SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION OF MANGROVE FORESTS AT RAIGAD DISTRICT COAST, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Abstract

Mangrove forests are highly productive ecosystems with carbon sequestration rate almost equivalent to tropical green forests. Mangroves distribute proportionally more carbon below ground and possess higher below to above ground carbon mass ratio as compared to any other forests (Kathiresen, 2004). Mangrove is amongst the most carbon rich biomes containing more than 950 tC/H. The said study overlooks destructive and non-destructive methods of the carbon sequestration. It is conducted as a comparative assessment of the carbon sequestration potential of mangrove and non-mangrove regions. By means of methodology of calculating Soil Bulk Density (gcm -3) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in mangroves soils (El Wakeel and Riley, 1956) and Carbon Sequestration Rate (CSR) is estimated based on the sediment rates and TOC content of the soil (Duan Xiaonan et al (2008). The systematic assessment conducted at West Coast of Maharashtra; shows mangrove region with Avicinnia marina species and in non–mangrove region total carbon in soil (%) recorded 17.15% and 4.52 percent respectively. Total Soil Carbon Stock recorded is 431 million g / Ha at mangrove region and 105.7 million g / Ha at non mangrove region. After methodical estimation of biomass and carbon stock of mangroves (English et.al, 1997 and Kaufman and Donato, 2012), total carbon stock of mangrove stand was recorded 393.14 mg/Ha and that of non-mangrove stand was recorded to be 91.7 mg/Ha. It shows that mangroves absorb almost 315.14 percent more carbon than non-mangrove region. In other words, carbon stock in Avicinnia marina stand found to be almost 3 times more than non-mangrove zone.