Carbon Stock Sequestration in the Mangrove Forest of Barangay Camudmud MPA, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao Del Norte

Carbon Stock Sequestration in the Mangrove Forest of Barangay Camudmud MPA, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao Del Norte

Jenelyn R. Agua1 & Hilario L. Wong, Jr.2
1Biology Program, Math and Science Department, College of Arts and Sciences Education, DPT Building, University of Mindanao, Matina, Davao City, Philippines
2Biology Program, Natural Sciences Department, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Southeastern Philippines, Bo. Obrero, Davao City, Philippines
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2023.8615
Received: 31 May 2023; Revised: 09 June 2023; Accepted: 14 June 2023; Published: 12 July 2023

Abstract: The study mainly determined the potential of Barangay Camudmud mangrove forest to sequester carbon dioxide. Five sampling plots were established using the transect line in the study area parallel to the shore. Every sampling plot measured 20 m x 20 m, spaced at 20-m intervals, and covered 2,000 m2. Two true mangrove species were found, namely: Rhizophora stylosa (bakhaw bato) and Sonneratia alba (pagatpat). R. stylosa was more abundant on the site and had a higher value of relative density, frequency, dominance, and importance value index compared to S. alba. Moreover, species diversity in the study area, including the saplings, was low (0.094). Furthermore, based on allometric equations computation for aboveground biomass and belowground organic carbon, R. stylosa sequestered 5.621 Mg ha and 12.528 Mg ha for S. alba. Generally, Barangay Camudmud Marine Protected Area (MPA) mangrove forest had the potential to sequester carbon with a total of 18.149 Mg ha. Although R. stylosa dominated the study area, it sequestered less atmospheric carbon than S. alba. On the other hand, S. alba sequestered more carbon and was less dominant in the area. As a result, the value of r in the Pearson Correlation Coeffi- cient was computed as -0.1717 and was interpreted as a negative correlation that exhibited an inversely proportional relationship between Importance Value Index (IVI) and total carbon sequestration values.

Keywords: carbon sequestration; mangrove forest; Marine Protected Area; biodiversity; aboveground biomass; belowground organic carbon; allometric equations

I. Introduction

Climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing the modern world that has a significant impact on ecosystems due to the warming of the planet [1] because of the increase of greenhouse gases [2]. There are risks of long-term change in the climate system, such as melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels, and increasing temperature [3]. Therefore, there is a need for mandatory carbon sequestration [4][5]. Mangrove forests in coastal areas largely play crucial roles in climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon in the atmosphere [6].

The Philippines was once recognized internationally for its mangrove-rich ecosystem providing ecosystem services and climate change mitigation [7][8][9][10]. Thus, the potential of mangrove forests to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) must be recognized to promote conservation efforts in the ecosystem [11]. Studies on carbon storage and sequestration conducted in the Philippines focused on terrestrial vegetation; therefore, only limited data are available in the scientific literature on carbon sequestration and storage rates of blue carbon ecosystems. Recent studies, especially in Mindanao, utilized on the living aboveground biomass based on species-specific allometric equations to estimate the carbon stock accumulation [9][12][10] making belowground soil carbon pools the least studied reservoir [13].

Full Text  PDF