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Computational Ecology and Software, 2025, 15(4): 144-156
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Article

Quantifying carbon stock of a community-managed overwashed mangrove forest in Batangas, Philippines

Mario A. Cudiamat
Environmental Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

Received 3 February 2025;Accepted 10 March 2025;Published online 30 March 2025;Published 1 December 2025
IAEES

Abstract
Mangrove ecosystem plays a crucial role in promoting biodiversity and mitigating climate change impacts. Calatagan, Batangas as a corridor of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines - the center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity in the world, has a huge potential for carbon storage because of its rich biodiversity. The biodiversity of mangroves and carbon sequestration estimation are important aspects in conservation planning to reduce the impact of climate change. This research assessed the carbon storage of a community-managed mangrove forest in terms of vegetation and soil carbon. The transect plot technique was employed to assess the forest structure and carbon stock. Vegetative carbon was estimated in terms of the aboveground and belowground biomass of the mangroves using allometric models. Physico-chemical analyses of the sediment were conducted to calculate the soil organic carbon density. Based on the findings, Calatagan Mangrove Forest Conservation Park has 12 species. In terms of edaphic patterns, soil organic carbon showed inverse relationship with soil bulk density. Among the species, Avicennia marina and Sonneratia alba had high amounts of vegetative carbon stock. Furthermore, it was found that higher carbon stock is accumulated in the soil than vegetative carbon. From these results, the blue carbon approach to community-based conservation and management of mangrove forests is endorsed. This implies that more locally managed marine protected areas (MPA) should be established to promote and strengthen the blue carbon approach as a nature-based solution to climate change. It also suggests that carbon sequestration must be an integral component of the community-based mangrove conservation and restoration plans towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Keywords biomass;carbon stock;climate change;mangrove forest;mitigation.


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