74 t ha-1 during 2012 and 2017 respectively. The respective stored
carbon were 58.23 t ha-1 and 96.12 t ha-1 during 2012 and 2017, which represent a carbon
sequestration of 7.58 t ha-1y-1 and a CO2 – equivalent rate of 27.82 t ha-1y-1.
KEY WORDS: Carbon sequestration, Indian Sundarbans, Mangroves, Prentice Island.
INTRODUCTION
Every mangrove ecosystem is unique in its dynamic behaviour, which can be expressed in terms
of the evolution of the substratum (intertidal mudflats or beach etc.), edaphic factors, tidal
behaviour, environmental parameters (preferably salinity in case of true mangroves) etc,
although the community structures are mostly generic. The growth and survival of the floral
species comprising the mangrove ecosystem is regulated by environmental parameters, which
finally form the base of carbon sequestration. The development of mangrove forests occurs where
near-horizontal topography coincides with sea level. The response of mangroves to
environmental change is, therefore, often indicative of past changes in coastal conditions,
especially in context to sea level. Comparing present patterns in forest species with paleo -
ecological information provides considerable insight, not only how mangroves responded to past
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sea level changes, but how they may respond to climate change in the future. The present study
has been conducted keeping our focus in this direction. Two distinct years (2012 and 2017) have
been considered with a gap of five years to evaluate the rate of carbon storage (carbon
sequestration) by true mangrove floral species in an island located in the World Heritage site of
Indian Sundarbans.
India has a total mangrove cover of 4627.63 sq.km , which is 0.15% of the countries land area, 3%
of the global mangrove area and 8% of the Asian mangrove area. Mangroves in India are unique
in terms of their extent, variability and biodiversity (Banerjee et al., 2016; Mitra and Sundaresan,
2016) [1] [2]. A total of 4011 species, encompassing 920 plants (23%) and 3091 animals (77%)
species have been recorded from Indian mangrove ecosystems, which has placed the Indian sub -
continent in a prominent position in the world biodiversity panorama (Bhatt and Kathiresan,
2011)[3]. Most of the mangrove forest in India is concentrated in the east coast (~2758 sq.km).
Sundarban Biosphere Reserve in the north east coast of India is the broad domain of the present
study, which has been narrowed down to Prentice Island (21° 38′21.20 N latitude 88° 20′29.32 E
longitude). The island has a unique diversity of true mangrove vegetation
The present study is an approach to evaluate the carbon sequestration in the stem region of major
mangrove floral species present in the island. The approach is undoubtedly an underestimation as
carbon is also stored in the branches, twigs and leaves of the trees. However, considering the
permanency of the stem region we have focused on this vegetative part as twigs, branches and
leaves are transformed into litter and detritus very frequently and subsequently get buried in the
underlying soil compartment or conveyed to adjacent water bodies as Particulate Organic Carbon
(POC), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
SAMPLING
Simple random sampling method was used to collect the samples. Sample plots were laid along
line transects based on tidal variation in the study area. 15 random sampling plots of 10 m × 10 m
were selected on the intertidal mudflats. To evaluate the stored carbon in the stem biomass, the
taxonomic diversity, population density and stem biomass of all the true mangrove floral species
were recorded. The sampling was carried out during low tide period and only the live trees with a
diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm were recorded.
ESTIMATION OF STEM BIOMASS
The DBH was measured at breast height, which is 1.3 m from the ground level. It was measured by
using tree calliper and measuring tape.
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Trees with multiple stems connected near the ground were counted as single individual and bole
circumference was measured separately. Stem height was recorded by using laser based height
measuring instrument (model: Bosch GLM 100 C). The methodology to estimate the stem biomass
of the selected true mangrove tree species were carried out step by step as per the VACCIN
project manual of CSIR (Mitra and Sundaresan, 2016) [2] after considering and measuring
parameters like DBH, DBR (Diameter of basal region), height of the stem, density of the stem
wood and form factor. The population density of each species was also documented to express the
value of stem biomass in t ha-1.
