Abstract:
Mangroves have gained global attention for their important role in climate change mitigation through
carbon storage. However, information on mangrove carbon stock in Malaysia, particularly along the
East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, remains limited, particularly for riverine mangroves. Therefore, this
study assessed the carbon stocks within the riverine mangroves, focussing on replanted forests, natural
forests, and bare land areas. Aboveground carbon stock was estimated using a non-destructive
allometric approach, while belowground carbon stock was estimated using ingrowth core methods. A
total of 10 mangrove species from six families were identified, comprising nine exclusive mangrove
species and one non-exclusive species during this study. Only two species were recorded in the
replanted forest i.e., Rhizophora apiculata and Rhizophora mucronata, whereas nine species were found
in the natural forest with Bruguiera cylindrical as the most abundant species. Natural forests stored
approximately 3 three times higher aboveground carbon stock with 127.84±20.61 t C haˉ¹ than replanted
forests 45.41±7.63 t C haˉ¹. Similarly, belowground carbon stock was also recorded higher in natural
forests with average of 30.17±3.45 t C haˉ¹. Dead roots and fallen litter contributed more carbon storage
than live fine and coarse roots in both forest types. This study demonstrates that natural mangrove
forests along Kertih River store substantially higher carbon stocks than replanted forests due to their
greater species diversity and structural complexity. The findings highlight the importance of conserving
natural mangroves and improving restoration efforts to enhance long-term carbon sequestration and
ecosystem resilience.
