Assessing the blue carbon sequestration in the mangrove forests of Bushehr Province (Nayband and Melgonze)

Mangrove forests have an important role in carbon dioxide stabilization and modification of increasing greenhouse gases and the human effects of global warming. The main purpose of this study is to eliminate the information gap of carbon storage in the mangrove forests of Bushehr province. In this study, the total carbon storage and the top 1 m, and total soil depth of soil as well as the carbon stored in mangrove trees in the mangrove forest of Bushehr Province (Nayband and Melgonze) were evaluated. The amount of sediment carbon in sediment cores and the diameter of breast height and height of trees were measured in 12 stations in the area. Satellite imagery showed that the area of the Nayband and Melgonze mangrove forests is 141 and 14 ha, respectively, 73% of which is high-density forest. The results showed that the average carbon content of the top 1m of Nayband and Melgonze mangrove forests is 158 and 190 tons per hectare (t ha-1) respectively, which is within the range of the global average in arid mangroves. The amount of carbon in the top 1m of Bushehr mangrove soil was estimated at 25000 tons, 89% of which is sequestered in Nayband mangroves. Soil and mangrove trees in the area have sequestered 59500 tonnes of carbon (equivalent to 218 tonnes of CO2) 28500 tonnes of which is stored in soil and the rest (31000 tonnes) is sequestered by mangrove trees. Estimates show that if the mangrove forests of the area are completely deforested, more than 155000 tons of carbon dioxide will re-mineralize into the atmosphere. Evaluating the carbon content of the total soil depth enabled us to estimate the total carbon content of mangrove habitats in Bushehr province for the first time.