ESTIMATION OF STEM CARBON
Direct estimation of percent carbon in the stem was done by Vario MACRO elementar CHN
analyzer, after grinding and random mixing the oven dried stems from 15 different sampling
plots. The estimation was done separately for each species and mean values were expressed as t
ha-1.The stem carbon was converted to CO2-equivalent by multiplying with a factor 3.67.
ESTIMATION OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Carbon sequestration is defined as the rate of change of stored carbon with time. In the present
study, estimation of stored carbon in the stem of the selected mangrove trees was done during
August 2012 and August 2017 in the same sampling plots. Hence, the rate of change of stored
carbon in the stem biomass of the selected species (carbon sequestration) was calculated by
dividing the difference in stored carbon between years with the time factor/span (5 years in this
case).
RESULTS
POPULATION DENSITY
A total of 23 true mangrove floral species were documented from the study area and the
population density of all these species (in No. m-2) was 69.01 during 2012. After a span of 5 years
the value decreased to 68.75 in 2017 (Fig 1).
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Fig 1: Population density of true mangrove floral species (No.m-2) during 2012 and 2017
STEM BIOMASS
The total stem biomass was 130.21 t ha-1 during 2012 considering all the 23 selected true
mangrove floral species. The value increased to 201.74 tha-1 during 2017, which is hike of 54.93 %
(Fig 2).
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Fig 2: Stem biomass (in t ha-1) of selected mangrove trees in Prentice island
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STEM CARBON
The stored carbon in the stems of the selected species was 58.23 t ha-1 during 2012, which
increased to 96.12 t ha-1 during 2017, an enhancement of 65.07% (Fig 3).
Fig 3: Stem carbon (in t ha-1) of selected mangrove trees in Prentice island
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CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND CARBON-DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT
The stored carbon were 58.23 t ha-1 and 96.12 t ha-1 during 2012 and 2017 respectively, which
represent a carbon sequestration of 7.58 t ha-1y-1 and a CO2 – equivalent rate of 27.82 t ha-1y-1.
DISCUSSION
The Indian Sundarban mangroves sustain mixed mangrove vegetation with a total of 69 floral
species (included within 29 families and 50 genera), out of which 34 species are true mangrove
type (Mitra, 2000) [4]. Because ground based data and allometric equations are needed to
develop carbon estimates and there are not many empirical studies about mangroves in Indian
Sundarbans except a few (Banerjee et al., 2013; Mitra and Zaman, 2015; Mitra and Zaman,
2016)[5][6][7], we firstly calculated a conversion percentage between alive stem biomass and
stored carbon in 5 years (2012 and 2017) in order to provide a base over to which the present
assessment is built up. The stored carbon were 58.23 t ha-1 and 96.12 t ha-1 during 2012 and 2017
respectively, which represent a carbon sequestration of 7.58 t ha-1y-1 and a CO2 – equivalent rate
of 27.82 t ha-1y-1. The present data is, however, an underestimation in terms of stored carbon in
the above ground structures and carbon sequestration as we have omitted the vegetative parts
like the branches, twigs and leaves. Finally, we suggest that the conservation of mangroves in any
region is not only worthy in terms of biological diversity but also in context to retardation of the
present state of CO2 rise in the atmosphere.
FINANCIAL AND COMPETING INTEREST DISCLOSURE
The authors have no financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial conflict
with subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. No writing assistance was utilized in
the production of this manuscript.
REFERENCES
1. Banerjee K., CazzollaGatti R & Mitra A. (2016). Climate change-induced salinity variation
impacts on a stenoecious mangrove species in the Indian Sundarbans. Ambio, 1-8.
2. Mitra A & Sundaresan J. (2016). How to study stored carbon in mangroves, published by
CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR).
ISBN: 978-81-7236-349-9.
3. Bhatt J.R. & Kathiresan K. (2011). Biodiversity of mangrove ecosystems in India in towards
Conservation and Management of Mangrove Ecosystem in India (eds Bhatt, J. R. et al.),
IUCN, India.
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4. Mitra A. (2000). “The Northeast coast of the Bay of Bengal and deltaic Sundarbans. In Seas
at the Millennium – An environmental evaluation” in Sheppard C. (Ed.) Chapter 62,
Elsevier Science. UK, pp. 143-157.
