Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Carbon stocks of mangroves and losses arising from their conversion to cattle pastures in the Pantanos de Centla, Mexico

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Wetlands Ecology and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The conservation of mangroves and other coastal “blue carbon” ecosystems is receiving heightened attention because of recognition of their high ecosystem carbon stocks as well as vast areas undergoing land conversion. However, few studies have paired intact mangroves with degraded sites to determine carbon losses due to land conversion. To address this gap we quantified total ecosystem carbon stocks in mangroves and cattle pastures formed from mangroves in the large wetland complex of the Pantanos de Centla in SE Mexico. The mean total ecosystem carbon stocks of fringe and estuarine tall mangroves was 1358 Mg C/ha. In contrast the mean carbon stocks of cattle pastures was 458 Mg C/ha. Based upon a biomass equivalence of losses from the top 1 m of mangrove soils, the losses in carbon stocks from mangrove conversion are conservatively estimated at 1464 Mg CO2e/ha. These losses were 7-fold that of emissions from tropical dry forest to pasture conversion and 3-fold greater than emissions from Amazon forest to pasture conversion. However, we found that limiting ecosystem carbon stocks differences to the surface 1 m or even 2 m soil depth will miss losses that occurred from deeper horizons. Mangrove conversion to other land uses comes at a great cost in terms of greenhouse gas emissions as well losses of other important ecosystem services.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adame MF, Kauffman JB, Medina I, Gamboa JN, Torres O, Caamal J, Reza M, Herrera-Silveira JM (2013) Carbon stocks of tropical coastal wetlands within the karstic landscape of the Mexican caribbean. PLoS One 8(2):e56569. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056569

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Alongi DM (2014) Carbon cycling and storage in mangrove forests. Annu Rev Mar Sci 6:195–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arriaga Cabrera L, VázquezDomínguez E, González Cano J, Jiménez Rosenberg R, Muñoz López E, Aguilar Sierra V, (coordinadores) (1998). Regiones Marinas Prioritarias de México. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad. México

  • Day JW Conner WH, Ley-Lou F, Day RH, Navarro AM (1987) The productivity and composition of mangrove forests, Lagunade Terminos, Mexico. Aquat Bot 27:267–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donato DC, Kauffman JB, Murdiyarso D, Kurnianto S, Stidham M, Kanninen M (2011) Mangroves among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics. Nat Geosci 4:293–297. doi:10.1038/NGEO1123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) (2006) World30 imagery Map Background. World Imagery accessed via services.arcgis.online. SPOT 5 image source, 15 m resolution, 2006

  • Fromard F, Puig H, Mougin E, Marty E, Betoulle JL, Cadamuro L (1998) Structure, above-ground biomass and dynamics of mangrove ecosystems: new data from French Guiana. Oecologia 115:39–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giri C, Ochieng E, Tieszen LL, Zhu Z, Singh A, Loveland T, Masek J, Duke N (2010) Status and distribution of mangrove forests of the world using earth observation satellite data. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 20:154–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giri C, Ochieng E, Tieszen LL, Zhu Z, Singh A, Loveland T, Masek J, Duke N (2013). Global mangrove forests distribution, 2000. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), Palisades. doi:10.7927/H4J67DW8. Accessed Nov 2014

  • Guerra-Martínez V, Ochoa-Gaona S (2008) Evaluación del programa de manejo de La Reserva de la Biosfera Pantanos de Centla en Tabasco, México. Univ y Cienc 24(2):135–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes RF, Kauffman JB, Jaramillo VJ (1999) Biomass, carbon, and nutrient dynamics of secondary forests in a humid tropical region of Mexico. Ecology 80:1892–1907

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes RF, Kauffman JB, Jaramillo VJ (2000) Ecosystem-scale impacts of deforestation and land use in a humid tropical region of Mexico. Ecol Appl 10:515–527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) (2003) Good practice guidance for land use, land-use change, and forestry (Eds Penman J. et al.). Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

  • Jaramillo VJ, Ahedo-Hernández R, Kauffman JB (2003a) Root biomass and carbon in a tropical evergreen forest of México: changes with secondary succession and forest conversion to pasture. J Trop Ecol 19:457–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaramillo VJ, Kauffman JB, Rentería-Rodríguez L, Cummings DL, Ellingson LJ (2003b) Biomass, carbon, and nitrogen pools in Mexican tropical dry forest landscapes. Ecosystems 6:609–629

