Mangroves could store less carbon – and even begin releasing it – as sea levels rise, new research suggests.
Mangroves could store less carbon – and even begin releasing it – as sea levels rise, new research suggests.
Mangroves are made up of salt-tolerant plants that grow in coastal areas. They cover less than 1% of Earth’s surface but store about 15% of all ocean carbon, most of it in their soils. This ability to store carbon makes them important in efforts to limit climate change.
Previous research has suggested rising seas could increase carbon storage in mangroves, but the new study challenges this.
Read More at: University of Exeter
Mangroves – like this one at Cispata Bay – are efficient carbon sinks, but they may drown and lose their ability to store carbon under sea-level rise. (Photo Credit: Luisa Gomez Vargaz)