5. Banerjee K., Sengupta K., Raha A. & Mitra A. (2013). Salinity based allometric equations
for biomass estimation of Sundarban mangroves, Biomass Bioenergy, 56, 382-391.
6. Mitra A. & Zaman S. (2015). Blue Carbon Reservoir of the Blue Planet, Publisher Springer
India, DOI-10.1007/978-81-322-2107-4; ISBN- 978-81-322-2106-7; Copyright Holder Name
Springer India Copyright, pp. 1-299.
7. Mitra A. & Zaman S. (2016). Basics of Marine and Estuarine Ecology; Publisher Springer
India, ISBN 978-81-322-2707-6; pp.1-481.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
How to Study Stored Carbon in Mangroves CSIR-NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION RESOURCES New Delhi
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  • May 2021
The biomass and productivity of mangrove forests have been studied mainly in terms of wood production, forest conservation, and ecosystem management (Putz and Chan, 1986; Tamai et al., 1986; Komiyama et al., 1987; Clough and Scott, 1989; McKee, 1995; Ong et al., 1995). The contemporary understanding of the global warming phenomenon, however, has generated interest in the carbon-storing ability of mangroves. Carbon sequestration in this unique producer community is a direct function of biomass production capacity, which in turn depends upon interaction between edaphic, climatic, and topographic factors of the area. Hence, results obtained at one place may not be applicable to another. Therefore region based potential of different land types and forests need to be worked out. Carbon registries typically segregate a number of carbon pools within a mangrove forests that can be identified and quantified. These carbon pools are categorized in a variety of ways, but typically include four major components, namely the above ground biomass, below ground biomass, litter, and soil carbon. The mangrove ecosystem is unique in terms of carbon dynamics as the litters and detritus contributed by the floral species are exported to adjacent water bodies in every tidal cycle. The present handbook is a guide to estimate the biomass and carbon stock in major compartments of mangrove system, which can be worked out in the field by lay man without the use of any sophisticated instrument. This manual is the output of the programme entitled “Vulnerability assessment and development of adaptation strategies for climate change impact with special reference to coasts and Island ecosystems of India (VACCIN)..”, whose main essence is to develop capacity to improve governance of coastal regimes and islands of India due to climate change impact. VACCIN Project is supported by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. The entire exercise of writing this manual would not have been possible without the active support of Lakshadweep administration (particularly Dept. of Environment and Forests, U. T of Lakshadweep), as the embryonic development of this start up manual was initiated in the midst of Kadmath island during the meeting of the Principal Investigators of VACCIN Project, during 10-14 March 2016.
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The northwest coast of the Bay of Bengal and Deltaic Sundarbans
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  • Jan 2000
The Indian Sub-continent lies entirely to the north of the equator with the Tropic of Cancer cutting the country roughly into two halves. About half of the Sub-continent in the northern portion lies outside the Tropics in the mid-latitudes or the Temperate zone. However, the whole of the country is still considered as a tropical country mainly because of its clearly defined isolation from the rest of the Asia by the Himalayan range and the prevalence of a tropical monsoon climate. With a coastline of 7515 km, an exclusive economic zone of 2,014,900 km2 and a shelf area of 452,100 km2, India occupies a unique position with regard to coastal biodiversity. The eastern, western and southern coasts of peninsular India are replete with majestic rivers which have extensive and highly productive estuarine areas. West Bengal, a maritime state of the northeastern part of the country, adjacent to Bangladesh, is indented in the south by numerous river openings. The important rivers from east to west are the Harinbhanga, Gosaba, Matla, Thakuran, Saptamukhi, Muriganga and Hugli which ultimately terminate in the Bay of Bengal, but on the way encompass approximately 54 islands, criss-crossed and intersected by various creeks and delta distributaries. The deltaic complex at the apex of the Bay of Bengal is the Indian Sundarbans. With a total land and water area of approximately 1,000,000 ha, the entire Sundarbans ecosystem of India and Bangladesh supports the world's largest mangrove block, a well-known ecosystem of the Tropics. Almost 62% of the Sundarbans is situated in Bangladesh, while the remaining 38%-the western sector-lies within India. The Indian Sundarbans, with rich mangrove floral and faunal diversity, swamps and backwaters, form a productive and protective margin for coastal West Bengal. These forest systems are dominated by the salt-tolerant halophytic seed plants that range in size from tall trees to shrubs. There are some similarities in general architecture (e.g. the presence of pneumatophores, cyrptoviviparous seeds or propagules, xerophyllous leaves etc.) and physiology (such as the presence of salt excretory glands or salt regulatory glands). A total of 69 floral species (included within 29 families and 50 genera) have been identified in this ecosystem, out of which 34 species are true mangrove types. These specialised vegetations play an important role in maintaining the