Blue carbon storage in mangroves of Hong Kong

Abstract

Blue carbon ecosystems store large amounts of carbon in their biomass and soils, and such stored carbon is becoming increasingly important in the conversation of climate change. When mangrove habitats are converted into other land-use, the carbon sink is loss and carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere. The quantification of carbon stocks in ecosystem is important in knowing the carbon sequestration potential. This study acts as an review of existing studies on carbon budgets of mangroves in Hong Kong and provides an preliminary view on their carbon storage role. There were a few previous studies carried out evaluating the NPP, biomass and SOC of Mai Po Marshes in Hong Kong. By extrapolating data from those studies, there was an average of 217.5 Mg CO2e/ha^(-1) stored in the biomass of mangroves and 1057.61 CO2e/ha^(-1) stored in the soils of mangroves in Hong Kong. Carbon storage in aboveground biomass and soil in Hong Kong mangroves ranks below the average storage rate compared to other regions worldwide. Even though mangroves face many anthropogenic threats in Hong Kong, there is still a lot of potential for carbon storage in the soils of mangroves and these habitats still provide many ecosystem services. There is still no comprehensive carbon assessment of mangroves in Hong Kong and a lot is unknown about this field. This reinforces the need for further study and also the management of these threatened habitats.