South China Sea Annual Meeting 2023 (SCSAM)

141 / 2023-08-19 14:29:21

Underestimated stem methane emission significantly offsets mangrove blue carbon sequestration

wetland,methane

Wetlands constitute the primary natural source of global methane (CH₄) emissions, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Nevertheless, emerging evidence suggests that methane emissions from tree stems may be a significant and previously unaccounted for component of the global carbon budget. In this study, we present the initial estimation of the global extent of this offset. Our findings demonstrate that stem CH₄ emissions have the capacity to partially counterbalance blue carbon burial rates in mangrove sediments, with an average offset of 31.2%. Therefore, it is imperative to incorporate CH₄ emissions from mangrove stems into future blue carbon budgets.