Abstract
Mangrove soils represent a large sink for carbon (C) that would otherwise be rapidly recycled. However, widespread deforestation threatens the preservation of this important carbon stock. It is therefore imperative to understand global patterns in mangrove soil carbon stocks and their susceptibility to remineralisation. Here, we present patterns in mangrove soil carbon stocks across hemispheres, latitudes, countries, and mangrove community compositions, and estimate potential annual CO2 emissions for countries where mangroves occur. Global potential CO2 emissions from soils as a result of mangrove loss were estimated to be approximately 7.0 Tg CO2e per year. Countries with the highest potential CO2 emissions from soils are Indonesia (3,410 Gg CO2e per year) and Malaysia (1,288 Gg CO2e per year). The patterns described serve as a baseline by which countries can assess their mangrove soil carbon stocks and potential emissions from mangrove deforestation.
