Rapid Losses of Surface Elevation following Tree Girdling and Cutting in Tropical Mangroves
Lang'at, Joseph Kipkorir Sigi (Edinburgh Napier University. School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences)
Kairo, James G. (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute)
Mencuccini, Maurizio (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Bouillon, Steven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Skov, Martin W. (Bangor University. School of Ocean Sciences)
Waldron, Susan (University of Glasgow. School of Geographical and Earth Sciences)
Huxham, Mark M (Edinburgh Napier University. School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences)

Data:	2014
Resum:	The importance of mangrove forests in carbon sequestration and coastal protection has been widely acknowledged. Large-scale damage of these forests, caused by hurricanes or clear felling, can enhance vulnerability to erosion, subsidence and rapid carbon losses. However, it is unclear how small-scale logging might impact on mangrove functions and services. We experimentally investigated the impact of small-scale tree removal on surface elevation and carbon dynamics in a mangrove forest at Gazi bay, Kenya. The trees in five plots of a Rhizophora mucronata (Lam. ) forest were first girdled and then cut. Another set of five plots at the same site served as controls. Treatment induced significant, rapid subsidence (−32. 1±8. 4 mm yr −1 compared with surface elevation changes of +4. 2±1. 4 mm yr −1 in controls). Subsidence in treated plots was likely due to collapse and decomposition of dying roots and sediment compaction as evidenced from increased sediment bulk density. Sediment effluxes of CO and CH increased significantly, especially their heterotrophic component, suggesting enhanced organic matter decomposition. Estimates of total excess fluxes from treated compared with control plots were 25. 3±7. 4 tCO ha −1 yr −1 (using surface carbon efflux) and 35. 6±76. 9 tCO ha −1 yr −1 (using surface elevation losses and sediment properties). Whilst such losses might not be permanent (provided cut areas recover), observed rapid subsidence and enhanced decomposition of soil sediment organic matter caused by small-scale harvesting offers important lessons for mangrove management. In particular mangrove managers need to carefully consider the trade-offs between extracting mangrove wood and losing other mangrove services, particularly shoreline stabilization, coastal protection and carbon storage.
Nota:	Aquest article té una correcció a 10.1371/journal.pone.0118334
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Publicat a:	PloS one, Vol. 9, Issue 9 (September 2014) , art. e107868, ISSN 1932-6203

Correcció de l'article: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118334
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107868
PMID: 25244646

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