Mangrove Restoration
Restoring mangrove forests to enhance carbon sequestration and ecosystem services.
What is Mangrove Restoration?
Mangrove restoration involves the active rehabilitation or natural regeneration of degraded or lost mangrove forest ecosystems. This typically includes planting mangrove seedlings, re-establishing hydrological conditions, and removing threats to allow for the recovery of these vital coastal habitats.
Why is Mangrove Restoration important?
Mangrove restoration is highly important for climate change mitigation due to the exceptional carbon sequestration capacity of mangroves, particularly in their soils. Beyond carbon, they provide crucial ecosystem services, including coastal protection from storms, nurseries for fish and shellfish, and habitats for diverse wildlife.
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Frequently asked questions
Mangroves are found in tropical and subtropical coastal intertidal zones, typically in brackish or saltwater environments along sheltered coastlines.
Mangroves sequester large amounts of carbon in their dense woody biomass (roots, trunks, branches) and, most significantly, in the anaerobic soils beneath them, where organic matter accumulates over centuries to millennia.
Challenges include selecting appropriate species, ensuring correct hydrological conditions, managing pollution and sediment levels, securing long-term protection, and engaging local communities.