Mangroves are the best carbon sequestering trees in the world. Now more than ever, conserving and restoring mangroves is essential, in order to fight climate change and store the increasing amount of carbon emissions in our atmosphere.
In an age of environmental crisis, the harsh realities of climate change are becoming more and more visible in our daily lives: wildfires in California, massive hurricanes destroying the East Coast, polar vortexes in the north, and more close to home, the city of Miami flooding more and more as sea levels rise every day. And, scientists around the world are in agreement that the main thing that is causing these extreme weather patterns is human actions that have released greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere, which is causing the earth to warm.
Thus, conserving mangrove ecosystems is important, now more than ever. Studies indicate that, pound for pound, mangroves can sequester four times more carbon than rainforests can. This carbon is effectively sucked out of the atmosphere and stored in the soil beneath mangrove trees.
Want to Learn How They Do It?
During normal growth, mangroves rapidly convert carbon dioxide into biomass. The saturated soils in which they grow contain low levels of oxygen, which bacteria and fungi need as fuel to break down dead plant matter. Instead, this dead material is stored in the soil. In a simple way of explaining: mangroves take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into something useful which they put in the soil underneath them.
What Happens if Mangrove Ecosystems are Destroyed?
When mangrove ecosystems are destroyed, either by clearing or coastal development, the soil held underneath the mangroves is disrupted. If the carbon stored in these soils are released as carbon dioxide and methane, this would likely cause an even bigger increase in climatic warming. Additionally, mangroves are vulnerable to climate change as sea level rise pushes ecosystems inland. Thus, along with supporting that more mangroves be planted, it is also vital that existing mangrove ecosystems are preserved!
Takeaways
The conservation and restoration of mangroves is essential to fighting climate change. Because of their incredible carbon storing capabilities, mangroves provide an amazing environmental service that cannot go unnoticed. Now more than ever, mangroves must be protected.