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman JB, Donato DC (2012) Protocols for the Measurement, Monitoring, & Reporting of Structure, Biomass and Carbon Stocks in mangrove Forests. Working Paper 86. Center for International Forest Research. 40p

  • Kauffman JB, Cummings DL, Ward DE, Babbitt R (1995) Fire in the Brazilian Amazon: 1. Biomass, nutrient pools, and losses in slashed primary forests. Oecologia 104:397–408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman JB, Cummings DL, Ward DE (1998) Fire in the Brazilian Amazon: 2. Biomass, nutrient pools and losses in cattle pastures. Oecologia 113:415–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman JB, Thorpe AS, Brookshire ENJ (2004) Livestock exclusion and belowground ecosystem responses in riparian meadows of Eastern Oregon. Ecol Appl 16:1671–1679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman JB, Donato D, Adame MF (2014a) Protocolo para la medición, monitoreo y reporte de la estructura, biomasa y reservas de carbono de los manglares de México. CIFOR WorkingPaper/Documentode Trabajo 117. Center for International Forest Research 48p

  • Kauffman JB, Heider C, Norfolk J, Payton F (2014b) Carbon Stocks of intact mangroves and carbon emissions arising from their conversion in the Dominican Republic. Ecol Appl 24:518–527

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Komiyama A, Poungparn S, Kato S (2005) Common allometric equations for estimating the tree weight of mangroves. J Trop Ecol 21:471–477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krauss KW, Cahoon DR, Allen JA, Ewel KC, Lynch JC, Cormier N (2010) Surfaceelevation change and susceptibility of different mangrove zones to sea-level rise on Pacific high islands of Micronesia. Ecosystems 13:129–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langat JKS, Kairo JG, Mencuccini M, Bouillon S, Skov MW et al (2014) Rapid losses of surface elevation following tree girdling and cutting in tropical mangroves. PLoS One 9(9):e107868. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lugo AE, Snedaker SC (1974) the ecology of mangroves. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 5:39–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pendleton L, Donato DC, Crooks S, Murray BC, Jenkins WJ, Sifleet S, Baldera A, Craft C, Fourqurean JW, Kauffman JB, Marbà M, Megonigal P, Pidgeon E, Bilbao-Bastida V, Ullman R, Herr D (2012) Estimating global ‘‘blue carbon’’ emissions from conversion and degradation of vegetated coastal ecosystems. PLoS One 7(9):e43542. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043542

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Smith TJ, Whelan KRT (2006) Development of allometric relations for three mangrove species in South Florida for use in the Greater Everglades ecosystem restoration. Wetl Ecol Manag 14:409–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (2014) The Importance of mangroves to People. In: van Bochove J, Sullivan E, Nakamura T (eds) A call to action. United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge. 128 pp

  • US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (2014) Clean Energy Resources, Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, GHG emissions from passenger vehicles per year. Accessed via: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2009) Global Health Observatory Data Repository, number of registered vehicles data by country, Mexico. http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.A995

Download references

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Jose Antonio Sanchez Jesus, Norma Daniela Lopez Perez, Guadalupe de la Cruz Sanchez, Maria del Rosario Richardez Jimenez, Raul Mendez Garcia, Leysi Daniela Mena Leon, and Tyler McFadden for assistance in the field. We also wish to thank Dr. José Gilberto Torres of the Laboratorio de Catálisis Heterogénea, Universidad Juarez Autónoma de Tabasco for carbon analysis.

Funding

This study was possible through funding provided by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation with leveraged funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development—The sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    J. Boone Kauffman

  2. Universidade Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, TAB, Mexico

    Humberto Hernandez Trejo, Maria del Carmen Jesus Garcia & Wilfrido M. Contreras

  3. Watershed Professionals Network, Philomath, OR, 97370, USA

    Chris Heider

Authors
  1. J. Boone Kauffman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Humberto Hernandez Trejo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maria del Carmen Jesus Garcia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chris Heider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wilfrido M. Contreras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Boone Kauffman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kauffman, J.B., Hernandez Trejo, H., del Carmen Jesus Garcia, M. et al. Carbon stocks of mangroves and losses arising from their conversion to cattle pastures in the Pantanos de Centla, Mexico. Wetlands Ecol Manage 24, 203–216 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9453-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9453-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation