Authors:
Donato, D.C., J.B. Kauffman, R.A. Mackenzie, A. Ainsworth and A.Z. Pfleeger
Publication Date:
2012
Abstract/Summary:
Management of forest carbon (C) stocks is an increasingly prominent land-use issue. Knowledge of carbon storage in tropical forests is improving, but regional variations are still poorly understood, and this constrains forest management and conservation efforts associated with carbon valuation mechanisms (e.g., carbon markets). This deficiency is especially pronounced in tropical islands and low-lying coastal areas where climate change impacts are expected to be among the most severe. This study presents the first field estimate of island-wide carbon storage in ecosystems of Oceania, with special attention to the regional role of coastal mangroves, which occur on islands and coastal zones throughout the tropics. Sustainable management of mangrove forests and their large C stocks is of high importance at the regional scale, and climate change mitigation programs such as REDD+ could play a large role in avoiding deforestation of mangroves where this is a management objective.
Resource Type:
Peer-reviewed Article
Source:
Journal of Environmental Management
Link:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479711004294