economic structure of the coastal population of West Bengal state, as they are the reservoirs of various forestry products ranging from firewood, timber and construction materials for thatching houses, to honey, wax, alcohol, tannins and fisheries. The detritus supplied by this ecosystem to the aquatic phases of the Bay of Bengal and adjacent estuaries provides nutritional input; as a result, the coastal zone of the Bay of Bengal has become a nursery and breeding ground for a large variety of finfish and shellfish. Approximately 70 species of finfish juveniles and 25 species of shellfish juveniles have been recently recorded in the neritic zone of the Bay of Bengal, although a considerable portion of this ecological crop is wasted during the wild harvesting of prawn seeds. This operation is performed by employing nets of special mesh size to screen the seeds of tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) from the coastal waters. It is needed to meet the growing demands of the large number of shrimp culture farms that have recently sprung up in this part of the Sub-continent. The rapid industrialisation and urbanisation of the cities of Calcutta, Howrah and the newly developing Haldia industrial complex has posed another negative stress to this productive ecosystem: the factories and industries situated on the western bank of the Hugli estuary have significantly contributed to the degradation of this taxonomically diverse ecosystem. As a considerable number of small and large rivers find their way into the Bay of Bengal, a seasonal variation of aquatic salinity and pH is observed. This alters the speciation of compounds present in the marine and estuarine compartments; consequently, the concentrations of several conservative pollutants in the aquatic phase and biological samples oscillate markedly with seasons. Against this background, this chapter discusses the macrofloral and macrofaunal diversity of the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal and the adjacent Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, along with the various stresses operating in the area.
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Blue Carbon Reservoir of the Blue Planet
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  • Aug 2014
About the Book The ever increasing emission of carbon dioxide due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, unplanned tourism and alteration of land use pattern is causing unprecedented changes to marine biodiversity. Irrespective of political philosophy, nation, caste, sex and religion, mankind is under the appalling shadow of climate change. Today nature-based approaches for the mitigation of climate change are increasingly accepted as part of the low-cost solution. Thrust has been given by several scientific communities to assess the magnitude and viability of carbon sequestering potential of plants. Coastal producer communities like mangroves, salt marsh grass, seagrass beds, and seaweeds absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis. This carbon known as the ‘blue carbon’ is thus associated with the marine and estuarine ecosystems. However, a number of gaps in our scientific knowledge on blue carbon domain still exist. Molluscs, coral reefs, phytoplankton, which are amongst the important storehouses of carbon, have not been addressed. Very few scientific studies on the carbon stored in these valuable natural vaults have been performed, and no data bank is available on their carbon sequestering capacity on global basis. The methodologies for assessing blue carbon stock also need further standardization so that credit from blue carbon reservoir is accepted by the International bodies in the form of a concrete policy. It is a matter of great appreciation that Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources (IUCN), and the Intergovernmental Oceanic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is collaborating with governments, research institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, and communities around the world to develop management approaches, financial incentives and policy mechanisms for ensuring conservation and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems and implement projects around the world that demonstrate the feasibility of blue carbon accounting, management, and incentive agreements. The present book has critically presented the data bank for each community of blue carbon not merely in the form of text description, but also through case studies that are the outcomes of research projects and pilot programmes. MARKETING:::::::: Hardcover ▶ approx.169,99€ | approx.£153.00 | approx.239.00▶∗approx.181,89€(D)∣approx.186,99€(A)∣approx.CHF226.50eBookAvailablefromyourlibraryor▶springer.com/shopMyCopyPrintedeBookforjust▶€∣239.00 ▶ *approx.181,89€(D) | approx.186,99€(A) | approx.CHF226.50 eBook Available from your library or ▶ springer.com/shop MyCopy Printed eBook for just ▶ € | 24.99 ▶ springer.com/mycopy Order online at springer.com ▶ or for the Americas call (toll free) 1-800-SPRINGER ▶ or email us at: orders-ny@springer.com. ▶ For outside the Americas call +49 (0) 6221-345-4301 ▶ or email us at: orders-hd-individuals@springer.com. The first € price and the £ and $ price are net prices, subject to local VAT. Prices indicated with * include VAT for books; the €(D) includes 7% for Germany, the €(A) includes 10% for Austria. Prices indicated with ** include VAT for electronic products; 19% for Germany, 20% for Austria. All prices exclusive of carriage charges. Prices and other details are subject to change without notice. All errors and omissions excepted.
