An estimative of Carbon Sequestration by Mangrove Trees in Boturoca River –

Abstract

Mangroves play an important role in pumping carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean and can regulate the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG). The pressure on this ecosystem has intensified in recent decades, which undertakes the important economic and environmental services they provide. A mangrove forest in São Vicente, was used in the calculation of plant biomass in order to determine the amount of carbon stored in trees during the one year period and compare it with the rate of GHG emissions through the exhaust of a popular automobile. Therefore, delimited six plots of 100 square meters, on the right bank of the Boturoca River, which were identified for all the trees of the species Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa and Avicennia schaueriana, and measured: circumference at breast height (GBH) and height trees. The results showed that it would take 47 mangrove trees to absorb greenhouse gases emitted by a single car. Considering the current fleet of vehicles in the city of São Vicente, the amount of carbon emitted already exceeded the carrying capacity of mangroves to retain this carbon.

Keywords

Mangroves, biomass, carbon sequestration, emissions from vehicles.