A comparative study of biomass and carbon pool between natural and degraded mangrove forests in Peninsular Malaysia / Zhila Hemati
The present study involves the assessment of biomass concentration and carbon pool potentials of two major mangrove forests in Peninsular Malaysia; natural mangrove (Kuala Selangor) and degraded mangrove (Sg. Haji Dorani) forests. Various approaches adopted on the study ranged from biodiversity a...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Published: |
2015
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/6520/ http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/6520/4/zhila.pdf |
| Summary: | The present study involves the assessment of biomass concentration and carbon
pool potentials of two major mangrove forests in Peninsular Malaysia; natural
mangrove (Kuala Selangor) and degraded mangrove (Sg. Haji Dorani) forests.
Various approaches adopted on the study ranged from biodiversity assessment,
biomass estimation, to physico-chemical characterizations and estimation of
carbon pool potentials. Components of the mangrove assessed included litter
production: leaves, stem, branch, propagules and roots across three (3) seasons of
Peninsular Malaysia. Shannon- Weniner index (H') was used to assess the species
diversity indices while Simpson's index (Ds) and Sorenson‟s Similarity index (S)
were used to estimate the species richness indices of both mangrove areas.
Statistical tools (SPSS & Ms Excel) were used to validate and analyze generated
data. The forest trees distribution with the study areas gave a population count of
703 individual trees; 302 individuals for KSNP and 401 for SHD. Further
investigation among the trees population revealed that species diversity was
higher in SHD (5 species) than those found in KSNP (4 species). Avicennia
marina, Bruguiera cylindrica, Excoecaria agallocha, Xylocarpus mekongensis
characterized SHD, and Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera parviflora, Rhizophora
mucronata characterized KSNP, yet a tree species was common to both areas;
Sonneratia alba. Both areas had a total above- ground biomass of 428.24 t ha-1 yr-
1; 305.46 t ha-1 yr-1 from KSNP and 122.78 t ha-1 yr-1 from SHD. The most
pronounced above-ground biomass species were B. parviflora (266.74 t ha-1 yr -1)
II
for KSNP and A. marina (108.63 t ha-1yr -1 for SHD). Hence, when both species
were further assessed, it was found that the highest percentage of above-ground
biomass in tree components was recorded from the stem; 61.62 t ha-1 yr-1for B.
parviflora and 49.66 t ha-1 yr-1 for A. marina. In general, the rate of litter
production individually ranged from 0.08 to 6.59 g m2 day and 0.09 to 8.82 g m2
day for SHD and KSNP, respectively. The maximum individual rate was found in
propagules litter where 8.82 g m2 day was recorded in KSNP and 4.36 g m2 day
found in SHD. Such development might depict an enriched nature of KSNP as an
undisturbed mangrove forest. The carbon concentration in KSNP was pronounced
in the stem of B. parviflora (31.87 t C ha-1 yr-1) and A. officinalis (14.31 t C ha-1
yr-1), and it directly influenced the corresponding carbon sequestration potential
of the plant parts where 126.37 t C ha-1 yr -1 and 54.46 t C ha-1 yr -1 were found in
B. parviflora and A. officinalis, respectively. Though the stem contained highest
carbon concentration in SHD as well, yet it did not directly influence
corresponding carbon sequestration potential trend as in the case of KSNP. The
total carbon sequestration potential of the living plant parts of KSNP was 125.83 t
C ha-1 yr -1while SHD recorded 97.15 t C ha-1 yr -1. Such variation in the organic
carbon content, carbon concentrations and carbon sequestration potentials of
different parts of the mangrove species can be due to biological activities of
plants. Finally, the net primary productivity showed that KSNP (14.92 t ha-1 yr -1)
than SHD (13.87 t ha-1 yr -1) despite the higher species diversity found in SHD.
This may be due to species types and some other associated environmental
factors. |
|---|