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Salinity based allometric equations for biomass estimation of Sundarban mangroves
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2013
  • BIOMASS BIOENERG
Biomass estimation was carried out for three even-aged dominant mangrove species (Avicennia alba, Excoecaria agallocha and Sonneratia apetala) in two regions of Indian Sundarbans with two distinct salinity regimes for three consecutive years (2008–2010) and the results were expressed in tons per hectare (t ha−1). In the western region, the total mean biomass of the mangrove species varied as per the order A. alba (41.65 t ha−1 in 2008, 55.79 t ha−1 in 2009, 60.86 t ha−1 in 2010) > S. apetala (31.76 t ha−1 in 2008, 32.81 t ha−1 in 2009, 39.10 t ha−1 in 2010) > E. agallocha (13.89 t ha−1 in 2008, 15.54 t ha−1 in 2009, 18.28 t ha−1 in 2010). In the central region, the order was A. alba (42.06 t ha−1 in 2008, 57.09 t ha−1 in 2009, 64.57 t ha−1 in 2010) > E. agallocha (15.30 t ha−1 in 2008, 20.02 t ha−1 in 2009, 24.24 t ha−1 in 2010) > S. apetala (6.77 t ha−1 in 2008, 9.46 t ha−1 in 2009, 11.42 t ha−1 in 2010). Significant negative correlation was observed between biomass of S. apetala and salinity (p < 0.01), whereas in case of A. alba and E. agallocha positive correlations were observed (p < 0.01). Species-wise linear allometric regression equations for biomass prediction were developed for each salinity zone as a function of diameter at breast height (DBH) based on high coefficient of determination (R2 value). The allometric models are species-specific, but not site-specific.
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Climate change-induced salinity variation impacts on a stenoecious mangrove species in the Indian Sundarbans
Article
  • Apr 2017
The alterations in the salinity profile are an indirect, but potentially sensitive, indicator for detecting changes in precipitation, evaporation, river run-off, glacier retreat, and ice melt. These changes have a high impact on the growth of coastal plant species, such as mangroves. Here, we present estimates of the variability of salinity and the biomass of a stenoecious mangrove species (Heritiera fomes, commonly referred to as Sundari) in the aquatic subsystem of the lower Gangetic delta based on a dataset from 2004 to 2015. We highlight the impact of salinity alteration on the change in aboveground biomass of this endangered species that, due to different salinity profile in the western and central sectors of the lower Gangetic plain, shows an increase only in the former sector, where the salinity is dropping and low growth in the latter, where the salinity is increasing. Keywords Aboveground biomass � Climate change � Gangetic plain � Glacier melting � Heritiera fomes � Salinity
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The Northeast coast of the Bay of Bengal and deltaic Sundarbans. In Seas at the Millennium-An environmental evaluation
  • Jan 2000
  • 143-157
  • A Mitra
Mitra A. (2000). "The Northeast coast of the Bay of Bengal and deltaic Sundarbans. In Seas at the Millennium-An environmental evaluation" in Sheppard C. (Ed.) Chapter 62, Elsevier Science. UK, pp. 143-157.