Belowground carbon storage of Micronesian mangrove forests

Abstract

Belowground carbon storage was examined for mangrove forests on Pohnpei Island, Micronesia. Stored carbon in a coral reef‐type mangrove habitat consisting of a 2 m thick mangrove peat layer, which is a type of mangrove habitat in tropical Pacific islands, was estimated at 1300 t C ha −1 . The carbon burial rate during the phase of gradual sea‐level rise, which was calculated at 93 g m −2 year −1 between 1800 and 1380 years BP using the medians of the radiocarbon ages, was significantly higher than that between 1380 years BP and present in a stable sea‐level phase.